Eagles: A Retrospective (1971-2003)

Eagles A Retrospective: 1971-2003

1972 lineup: l to r: Bernie Leadon, Don Henley, Randy Meisner, Glenn Frey

1994 lineup: l to r: Joe Walsh, Timothy B. Schmit, Don Henley, Don Felder, Glenn Frey

Overview: The Eagles formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1971. Don Henley and Glenn Frey came 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 Poco (1968-69), and Bernie Leadon of the Flying Burrito Brothers (1969-71). 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. Guitarist and singer Don Felder joined in 1974. Joe Walsh, who’d recorded with the James Gang (1968-71) and as a solo artist, replaced Leadon in 1975. Meisner departed in 1977, replaced by Timothy B. Schmit, who’d previously been with Poco (1969-77). They only released six studio albums during their original run in the 1970s, but are one of the most successful acts in music history with more than 200 million records sold. They had five #1 songs with “Best of My Love,” “One of These Nights,” “New Kid in Town,” “Hotel California,” and “Heartache Tonight.” The compilation Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975 is one of the best-selling albums in history. 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. The Players: 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) Click on names above to see their DMDB music maker encyclopedia entries. Links: Eagles.com (official site) Facebook Wikipedia Eagles et al: Top 100 songs

Awards:

Studio Albums: Live Albums/Compilations: Under each album snapshot, songs featured on the anthologies are noted with the footnotes below. 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 charts. G1 Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975 (1971-75, released 1976) L Eagles Live (recorded in 1976 and 1980, released 1980) G2 Greatest Hits Volume II (1975-80, released 1982) 94 The Very Best of (1971-79, released 1994) H Hell Freezes Over (1994) 03 The Very Best of (aka “The Complete Greatest Hits”) (1971-2003, released 2003)

Eagles Eagles

Released: June 1, 1972 Peak: 22 US, -- UK, 13 CN, -- AU, 13 DF Sales (in millions): 1.92 US, 0.06 UK, 3.0 world (includes US + UK) Genre: country rock Rating: 3.757 out of 5.00 (average of 26 ratings)

Tracks: Take It Easy (5/20/72, 12 US, 9 CB, 1 CL, 12 AC, 12 UK, 8 CN, 49 AU) G1,L,94,H,03 Witchy Woman (8/26/72, 9 US, 11 CB, 5 CL, 8 CN, 81 AU) G1,94,03 Chug All Night Most of Us Are Sad Nightingale Train Leaves Here This Morning Take the Devil Earlybird Peaceful, Easy Feeling (12/23/72, 22 US, 20 CB, 5 CL, 20 AC, 35 CN) G1,94,03 Tryin’ Total Running Time: 37:19 About the Album: 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. Read more on the DMDB page devoted to Eagles.

Desperado Eagles

Released: April 17, 1973 Peak: 41 US, 39 UK, 35 CN, 31 AU, 12 DF Sales (in millions): 2.0 US, 0.06 UK, 4.0 world (includes US + UK) Genre: country rock Rating: 3.893 out of 5.00 (average of 27 ratings)

Tracks: Doolin-Dalton (20 CL) 94,03 Twenty-One Out of Control Tequila Sunrise (6/9/73, 64 US, 40 CB, 5 CL, 26 AC, 68 CN) G1,94,H,03 Desperado (3 CL) G1,L,94,H,03 Certain Kind of Fool Doolin-Dalton (Reprise) L Outlaw Man Saturday Night L Bitter Creek Doolin-Dalton/Desperado (Reprise) Total Running Time: 35:40 About the Album: 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. Read more on the DMDB page devoted to Desperado.

On the Border Eagles

Released: March 22, 1974 Peak: 17 US, 28 UK, 12 CN, 27 AU, 12 DF Sales (in millions): -- US, -- UK, -- world (includes US + UK) Genre: country rock Rating: 3.820 out of 5.00 (average of 27 ratings)

Tracks: Already Gone (5/4/74, 32 US, 17 CB, 2 CL, 12 CN) G1,03 You Never Cry Like a Lover Midnight Flyer 03 My Man On the Border (17 CL) 03 James Dean (9/7/74, 77 US, 49 CB, 10 CL, 56 CN) 94,03 Ol’ ‘55 03 Is It True? Good Day in Hell Best of My Love (11/30/74, 11 US, 4 CB, 1 CL, 11 AC, 11 CN) G1,94,03 Total Running Time: 40:29 About the Album: 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. Read more on the DMDB page devoted to On the Border.

