The Eagles beat Michael Jackson to take bestselling album ever in the US

The Eagles greatest hits album has surpassed Michael Jackson's Thriller to become the bestselling album of all time in the US.

The record has been certified 38x platinum, meaning sales and digital streams have reached 38 million copies, according to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

"Their Greatest Hits (1971-1975)" is five million ahead of Jackson's classic, which is currently on 33 million sales.

The Eagles' Hotel California album, released in 1976, is now 26x platinum, making it the third-best selling album of all time in the US, the RIAA said.

In 2006, the last time sales of their greatest hits album were counted, it was 29x platinum.

Sales and streams for Thriller were updated last year.

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Don Henley, the band's drummer and singer, said: "We are grateful for our families, our management, our crew, the people at radio and, most of all, the loyal fans who have stuck with us through the ups and downs of 46 years.

"It's been quite a ride."

Five years ago bands only had to sell one million albums or songs to qualify as platinum, but in 2013 the RIAA began including streaming from YouTube, Spotify and other digital music services.

A total of 1,500 streams of an album is equivalent to an album sale.

The Eagles, who formed in Los Angeles in the early 1970s, became the soundtrack of the decade with hits including Hotel California and Take It Easy.

They disbanded in 1980 but reunited in 1994 and released Long Road Out of Eden in 2007 - their first full studio album in 28 years and their sixth to get to number one.

After lead singer Glenn Frey died in 2016, the band said they did not think they would perform again.

However a year later they did - with Frey's son, Deacon Frey, and country singer Vince Gill.