A Brief History:
The Eagles formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1971. Don Henley and Glenn Frey from Michigan had come to Los Angeles in 1970 and were recruited by Linda Ronstadt for her band. That troupe also consisted of Randy Meisner, who’d worked with Ricky Nelson’s Stone Canyon Band, and Bernie Leadon, who’d formerly been with the Flying Burrito Brothers.
The four joined efforts to form the Eagles, releasing their self-titled debut in 1972. Initially a rock band with a country-tinged sound, they evolved into a more guitar-driven, classic-rock format by decade’s end in which only Henley and Frey were constants. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees have sold more than 150 million records, with two of those – Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975 and Hotel California – ranked in the top 3 in the United States when it comes to official certifcations.
The group broke up in 1980, swearing they wouldn’t reunite unless hell froze over. In 1994, they came back together with a mostly live album called, appropriately enough, Hell Freezes Over. After that, they embarked on a series of tours, but didn’t record again until 2003 when they added a new song to their Very Best of compilation.
- Glenn Frey (vocals, guitar: 1971-80, 1994)
- Don Henley (vocals, drums: 1971-80, 1994)
- Bernie Leadon (guitar, vocals: 1971-75)
- Randy Meisner (bass, vocals: 1971-77)
- Don Felder (guitar, vocals: 1974-80, 1994)
- Joe Walsh (guitar, vocals: 1975-80, 1994)
- Timothy B. Schmit (bass, vocals: 1977-80, 1994)
This page covers the six studio albums released in the 1970s, their 1980 live album, and 1994’s mostly live Hell Freezes Over. Each has its own devoted DMDB page, but have brief snapshots here on this page.
The Studio Albums:
Under each album snapshot, songs featured on the anthologies below are noted. If the song charted, the date of the song’s release or first chart appearance and its chart peaks are noted in parentheses. Click for codes to singles charts.
The Compilations:
Eagles (1972):
The Eagles’ debut sported three top-40 hits, including the top-10 hit “Witchy Woman.” “Take It Easy” became somewhat of the group’s signature song, probably only behind 1976’s “Hotel California” in popularity.
- Take It Easy (Glenn Frey/Jackson Browne) [3:29] (5/20/72, 12 US, 9 CB, 12 AC, 12 UK, 8 CN, 49 AU) G1,94,03
- Witchy Woman (Don Henley/Bernie Leadon) [4:10] (8/26/72, 9 US, 11 CB, 8 CN, 81 AU) G1,94,03
- Peaceful, Easy Feeling (Jack Tempchin) [4:16] (12/23/72, 22 US, 20 CB, 20 AC, 35 CN) G1,94,03
Desperado (1973):
With a theme centered around Old West outlaws, the Eagles’ sophomore outing saw the development of Don Henley and Glenn Frey as a writing force. They wrote eight of the album’s eleven songs, including the title cut which was never a single, but became one of the group’s most popular songs.
- Tequila Sunrise (Don Henley/Glenn Frey) [2:52] (6/9/73, 64 US, 40 CB, 26 AC, 68 CN) G1,94,03
- Desperado (Don Henley/Glenn Frey) [3:33] G1,94,03
- Doolin-Dalton (Jackson Browne/Glenn Frey/Don Henley/J.D. Souther) [3:30] 94,03
On the Border (1974):
Henley and Frey continued their dominance of the Eagles with the third album. Interested in developing a harder edge, they recruited Don Helder as a guitarist. They also went to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with “Best of My Love,” a feat they’d achieve four more times in their career.
- Already Gone (Robb Strandland/Jack Temphcin) [4:13] (5/4/74, 32 US, 17 CB, 12 CN) G1,03
- James Dean (Jackson Browne/Glenn Frey/Don Henley/J.D. Souther) [3:40] (9/7/74, 77 US, 49 CB, 56 CN) 94,03
- Best of My Love (Don Henley/Glenn Frey/J.D. Souther) [4:35] (11/30/74, 11 US, 4 CB, 11 AC, 11 CN) G1,94,03
- Ol’ ‘55 (Tom Waits) [4:22] 03
- Midnight Flyer (Paul Craft) [3:58] 03
- On the Border (Don Henley/Bernie Leadon/Glenn Frey) [4:28] 03
One of These Nights (1975):
The group’s fifth album saw them take an even bigger leap forward commercially, landing their first #1 album on the strength of three top-ten hits. “Take It to the Limit” featured Randy Meisner’s only lead vocal on an Eagles’ single and the title song, which Frey has said is his favorite Eagles’ tune, became their second chart-topper. One of These Nights marked Bernie Leadon’s departure from the group as he preferred their earlier, country-rock sound.
- One of These Nights (Don Henley/Glenn Frey) [4:51] (5/30/75, 11 US, 11 CB, 20 AC, 23 UK, 13 CN, 33 AU) G1,94,03
- Lyin’ Eyes (Don Henley/Glenn Frey) [6:21] (9/13/75, 2 US, 3 CB, 3 AC, 8 CW, 23 UK, 19 CN, 34 AU) G1,94,03
- Take It to the Limit (Don Henley/Glenn Frey/Randy Meisner) [4:48] (12/20/75, 4 US, 5 CB, 4 AC, 12 UK, 16 CN, 30 AU) G1,94,03
- After the Thrill Is Gone (Don Henley/Glenn Frey) [3:56] G2,03
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