The Eagles evolved from country rockers to arena stars thanks to angelic four-part harmonies that sweetened lyrics about the dark side of the American dream. Primary songwriters and vocalists Glenn Frey and Don Henley decided to start a band together the day they met as members of Linda Ronstadt’s backing group in 1971. Their 1972 self-titled debut brought hits like “Take It Easy,” “Witchy Woman,” and “Peaceful Easy Feeling,” but Frey and Henley almost derailed their trajectory with Desperado, a loosely conceptual song cycle that favorably equated SoCal guitar singers to Old West pistol-packers. 1976’s Hotel California was a velvet glove cast in irony and—in singles like “New Kid in Town,” “Life in the Fast Lane,” and its epic title track—the very definition of classic rock, possessing a polish that future country stars would eagerly adopt. A 14-year hiatus followed 1979’s The Long Run, but from the mid-’90s and well into the 21st century they’ve found their way back to each other for reunion tours, a live album, and even a final studio effort, 2007’s Long Road Out of Eden.