One of These Nights Eagles

Released: June 10, 1975 Peak: 14 US, 8 UK, 2 CN, 5 AU, 13 DF Sales (in millions): 4.0 US, 0.3 UK, 7.5 world (includes US + UK) Genre: country rock Rating: 3.995 out of 5.00 (average of 26 ratings)

Tracks: One of These Nights (5/30/75, 11 US, 11 CB, 1 CL, 20 AC, 23 UK, 13 CN, 33 AU) G1,94,03 Too Many Hands Hollywood Waltz Journey of the Sorcerer Lyin’ Eyes (9/13/75, 2 US, 3 CB, 2 CL, 3 AC, 8 CW, 23 UK, 19 CN, 34 AU) G1,94,03 Take It to the Limit (12/20/75, 4 US, 5 CB, 5 CL, 4 AC, 12 UK, 16 CN, 30 AU) G1,L,94,03 Visions After the Thrill Is Gone (20 CL) G2,03 I Wish You Peace Total Running Time: 43:15 About the Album: 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. Read more on the DMDB page devoted to One of These Nights.

Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975 Eagles

Recorded: 1971-1975 Released: February 17, 1976 Peak: 15 US, 2 UK, 12 CN, 3 AU Sales (in millions): 38.0 US, 0.3 UK, 42.9 world (includes US and UK) Genre: California country rock Rating: 4.557 out of 5.00 (average of 26 ratings)

Awards: (Click on award to learn more).

Tracks: (1) Take It Easy (2) Witchy Woman (3) Lyin’ Eyes (4) Already Gone (5) Desperado (6) One of These Nights (7) Tequila Sunrise (8) Take It to the Limit (9) Peaceful Easy Feeling (10) Best of My Love Total Running Time: 43:08 About the Album: This album wasn’t just the “first album ever certified platinum;” WR1 it was the best-selling album in the U.S. in the 20th century. WK1 It lost the title to Michael Jackson’s Thriller after the artist’s death in 2009, but regained it in August 2018. WK1 “There may be no explaining that, really, except to note that this was the pervasive music of the first half of the 1970s, and somehow it never went away.” WR1 “On their first four albums, the Eagles were at pains to demonstrate that they were a group of at least near-equals, each getting a share of the songwriting credits and lead vocals. But this compilation…demonstrates that this evenhandedness did not extend to singles – as far as those go, the Eagles belong to Glenn Frey and Don Henley.” WR1 They wrote or co-wrote eight of the collection’s songs and one or the other sang lead on every song but Take It to the Limit. Of the ten songs that comprise this collection, nine were released as singles (Desperado is the sole exception). Eight were top 40 hits on the Billboard pop chart (only Tequila Sunrise missed the top 40), five went top ten, and two of them (One of These Nights and Best of My Love) topped the charts. The band, however, didn’t have any say in putting together the album and complained it was “nothing more than a ploy by the record company to sell product without having to pay additional production costs.” WK1 Don Henley didn’t like that songs like “Tequila Sunrise” and “Desperado” were taken out of the context of their original albums. WK1 The album did, however, buy the band time while they worked on what would become their best-selling studio album, 1976’s Hotel California. Despite Henley’s frustration that songs were taken out of context, “these songs make up a collection consistent in mood and identity” WK “unlike the albums from which they come.” WK1 Thre result is that this compilation “works so much better than the band’s previous discs [that it] practically makes them redundant.” WR1 “The tunes are melodic, and the arrangements – full of strummed acoustic guitars over a rock rhythm section often playing a shuffle beat, topped by tenor-dominated harmonies – are immediately engaging. There is also a lyrical consistency to the songs, which often concern romantic uncertainties in an atmosphere soaked in intoxicants. The narrators of the songs usually seem exhausted, if not satiated, and the loping rhythms are appropriate to these impressions.” WR1 In addition to phenomenal sales, this was the rare compilation that topped the Billboard album charts. It debuted at #4 in its first week and then went to #1 the next week, where it stayed for five non-consecutive weeks. Over the years, the album has logged the equivalent of five years on the album chart.

