Where does Fleetwood Mac rank among the greatest bands?

[MikeVielhaber]

Originally Posted by Jondalar

Ummmm ever since Garth Brooks, country has been in which favors the Eagles. Also FM was missing Christine McVie. The Eagles is modern country. Where is their Tusk? Blah

We're trying judge objectively where they would place. There's no handicaps or excuses because none of that matters for this discussion (and anyway I don't think Christine's presence would've added another 3 million in sales when it failed to get even 1 million without her). So basically we have to consider how the public in general would view them and their legacy among music fans and not simply our individual opinions on them. That's where all the hit singles, album sales and enduring popularity come into play. And it's all greater than FM by any objective measure.

Whether The Eagles released an album as adventurous or risky as Tusk is irrelevant. Tusk isn't the album FM is most known for anyway, Rumours is, and it sold fewer copies,by a large amount, in 1979 (and to date) at the height of their popularity and when people still bought albums than Long Road Out of Eden sold in 2007 in the digital age. And again I like Fleetwood Mac way more than the Eagles so I think FM is a much better band, but what the Eagles did was enormously popular and still is. Rumours has sold more than any Eagles studio album, but Hotel California comes close. Their greatest hits is neck and neck with Thriller for best selling album ever in the US.

To put a little perspective, FMs greatest hits is their second best selling album after Rumours. The difference in US sales between the Eagles greatest hits and FMs greatest hits is greater than total sales of Rumours. They also had 5 number 1 hits and another just missing at number 2. That is reality whether you like it or not. They both have had immense and enduring popularity and influence, but I'd say, looking at the evidence, the Eagles were/are at a higher level.