There were seven Eagles studio albums. That might not seem like much, but their group output is practically torrential when compared to the solo careers that followed.
After all, Don Henley has only put out five non-country albums. Glenn Frey only issued four non-standards albums. Randy Meisner only issued three albums before concluding his career with Meisner, Swan and Rich. (Curiously, two of those LPs were titled Randy Meisner.)
Joe Walsh was far more productive, issuing four albums before joining the Eagles lineup, including a pair of gold-selling Top 15 hits, and then eight more since. Timothy B. Schmit matched the Eagles with an impressive seven solo LPs to his name. But then you have Bernie Leadon, who has only issued two albums outside of the Bernie Leadon-Michael Georgiades Band.
Which Eagles Solo Career Shined the Brightest?
As a result, every entry in the following list of best (and worst) Eagles solo albums tended to carry a little extra weight.
Walsh got off to a fast start after joining the lineup, issuing a platinum-selling Top 10 hit a couple of years later. Henley’s solo debut barely crept into the Top 25. Frey’s couldn’t crack the Top 30. Schmit’s first album stalled at an embarrassing No. 160 and Meisner’s somehow fared worse, failing to chart at all.
Eagles members have released more than 40 albums under different banners. (UCR)
Of course, Frey and Henley would soon join Walsh with their own platinum-selling solo LPs and huge hit singles. But there’s a perhaps-surprising anomaly hiding inside these solo discographies: The so-called worst albums by some of the band’s lesser-known – and less productive – members were actually quite good. Maybe they were waiting until they had something substantial to share. If so, it worked.
The Best (and Worst) Solo Album by Every Member of the Eagles
In most cases, there weren’t many. So every new LP tended to carry a little extra weight.
Gallery Credit: Nick DeRiso
Listen to Don Felder on the ‘UCR Podcast’