Who do you think was the biggest band of the 1970s? Fleetwood Mac, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Led Zeppelin, or The Who? Those are all fair guesses, but the majority of music lovers would likely agree that the biggest band of the 1970s was the Eagles. During their heyday, the Eagles scored five No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, four No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200, and generally speaking, were in the ears of seemingly every other person around the world. However, in 1980, that reign ended after the release of their ironically titled album The Long Run.
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Following the release of The Long Run, The Eagles split and took a 14-year hiatus until they reconvened in 1994 and released their live album Hell Freezes Over. While the fans were grateful for this album, it wasn’t entirely original, as it included only four new tracks. However, in 2007, the Eagles ended their 28-year hiatus from original recordings with the release of Long Road Out of Eden, which peaked at No. 1 on the United Kingdom album chart on November 4, 2007.
The Eagles Climbed Back to the Top With Ease…
Hell Freezes Over was the Eagles’ official comeback album, but again, it was something people had heard before. That was not the case for Long Road Out of Eden, as the Eagles graced the world with 20 new tracks. In typical Eagles fashion, this album does not fit neatly into one genre. Rather, it spans multiple genres, as the album draws influence from country, folk, pop, blues, and soft rock. For this reason, and many others, the Eagles’ album became a hit in both the United States and the U.K. shortly after its release.
In the US, the Eagles released Long Road Out of Eden on October 30, 2007. Roughly two weeks later, the album peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. In the U.K., the album followed the same trend, but at an exceeded rate. Released on October 29, the Eagles’ Long Road Out of Eden debuted at No. 1 on the U.K. albums chart just six days after its release. It was the Eagles’ first No. 1 album in the U.K.
This small moment in the Eagles’ career is a testament to their longevity. We can all agree that the band’s peak was in the 1970s, and that everything that came after was not necessarily worse, but just different. However, that didn’t stop the band from rekindling their fire and showing the world that they were not only still capable of making great music but also still loved by the generations who knew them in their prime, as well as those who didn’t.
Photo by Scott Dudelson/Getty Images
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