Eagles

The Eagles formed in 1971, after Linda Ronstadt's personal manager put them together to do backup gigs. The Eagles' founding members came from all around the country, but the band produced a truly Californian rock sound. The two main vocalists, Don Henley and Glenn Frey, came from Texas and Michigan respectively. Henley went on to a very successful solo recording carrier after his stint with the Eagles.

Another Midwesterner, Bernie Leadon, played the banjo, the guitar, and the mandolin on the Eagles' albums. Finally, the group called up on the services of Randy Meisner on bass. Future shakeups brought Joe Walsh and Tim Schmidt into the band. The Eagles became known for pure song writing, and hits like Best of My Love quickly became American classics.

They also worked a lot of songs from the conceptual angle. After the success of their first eponymous album and their second album, Desperado, the Eagles went on to record with the esteemed producer Glyn Johns. During the recording, another producer, Bill Szymczyk, got slide guitarist Don Felder to add his talents to the Eagle's sound.

Thanks to Billboard toppers like Best of My Love and Desperado, the Eagles earned their place in the pantheon of rock and roll masters. Despite the simplicity of some of their lyrics, the Eagles put a lot of craftsmanship into their songs. At their apex, they played with bands like the Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin to sold out crowds of tens of thousands of American rock fans.