The Eagles

Out of the Los Angeles country-rock scene of the early 1970s, the Eagles came together in 1971 when Glenn Frey and Don Henley linked up with Bernie Leadon and Randy Meisner, initially backing Linda Ronstadt before striking out on their own. That California sound they helped define blended rock, country, and folk into something slick, polished, and undeniably addictive. Don Felder joined later, and the lineup shifts over the years kept things interesting, though the Frey-Henley songwriting core was always the engine driving the machine.

Their catalog is basically a greatest hits collection in itself. Hotel California remains one of the most iconic rock albums ever recorded, with that title track's ominous guitar interplay between Felder and Joe Walsh etched permanently into rock history. Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975 compilation traded blows with Thriller for the title of best-selling album in US history for years. Desperado, One of These Nights, and The Long Run all cemented their reputation as masters of the melodic rock epic.

Love them or find them a little too smooth around the edges, the Eagles' cultural footprint is impossible to dismiss. They captured a specific moment of California excess and disillusionment with a craft that held up across decades. Their 1994 reunion and subsequent Hell Freezes Over tour proved the demand never really went away. With Frey's passing in 2016, an era truly closed, but the music keeps the conversation going.