The beginning of the 1980s marked the end of the Eagles, but it also kickstarted a new creative endeavor for co-founding member Glenn Frey. The celebrated singer/songwriter and guitarist used the skills he honed during the band’s heyday to cultivate a massively successful solo career.
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[RELATED: 4 Songs You Didn’t Know the Eagles’ Glenn Frey Wrote for Other Artists]
Travel back in time and revisit these five stellar Frey songs that showcase the depth and breadth of his musical talents.
1. “True Love”
Released in 1988, “True Love” is the first of many tracks Frey penned with hit songwriter Jack Tempchin through his extensive career. The soulful, romantic cut from his third album, Soul Searchin’, climbed to No. 2 on Billboard‘s Adult Contemporary chart.
2. “You Belong to the City”
Frey recruited Tempchin to help pen this mysterious, imagery-driven track, crafted specifically for inclusion on the hit television drama Miami Vice‘s official soundtrack. The song quickly became a No. 1 hit on rock radio and consequently helped catapult the entire album onto the top of the all-genre Billboard 200 chart.
3. “Smuggler’s Blues”
The final single from his second record, The Allnighter, features a blues-infused narrative about the dark dangers of the drug trade. Ironically, the song inspired the plot line of a Miami Vice episode, which featured a surprise guest appearance by Frey, who played the role of an airline pilot.
4. “The One You Love”
Released as the lead single from his 1982 solo debut, No Fun Aloud, “The One You Love” marked the start of a pivotal new chapter in Frey’s career. This wistful co-write with Tempchin about pining for a friend still caught up on an unworthy ex climbed to No. 2 on Billboard‘s Adult Contemporary chart.
5. “The Heat Is On”
Penned by Harold Faltermeyer and Keith Forsey, this fiery rock anthem became an international hit for Frey in 1984. This hypnotizing mix of sax, synthesizer, and impassioned vocals lit up the rock and pop charts, elevated by its inclusion on the Beverly Hills Cop motion picture soundtrack.
(Photo by Paul Natkin, Courtesy of Getty Images)