Hotel California Eagles

Released: December 8, 1976 Peak: 18 US, 2 UK, 14 CN, 112 AU, 18 DF Sales (in millions): 26.0 US, 1.8 UK, 32.33 world (includes US + UK) Genre: classic rock Rating: 4.463 out of 5.00 (average of 30 ratings)

Tracks: Hotel California (2/22/77, 11 US, 11 CB, 10 AC, 8 UK, 12 CN, 60 AU) L,G2,94,H,03 New Kid in Town (12/11/76, 11 US, 2 CB, 2 AC, 43 CW, 20 UK, 11 CN, 16 AU) L,G2,94,03 Life in the Fast Lane (5/13/77, 11 US, 11 CB, 12 CN, 96 AU) L,G2,94,H,03 Wasted Time L,H,03 Wasted Time (Reprise) Victim of Love G2,03 Pretty Maids All in a Row H Try and Love Again The Last Resort H,03 Total Running Time: 43:28 About the Album: After the overwhelming success of their first compilation, the Eagles returned with their most successful studio album. The album sported two #1 hits, the more country-oriented “New Kid in Town” and the title track, which became an album rock staple and the group’s signature song. It also won a Grammy for Record of the Year. The album marked the introduction of Joe Walsh, who came with an already established career with the James Gang and as a solo artist. Read more on the DMDB page devoted to Hotel California.

The Long Run Eagles

Released: September 24, 1979 Peak: 19 US, 4 UK, 15 CN, 13 AU, 13 DF Sales (in millions): 7.0 US, 0.1 UK, 12.10 world (includes US + UK) Genre: classic rock Rating: 3.822 out of 5.00 (average of 27 ratings)

Tracks: The Long Run (11/30/79, 8 US, 10 CB, 1 CL, 34 AC, 66 UK, 9 CN) L,G2,94,03 I Can’t Tell You Why (2/3/80, 8 US, 9 CB, 2 CL, 3 AC, 5 CN) L,G2,94,H,03 In the City (5 CL) H,03 The Disco Strangler King of Hollywood Heartache Tonight (9/28/79, 11 US, 11 CB, 1 CL, 38 AC, 40 UK, 12 CN, 13 AU, gold single) L,G2,94,03 Those Shoes (8 CL) 03 Teenage Jail The Greeks Don’t Want No Freaks The Sad Café (20 CL) G2,03 Total Running Time: 42:50 About the Album: As the ‘70s came to a close, so did the Eagles. They wouldn’t record another studio album for 28 years. Randy Meisner had left the group after their 1977 tour and was replaced by Timothy B. Schmit, who also replaced Meisner after his departure from Poco. Schmit sings lead on top-10 single “I Can’t Tell You Why.” The album, another #1 for the Eagles, also sported top-ten hits with the title cut and the #1 “Heartache Tonight.” Read more on the DMDB page devoted to The Long Run.

Eagles Live Eagles

Recorded: October 20-22, 1976 and July 27-29, 1980 Released: November 7, 1980 Peak: 6 US, 24 UK, 25 CN, 3 AU, 12 DF Sales (in millions): 7.0 US, -- UK, 10.6 world (includes US + UK) Genre: country rock/classic rock Rating: 3.470 out of 5.00 (average of 21 ratings)

