50 years on, Eagles continue to soar

Indisputably one of the best rock bands since the swinging ’70s, Eagles have just won another accolade, a fitting tribute in the 50th year since their debut album and iconic hit ‘Hotel California’ was released. 

The legendary album of the Eagles ‘Their Greatest Hits 1971-75’, released in February 1976, has been certified the first LP in history as ‘Quadruple Diamond’ by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

The LP became the first to sell over 40 million copies, officially becoming the best-selling album of all time in the U S.

Interestingly, the band’s 1976 record ‘Hotel California’ has been certified 28x platinum (28 million units sold), claiming the third best-selling album rank in the
U S, Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller’ is in second position certified 34x platinum.

So why do the Eagles have the first and third best-selling albums of all time in the U S? And not the Beatles, Elvis Presley, The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd or any other legendary name?

Bengaluru’s celebrated jazz vocalist and composer Radha Thomas who first heard Eagles in the 70’s when she was part of the pioneering Indian rock band ‘Human Bondage’, believes that there are many people, who are young (old) enough to still want to listen to the Eagles and replay the songs over and over again, causing the streaming stats to balloon. 

“That’s not to take away from the music which remains magical, especially the more you listen to it. There are some guitar solos that stick in your head forever. ‘Hotel California’ is one of them,” she adds.

‘Their Greatest Hits 1971-75’ became a massive best-seller due to a combination of factors. The album came out just as the band was peaking, a perfect primer for new fans, with chart-toppers such as ‘Take it easy’, ‘Peaceful easy feeling’, ‘Lyin’ eyes’, ‘Tequila sunrise’ and ‘Witchy woman’. These songs, melodic and instantly engaging, seemed spot-on for the rise of FM radio in the ’70s and ’80s which according to some music critics became a staple of ‘classic rock’, constantly re-introducing the songs to new generations. Moreover, the album spoke to the late baby boomers who were entering adulthood in the early and mid-70s. It was a refreshing change from the music of the ’60s, marked by politics and protest.

Mumbai-based music industry professional Parag Kamani believes the Eagles’s status of defining the “California Sound” of the ’70s with technical precision, and their success in crossing over between — and fusing — country, folk, rock and pop helped them build a massive, diverse fan base that has sustained them through the decades.

“The Eagles’s ability to survive, break up, and reunite has only added to their mythos, and enduring popularity.”

‘Their Greatest Hits 1971-75’ stood fourth on the Billboard 200 album chart upon its release. Within a month, it climbed to number one, retaining the top spot for five weeks. 

Creditably, it was the first ever album to receive the RIAA’s Platinum certification (introduced in 1976) and according to reports, the album has been in ‘every household’ at some point, becoming the fabric of American popular music.

Then, in 1980, the Eagles broke up due to conflicts between band members and creative pressures. Thankfully, the split was not a final dissolution.

They reunited in 1994 and released an album ‘Hell Freezes Over’ featuring new tracks — ‘Love Will Keep Us Alive’ and ‘Get it Over’. The band went on tours within the U S and beyond, doing over 100 shows in the next two years and later released ‘The Very Best of 2003’ and the double album ‘Long Road Out of Eden’ in 2007.

In 2013 came a career-spanning documentary titled ‘History of the Eagles’. It was followed by a number of tours across the U S. Commendably, they’ve been long enough, ensuring each new album beats the previous one.

As Kamani explains: “Creating meticulously crafted, timeless music by providing unparalleled multi-layered vocal harmonies, and the diversity in their songwriting — with each member being a composer/lyricist — captured universal themes of freedom, ambition and, in instances, the disillusionment of the American Dream. All this and more still resonates across generations and, since then, across territories.”

Currently, the band is on ‘The Long Goodbye’ tour that will last till end of 2026 after which the band is expected to retire.