With five number one singles and four number one albums, the Eagles were among the most successful recording artists of the 1970s; at the end of the 20th century, two of those albums, Eagles: Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975 and Hotel California , ranked among the ten best-selling albums ever, according to the Record Industry Association of America. Though most of its members came from outside California, the group was closely identified with a countr y and folk-tinged sound that initially found favor in and around Los Angeles in the late '60s, as played by such bands as the Flying Burrito Brothers and Poco , both of which contributed members to the Eagles . The band also drew from traditional rock & roll styles and, in their later work, helped define the broadly popular rock sound eventually referred to as classic rock. That helped the Eagles achieve a perennial appeal among generations of music fans who continue to buy their records many years after they had split up, inspiring a reunion in the mid-'90s.
The band was formed by four Los Angeles-based musicians who had come to the West Coast from other parts of the U.S. Singer/bassist Randy Meisner (born in Scottsbluff, NE, on March 8, 1946) moved to L.A. in 1964 as part of a band originally called the Soul Survivors (not to be confused with the East Coast-based Soul Survivors , who scored a Top Five hit Expressway to Your Heart in 1967) and later renamed the Poor . In 1968, he was a founding member of Poco , but left the band prior to the release of its debut album, joining the Stone Canyon Band , the backup group for Rick Nelson . Singer/guitarist/banjoist/mandolinist Bernie Leadon (born in Minneapolis, MN, on July 19, 1947) arrived in L.A. in 1967 as a member of Hearts and Flowers before joining Dillard and Clark and then the Flying Burrito Brothers . Singer/drummer Don Henley (born in Gilmer, TX, on July 22, 1947) moved to L.A. in June 1970 with his band Shiloh , which made one album before breaking up. Glenn Frey (born in Detroit, MI, on November 6, 1948) performed in his hometown and served as a backup musician to Bob Seger before moving to L.A. in the summer of 1968. He formed the duo Longbranch Pennywhistle with J.D. Souther , and they signed to Amos Records, which released their self-titled album in 1969.
In the spring of 1971, Frey and Henley were hired to play in Linda Ronstadt 's backup band. Meisner and Leadon also played back-up to Ronstadt during her summer tour, though the four only did one gig together, at Disneyland in July. They did, however, all appear on Ronstadt 's next album, Linda Ronstadt , released in early 1972. In September 1971, Frey , Henley , Leadon , and Meisner signed with manager David Geffen , agreeing to record for his soon-to-be-launched label, Asylum Records; soon after, they adopted the name the Eagles . In February 1972, they flew to England and spent two weeks recording their debut album, Eagles , with producer Glyn Johns . It was released in June, reaching the Top 20 and going gold in a little over a year and a half, following the release of two Top Ten hits, Take It Easy and Witchy Woman, and a Top 20 hit, Peaceful Easy Feeling.
The Eagles toured as an opening act throughout 1972 and into early 1973, when they returned to England and Glyn Johns to record their second LP, Desperado , a concept album about outlaws. Released in April 1973, it reached the Top 40 and went gold in a little less than a year and a half, spawning the Top 40 single Tequila Sunrise. The title track, though never released as a single, became one of the band's better-known songs and was included on its first hits collection.
After touring to support Desperado , the Eagles again convened a recording session with Glyn Johns for their third album. But their desire to make harder rock music clashed with Johns ' sense of them as a country-rock band, and they split from the producer after recording two tracks, You Never Cry Like a Lover and The Best of My Love. After an early 1974 tour opened by singer/guitarist Joe Walsh , they hired Walsh 's producer, Bill Szymczyk , who handled the rest of On the Border . Szymczyk brought in a session guitarist, Don Felder (born in Gainesville, FL, on September 21, 1947), an old friend of Bernie Leadon 's who so impressed the rest of the band that he was recruited to join the group. On the Border was released in March 1974. It went gold and reached the Top Ten in June, the Eagles ' fastest selling album yet. The first single, Already Gone, reached the Top 20 the same month. But the most successful song on the LP, the one that broke them through to a much larger audience, was The Best of My Love, released as a single in November. It hit number one on the easy listening charts in February 1975 and topped the pop charts a month later.
The Eagles ' fourth album, One of These Nights , was an out-of-the-box smash. Released in June 1975, it went gold the same month and hit number one in July. It featured three singles that hit the Top Five: the chart-topping title song, Lyin' Eyes and Take It to the Limit. Lyin' Eyes won the 1975 Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Performance by a Duo, Group, or Chorus, and the Eagles also earned Grammy nominations for Album of the Year ( One of These Nights ) and Record of the Year ( Lyin' Eyes ). The group went on a headlining world tour, beginning with the U.S. and Europe. But on December 20, 1975, it was announced that Bernie Leadon had quit the band. Joe Walsh (born in Wichita, KS, on November 20, 1947) was brought in as his replacement. He immediately joined the tour, which continued to the Far East in early 1976.
The Eagles ' extensive touring kept them out of the studio, and with no immediate plans for a new album, they agreed to the release of a compilation, Eagles: Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975 , in February 1976. The first album went platinum with over one million copies, it topped the charts and became a phenomenal success, eventually selling upwards of 25 million copies and dueling with Michael Jackson 's Thriller for the title of the best-selling album of all time in the U.S.
It took the Eagles 18 months to follow up One of These Nights with their fifth album, Hotel California . Released in December 1976, it was certified platinum in one week, hit number one in January 1977, and eventually sold over 10 million copies. The singles New Kid in Town and Hotel California hit number one, and Life in the Fast Lane made the Top 20. Hotel California won the 1977 Grammy for Record of the Year and was nominated for Song of the Year; the album was nominated for Album of the Year and for Best Pop Vocal Performance by a Duo, Group, or Chorus.
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