Tracks: (1) Hotel California (2) Heartache Tonight (3) I Can’t Tell You Why (4) The Long Run (5) New Kid in Town (6) Life’s Been Good (7) Seven Bridges Road (8) Wasted Time (9) Take It to the Limit (10) Doolin-Dalton (Reprise II) (11) Desperado (12) Saturday Night (13) All Night Long (14) Life in the Fast Lane (15) Take It Easy Total Running Time: 77:10 Tracks Not on Previously Noted Albums: Life’s Been Good (Joe Walsh solo song, 6/3/78, 12 BB, 6 CB, 5 GR, 9 HR, 6 RR, 1 CL, 14 UK, 2 DF) L All Night Long (Joe Walsh solo song, 5/17/80, 19 BB, 18 CB, 9 GR, 17 HR, 14 RR, 6 CL, 11 DF) L Seven Bridges Road (12/2/80, 21 US, 27 CB, 17 AC, 55 CW) L, G2,03 About the Album: Infighting between the band while on tour supporting The Long Run would signal the end. They were contractually obligated to release a live album, which came in 1980. “Seven Bridges Road,” written by Steve Young, had been a concert staple and was featured on the album and became its only single. Read more on the DMDB page devoted to Eagles Live.

Greatest Hits Volume 2 Eagles

Recorded: 1975-1980 Charted: October 22, 1982 Peak: 52 US, 63 CN, 5 AU Sales (in millions): 11.0 US, 15.0 world (includes US and UK) Genre: classic rock Rating: 4.117 out of 5.00 (average of 25 ratings)

Awards: (Click on award to learn more).

Tracks: (1) Hotel California (2) Heartache Tonight (3) Seven Bridges Road (live) (4) Victim of Love (5) The Sad Café (6) Life in the Fast Lane (7) I Can’t Tell You Why (8) New Kid in Town (9) The Long Run (10) After the Thrill Is Gone Total Running Time: 46:40 About the Album: Considering the monstrous success of Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975, it was a no-brainer to release a second collection. The band officially disbanded in May 1982 and this set, collecting seven Top 40 hits as well as three album cuts, followed that fall. While not as huge as its predecessor (what could be?), this album still achieved multi-platinum status and outsold all the band’s studio albums except Hotel California. While that album should be a staple of anyone’s catalog, this collection spared casual listeners from buying “mediocre albums like The Long Run and Eagles Live just to have copies of the best-known songs from those releases.” WR2 This set “was perfect for listeners who knew the band through number one radio hits like New Kid in Town, Hotel California , and Heartache Tonight.” WR2

The Very Best of (1994) Eagles

Recorded: 1971-1979 Released: July 11, 1994 Peak: 4 UK, 28 CN, 2 AU Sales (in millions): -- US, 0.6 UK, 1.87 world (includes US and UK) Genre: classic rock Rating: 4.445 out of 5.00 (average of 10 ratings)

Tracks: (1) Take It Easy (2) Witchy Woman (3) Peaceful Easy Feeling (4) Doolin-Dalton (5) Desperado (6) Tequila Sunrise (7) Best of My Love (8) James Dean (9) I Can’t Tell You Why (10) Lyin’ Eyes (11) Take It to the Limit (12) One of These Nights (13) Hotel California (14) New Kid in Town (15) Life in the Fast Lane (16) Heartache Tonight (17) The Long Run Total Running Time: 75:40 About the Album: 1982’s Greatest Hits Volume II was seemingly the last anyone would hear of the Eagles, but they surprised the world in 1994 with their Hell Freezes Over reunion tour. That same year, a single-disc retrospective of the band’s seventies’ output was released in Europe, Australia, and New England. The collection included 9 of the 10 songs from Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975, inexplicably opting to substitute the album cut Doolin’ Dalton instead of the hit single Already Gone, and also adding the minor hit James Dean from that era. The other six cuts from the Eagles’ latter two albums were all hit singles featured on Greatest Hits Volume 2. This collection jettisons the three album cuts that rounded out that collection, but unfortunately also omits Seven Bridges Road, a top 25 hit from the band’s 1980 live album.

