Artist

Eagles

Los Angeles, United States

Eagles is a music group from Los Angeles, United States. Their discography on Gatefold includes 24 records.

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Albums tracked

913

In collections

—

Since

Biography

The Eagles are an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1971. They have sold more than 200 million records worldwide, including 100 million in the United States. The band has received five American Music Awards, six Grammy Awards, and achieved six number-one albums and five number-one singles in the US. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998 and were ranked number 75 on Rolling Stone’s 2010 list of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time".

The Arc of Eagles

The pivots — what forced Eagles to reinvent.

The Glyn Johns London Sessions
Frey and Henley wanted to be a rock band, but producer Glyn Johns forced them into a pristine acoustic-harmony mold at Olympic Studios. Johns ran a tight, sober ship that drove the band crazy but delivered the massive, radio-ready vocal stacks on the self-titled debut and the outlaw-themed Desperado. You can hear the tension on those early records, where Bernie Leadon's authentic banjo picking constantly battles the pop instincts of the rhythm section. It was a manufactured West Coast sound created in a cold London studio, and it made them stars.
The Miami Shift to Hard Rock
They fired Johns during the On the Border sessions because they wanted to sweat, hiring Bill Szymczyk to toughen up their rhythm tracks. Szymczyk brought in guitarist Don Felder to inject some real blues grit, which immediately sidelined Leadon's traditional country sensibilities. The transition culminated on One of These Nights, where the acoustic guitars were pushed back to make room for R&B basslines and searing electric solos. It was the moment they traded the acoustic campfire aesthetic for late-night, high-volume studio polish.
The Hotel California Empire
When Bernie Leadon poured a beer over Glenn Frey's head and quit, they replaced him with Joe Walsh and went all-in on dark, heavy-hitting rock. Recording at Criteria Studios in Miami, Walsh and Felder constructed intricate, interlocking guitar parts that defined their biggest record. The songs became longer, the lyrics grew deeply cynical, and the production became so obsessive that Henley spent weeks perfecting a single drum track. The result was a massive, sterile, yet brilliant portrait of California decadence that eventually tore the band apart from the inside.

Influences

The Byrds — The Eagles hired original Byrds producer Glyn Johns to capture the exact same folk-rock vocal blend. You can hear Gene Clark's specific melancholic songwriting style in Henley's early vocal deliveries. They even covered the David Crosby-co-written 'Get You in the End' during early rehearsals before cutting their debut.
The Flying Burrito Brothers — Bernie Leadon was a card-carrying member of the Burritos before joining the Eagles, bringing Gram Parsons' concept of 'Cosmic American Music' straight into the band. The pedal steel work on 'Train Leaves Here This Morning' is a direct continuation of that country-rock hybrid. Without Parsons' blueprint of mixing soul with country, the Eagles' early catalog has no foundation.
Linda Ronstadt — Frey, Henley, Randy Meisner, and Leadon were literally assembled as Ronstadt's backing band for her 1971 tour. They backed her on her self-titled album, learning how to lock their harmonies together under her musical director's nose. Her powerhouse vocal arrangements on country standards showed them how to make roots music sound massive on big stages.
Poco — Randy Meisner was a founding member of Poco, and Timothy B. Schmit replaced him in both bands, creating a direct lineage of high-tenor bass players. You hear the fast-tempo, melodic country-pop structure of Poco all over 'Take It Easy' and 'Peaceful Easy Feeling.' They took Poco's sweet, sunshine-pop harmonies and gave them a much sharper, commercial edge.
Dillard & Clark — Bernie Leadon played in this progressive bluegrass outfit alongside Gene Clark of The Byrds. The banjo and acoustic guitar interplay on 'Twenty Years' directly informed how Leadon arranged the acoustic elements on the first two Eagles albums. It provided the authentic acoustic credibility the band needed before they pivoted to stadium rock.