No studio album by an American band has sold more copies in the U.S. than the Eagles’ Hotel California. The classic 1976 release has been certified 26-times platinum by the RIAA for sales of more than 26 million copies in the States.
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Released on December 8, 1976, Hotel California reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200 on this day (January 15) in 1977. Interestingly, the album spent eight non-consecutive weeks, and had four separate stints, on the top of the chart.
Hotel California initially replaced Stevie Wonder’s Songs in the Key of Life at No. 1 on the chart and spent one week there being bumped by Paul McCartney and Wings’ Wings over America live album.
Wings over America had its own weeklong stint at No. 1 before Songs in the Key of Life returned to the top of the Billboard 200. Hotel California then knocked Wonder’s album from the pinnacle on February 5 to enjoy a second week at No. 1. Barbra Streisand and Kris Kristofferson’s soundtrack to the film A Star Is Born then began a six-week takeover of the top spot, before Hotel California began a third individual week at No. 1 on March 26.
On April 2, Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours became the third album to knock Hotel California from the top of the chart. After two weeks, Hotel California began its fourth and longest stint at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. The album then had a five-week run atop the chart before Rumours once again ascended to No. 1 on May 21, 1977.
More About Hotel California
Hotel California was the Eagles fifth studio album and its first to feature guitarist Joe Walsh, who replaced founding member Bernie Leadon. With the more rock-oriented Walsh in the band, the album saw the Eagles moving away from their country-rock roots and featuring some hard-rocking material.
Hotel California yielded three hit singles. The first two, the melodic pop-rock ballad “New Kid in Town” and the classic title track, both topped the Billboard Hot 100. The third single, the hard-rocking “Life in the Fast Lane,” reached No. 11.
The album also featured such other gems as “Victim of Love,” “Wasted Time,” “Pretty Maids All in a Row.”
“Hotel California” would up winning the Record of the Year honor of the 1978 Grammy Awards, while “New Kid in Town” took home the Best Arrangement for Voices prize.
More About the Eagles’ Album Achievements
Hotel California was the Eagles’ second studio album, and third overall, to top the Billboard 200. The band’s fourth studio effort, One of These Nights, spent five weeks at No. 1 in July and August of 1975. The band’s 1976 best-of compilation, Their Greatest Hits (1971-1975), then topped the chart for five weeks in the spring of ’76.
Oh, and Their Greatest Hits (1971-1975) happens to be the best-selling album of all time in the U.S., have been certified 38-times platinum by the RIAA for sales of 38 million copies. The only other albums to have sold more copies in the States than Hotel California are Michael Jackson’s Thriller (34 million) and AC/DC’s Back in Black (27 million).
Eagles’ 2025 Performance Plans
The Eagles will continue their ongoing Las Vegas residency at the Sphere venue with a concert this Friday, January 17. The band has a total of 16 upcoming dates scheduled at Sphere in 2025. The other concerts will take place on January 18, January 24-25, February 14-15 and 21-22, March 7-8 and 14-15, and April 4-5 and 11-12. All shows are scheduled on either a Friday or a Saturday.
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