Eagles (band)

Eagles (band)

The Eagles are an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1971 by Glenn Frey, Don Henley, Bernie Leadon, and Randy Meisner.

With seven number-one singles, six Grammys, five American Music Awards, and six number one albums, the Eagles were one of the most successful musical acts of the 1970s. At the end of the 20th century, two of their albums, Their Greatest Hits (1971–1975) and Hotel California, ranked among the 20 best-selling albums in the U.S. according to the Recording Industry Association of America. Hotel California is ranked 37th in Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, and the band was ranked No. 75 on the magazine's 2004 list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.

They have sold over 120 million albums worldwide—100 million in the U.S. alone—including 42 million copies of Their Greatest Hits (1971–1975). They are the fifth-highest-selling music act and highest-selling American band in U.S. history. No American band sold more records than the Eagles during the 1970s.

The Eagles released their self-titled debut album in 1972, which spawned three Top 40 singles: "Take It Easy", "Witchy Woman", and "Peaceful Easy Feeling". Their next album, Desperado (1973), was less successful than the first, reaching only No. 41 on the charts; neither of its singles reached the Top 40. However, the album contained two of the band's most popular tracks: "Desperado" and "Tequila Sunrise". They released On the Border in 1974, adding guitarist Don Felder midway through the recording of the album. The album generated two Top 40 singles: "Already Gone" and their first Number One, "Best of My Love".

It was not until 1975's One of These Nights that the Eagles became America's biggest band. The album included three Top 10 singles: "One of These Nights", "Lyin' Eyes", and "Take It to the Limit". They continued that success in late 1976 with the release of Hotel California, which would go on to sell over 16 million copies in the U.S. alone. The album yielded three Top 20 singles, "New Kid in Town", "Hotel California", and "Life in the Fast Lane". They released their last studio album for nearly 28 years in 1979 with The Long Run, which spawned three Top 10 singles: "Heartache Tonight", "The Long Run", and "I Can't Tell You Why".

The Eagles disbanded in July 1980 but reunited in 1994 for the album Hell Freezes Over, a mix of live and new studio tracks. They have toured intermittently since then and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998. In 2007, the Eagles released Long Road Out of Eden, their first full studio album in 28 years. The album would top the album charts, release five singles to the Adult Contemporary Charts, and win the band two Grammys. The next year they launched the Long Road Out of Eden Tour in support of the album. The band members have discussed the possibility of making another album.