RIP Glenn Frey

[Ray Brinzer]

IMO:  Led Zeppelin (late 60s) > Rolling Stones (65-70) > Pink Floyd (67-73)> Eagles

1971-1976 The Eagles had more hits and out sold all of the above.

On the more general point of "Top band of the '70s", I think you'll find it a very hard case to make on the metrics you're choosing.  Even for the more limited case of '71-'76, they're not the top in either hits or albums sold.

Some perspective on hits, using Billboard Hot 100 numbers from 1971-76:

Group	Top 100	Top 10	Number One
The Eagles	12	6	3
The Rolling Stones	13	4	2
America	13	6	2
Wings	14	11	4
Three Dog Night	13	7	2
The Bee Gees	12	6	3
Elton John	20	15	6
Stevie Wonder	13	8	4

(Not counting Another Day or Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey for Wings.)

As far as the bands I mentioned:  yes, at their peak, the Eagles edged out the Rolling Stones for hits.  They were comparable to the Bee Gees, before the Bee Gees peaked.

Album sales:  Led Zeppelin IV sold 23x platnum, while The Eagles' five studio albums up to 1976, taken together, sold 25x.  Then you have Zeppelin III (6x), Houses of the Holy (11x), Physical Graffiti (16x), Presence (3x) and The Song Remains the Same (4x), totaling an additional 40x.  The Eagles put their greatest hits out in '76, and that went to 29x, but they still fall 9x short for the period. And that's if you feel good about counting a greatest hits album, just because it happened to come out in the period we're talking about.

I was really commenting on the "volume and quality" bit, though, which doesn't say "sales" or "hits" to me. If you think The Eagles' quality in that period blew away Led Zeppelin's, we're just working with very different yardsticks.

[RYou]

No argument at all opposing Zepplin.  My resources stand corrected.

[TobusRex]

Just looking at the list that Ray compiled I think a strong case could be made that Elton John was the biggest performer in the 70's.  Very surprising, to me at least.

[Bob H.]

Lots of good performers during that time.  In addition to the ones listed above, there was also Linda Ronstadt (sort of mentioned above), Fleetwood Mac, The Moody Blues, Bruce Springsteen, Jimmy Buffet, Tom Petty and a host of others.

I liked Warren Zevon, but he was never a huge star.

[TobusRex]

Zevon was a 1 hit wonder. But that 1 hit was great.

Linda Ronstadt was pure eye candy back in the day.

[Bob H.]

He had more than one hit, but not much more.  Lots of good albums, though.

I usually listen to "Hit Somebody!" at least once during hockey season.

You would probably like "Mr. Bad Example" if you assumed the title character was a Republican politician.

[mspart]

Elton John was huge there for awhile, especially from 72 - 76.  It doesn't surprise me. 

The Eagles were good and they were pretty fresh.  A different musical style than anyone else.  And they made it work by great musicianship and songwriting skills. 

RIP Glenn Fry

mspart

[TobusRex]

He had more than one hit, but not much more.  Lots of good albums, though.

I usually listen to "Hit Somebody!" at least once during hockey season.

You would probably like "Mr. Bad Example" if you assumed the title character was a Republican politician.

Hehe....Bob, when I think of Republican politicians this is who I think of. Their FAVORITE constituents

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1n5XqwUkYw

[TobusRex]

Elton John was huge there for awhile, especially from 72 - 76.  It doesn't surprise me. 

The Eagles were good and they were pretty fresh.  A different musical style than anyone else.  And they made it work by great musicianship and songwriting skills. 

RIP Glenn Fry

mspart

Yeah, they were pretty good. Great harmonies, great guitar work.

I've heard Felder gets pissed whenever Walsh gets all the credit for the solo in Hotel California. Apparently most of that was Felder's work.

[Bob H.]

He had more than one hit, but not much more.  Lots of good albums, though.

I usually listen to "Hit Somebody!" at least once during hockey season.

You would probably like "Mr. Bad Example" if you assumed the title character was a Republican politician.

Hehe....Bob, when I think of Republican politicians this is who I think of. Their FAVORITE constituents

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1n5XqwUkYw

That was a cute video I hadn't seen before.  It also included a young Michael Keaton.

[mspart]

Elton John was huge there for awhile, especially from 72 - 76.  It doesn't surprise me. 

The Eagles were good and they were pretty fresh.  A different musical style than anyone else.  And they made it work by great musicianship and songwriting skills. 

RIP Glenn Fry

mspart

Yeah, they were pretty good. Great harmonies, great guitar work.

I've heard Felder gets pissed whenever Walsh gets all the credit for the solo in Hotel California. Apparently most of that was Felder's work.

Yeah, my understanding is that Felder worked the song out before they went into the studio.  He had provided it to the other members of the band.  He wrote the intro, and the chorus and the leads.  I've never heard that anyone said Joe wrote the leads.  The parts Joe plays maybe, at least he made them his own.  The lyrics were not by Felder as far as I know.  Also, he had to capo the chord progression to the 7th fret so Henley could sing it.  He originally had it with no capo.  Said playing it up at the 7th fret was a real pain.  I've seen a video of him doing it without a capo on the 5th fret.  Quite the barre he had going on that one with an acoustic no less.

mspart

[TobusRex]

I hate capos. I'd just as soon sing out of key as not, lol.

[mspart]

Me too.  I've learned that song with the capo on the 7th fret and it pretty much gets in the way.  If you watch a youtube of him doing it with the Eagles, he is working hard not to let it bother him.

mspart