The Eagles

The Eagles monopolize air time on classic rock stations across the country for a simple reason: the band pioneered the sound, elevating rock music adjectives to the level of those describing Greek and Roman architecture. In considerably fewer years than it took the Greeks to become classic, rock achieved that status with The Eagles. Don Henley, Randy Meisden, Bernie Leadon and Glenn Frey brought a variety of talents, band and solo credits to the original Eagles mix in 1972 but had the shared experience of playing backup for Linda Ronstadt. The band started life on the road as an opening act, and multi-instrumentalist Frey soon earned the insider nickname Lone Arranger for his artistic vision and vocal arrangements. Their albums, including second effort Desperado and later Hotel California, were often theme-based songs written around a core idea, and they experimented with writing and composing 'outside the box.' Over time and tours, Don Felder joined, Leadon and Meisner left, Joe Walsh and Timothy Schmit signed on, and the group disbanded in 1982. Classic has staying power, however, and various reunion and benefit performances preceded their astounding performance at the band's 1998 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and their Farewell 1 Tour, launched in 2004. It takes only a bar or two to jolt the memory, and an entire arena can launch into 'Take It to the Limit."