‘Billboard’ Bends the Rules for Greatest Band in the Universe

In a move likely designed to deny Britney Spears her only possible personal victory of 2007, Billboard made a last-minute change to the way it tallies album sales, allowing Vulture’s Beatles, the Eagles, to claim the top spot on this week’s chart (Britney came in second). Effective this week, CDs for sale through only one retailer will now be eligible for inclusion in the Billboard 200. And even though we were slightly disappointed by Long Out of Eden, we’re not really that surprised to see it sell 711,000 copies exclusively through Wal-Mart, because c’mon! It’s the goddamn Eagles! If any band deserves to have the rules bent just to grant them a hollow, semi-meaningless honor, surely it’s them! —Matthew Perpetua

Revised Chart Policy Lands Eagles At No. 1 [Billboard]
Earlier: The Eagles’ ‘Long Road Out of Eden’ Not Quite As Good As We’d Hoped
32 Reasons Why the Eagles Are the Best Band in the Universe