Hell Freezes Over Eagles

Released: November 8, 1994 Peak: 12 US, 28 UK, 11 CN, 23 AU, 14 DF Sales (in millions): 8.0 US, 0.1 UK, 12.10 world (includes US + UK) Genre: country rock/classic rock Rating: 3.782 out of 5.00 (average of 24 ratings)

Tracks: (1) Get Over It (2) Love Will Keep Us Alive (3) The Girl from Yesterday (4) Learn to Be Still (5) Tequila Sunrise (6) Hotel California (7) Wasted Time (8) Pretty Maids All in a Row (9) I Can’t Tell You Why (10) New York Minute (11) The Last Resort (12) Take It Easy (13) In the City (14) Life in the Fast Lane (15) Desperado Total Running Time: 72:36 Tracks Not on Previously Noted Albums: New York Minute (Don Henley solo song, 11/3/90, 48 BB, 29 GR, 5 AC, 24 AR, 97 UK, 20 CN, 1 DF) H Get Over It (10/21/94, 31 US, 35 CB, 21 AC, 4 AR, 4 CN, 74 AU) H,03 Love Will Keep Us Alive (11/20/94, 22 US, 13 AC, 52 UK, 10 CN) H,03 The Girl from Yesterday H Learn to Be Still (1/21/95, 61 BB, 29 GR, 43 RR, 33 AR, 9 CN) H About the Album: Hell Freezes Over (1994): After a 15-year layoff, the Eagles reunited for a tour and this album, which was primarily comprised of live cuts but also included four new studio cuts (the first four songs). Read more on the DMDB page devoted to Hell Freezes Over.

The Very Best of (aka “The Complete Greatest Hits”) Eagles

Recorded: 1971-2003 Released: October 21, 2003 Peak: 3 US, 9 UK, 43 AU Sales (in millions): 5.0 US, 0.6 UK, 10.8 world (includes US and UK) Genre: classic rock Rating: 4.446 out of 5.00 (average of 19 ratings)

Awards: (Click on award to learn more).

Tracks, Disc 1: (1) Take It Easy (2) Witchy Woman (3) Peaceful Easy Feeling (4) Desperado (5) Tequila Sunrise (6) Doolin-Dalton (7) Already Gone (8) Best of My Love (9) James Dean (10) Ol’ ’55 (11) Midnight Flyer (12) On the Order (13) Lyin’ Eyes (14) One of These Nights (15) Take It to the Limit (16) After the Thrill Is Gone (17) Hotel California Tracks, Disc 2: (1) Life in the Fast Lane (2) Wasted Time (3) Victim of Love (4) The Last Resort (5) New Kid in Town (6) Please Come Home for Christmas (7) Heartache Tonight (8) The Sad Café (9) I Can’t Tell You Why (10) The Long Run (11) In the City (12) Those Shoes (13) Seven Bridges Road (live) (14) Love Will Keep Us Alive (15) Get Over It (16) Hole in the World Total Running Time: 140:33 Tracks Not on Previously Noted Albums: Please Come Home for Christmas (12/9/78, 18 US, 29 CB, 15 AC, 30 UK, 63 CN, 46 AU) 03 Hole in the World (69 US, 5 AC, 69 UK, 11 CN) 03 About the Album: In 2003, the Eagles were anthologized yet again – this time with a double-disc collection. This seemed especially unnecessary, given that roughly two-thirds of their entire studio catalog of six albums would fit on two CDs. However, this set completely replicated Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975, Greatest Hits Volume 2, and the 1994 Very Best of sets, rendering all three of them unnecessary. This compilation added Get Over It and Love Will Keep Us Alive, studio cuts from Hell Freezes Over, and a new song, Hole in the World. In addition, the 1978 Christmas single Please Come Home for Christmas finally earned a spot on an Eagles’ greatest-hits package. The collection does start feeling bloated when another seven album cuts are slapped on. Songs like Midnight Flyer really don’t belong here, but other cuts, like The Last Resort and Ol’ ‘55, seem just as worthy as some of the better-known material. This set also does something none of its three predecessors did – presents the material in chronological order. This allows for a nice progression from the country rock of the band’s early days through the more guitar-driven album rock of the latter half of the ‘70s.

Resources and Related Links: DMDB encyclopedia entry for Eagles Dave’s Music Database: Acts’ Profile Pages and Best-of Lists WR1 All Music Guide review by William Ruhlmann G1 WR All Music Guide review by William Ruhlmann G2 WK1 Wikipedia G1 WK94 Wikipedia 94 First posted 2/11/2011; last updated 10/30/2023.