The founding members of the Eagles arrived in Los Angeles in the early Seventies, each playing in different bands. Don Henley, Glenn Frey, Bernie Leadon, and Randy Meisner were on separate musical paths that eventually led to the same destination. The bands that brought them to Los Angeles fell apart, and the four musicians hustled and found a gig playing for Linda Ronstadt in 1971. Their chemistry as a band was undeniable and couldn’t be contained within the limitations of just backing musicians. The Eagles were born.
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Los Angeles isn’t just for would-be actors and film people; it has a long history of attracting musicians, as well. Most of those musicians never make it, of course. And not always because they’re not good enough.
So imagine the improbability of Don Henley, born in Linden, Texas; Glenn Frey, from Detroit, Michigan; Bernie Leadon, from Minneapolis, Minnesota; and Randy Meisner, from Scottsbluff, Nebraska, coming together to form one of the most popular bands in history. Leadon and Meisner would eventually leave the group and be replaced by Don Felder, Joe Walsh, and Timothy B. Schmit.
The Eagles’ music can be labeled many ways: California rock, country rock, soft rock, album-oriented rock. Each of those genres has either been defined or at least forever changed by the Eagles. The compilation album Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975 is the biggest-selling album in United States history—bigger than Elvis and The Beatles and Michael Jackson (the Eagles’ greatest hits and Jackson’s Thriller seem to continuously vie for the top slot). The Eagles’ Hotel California, meanwhile, is the third-best-selling album in U.S. history.
[RELATED: Behind the Origins of the Eagles]
Speaking of California, the Eagles rode the wave of late-Sixties country-inspired rock to the slick productions and excesses of late-Seventies album-oriented rock. When The Rolling Stones played country music, they sounded like boozy outlaws. The Eagles came along and rounded the edges.
Grammys Track Record
Though the Eagles never performed live on the Grammy stage, they have been recognized throughout their career by the Recording Academy. Their first Grammy win came in 1975. “Lyin’ Eyes,” written by Don Henley and Glenn Frey, won for Best Pop Vocal Performance by a Duo, Group or Chorus. This was the first of six Grammy wins and 18 nominations the group received over a career spanning more than half a century.
“Heartache Tonight,” from the album The Long Run, won the band their last Grammy during their heyday—it won in 1980 for Best Rock Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group. The Eagles wouldn’t see another Grammy win until 2008, when “How Long” won for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals. The following year “I Dreamed There Was No War” earned a Grammy for Best Pop Instrumental Performance.
Worldwide Acclaim/Critical Backlash
The Eagles, as any qualified music snob will insist, are not remotely cool. This is a band that elicits strong feelings. Critics loathe them and they sell out arenas. But a band must be universally loved to outsell even The Beatles, right?
Nature requires balance, though, and this balance is kept up by the critics. That said, the song “Hotel California” may drive the band’s detractors mad, but it has been streamed more than 1 billion times on Spotify as of this writing. It won a Grammy for Record of the Year in 1978. The album would have won the Grammy for Album of the Year had Fleetwood Mac not released Rumours during the same voting period. Hotel California has sold 32 million-plus albums worldwide.
Understanding that being cool is a construct, we are left with the reality that music is subjective and the Eagles’ songs have been and continue to be the soundtrack to many important moments in people’s lives. The band is an institution. They’ve released six No. 1 albums and are one of the biggest selling acts in history.
A Crowning Achievement
It would be ridiculous to talk about one of the biggest bands ever, and have mentioned their biggest-selling studio album ever, Hotel California, without talking a bit more about the song “Hotel California.” This was the Eagles’ very own “Stairway to Heaven,” 12-string guitar and all.
Back then, music fans had the patience for long songs. Without a blinking and buzzing distraction, people could cozy up and settle in for six and a half minutes of bolero-infused soft rock.
How they dance in the courtyard
Sweet summer sweat
Some dance to remember
Some dance to forget
In Conclusion
The Eagles came to define both California rock and the sound of the 1970s in America. Which is fitting considering the founding members are not from California—and America is a country built from the outside.
TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images
