Are The Eagles Overrated?

Or did a generation learn that from The Big Lebowski?

by Ryan Buynak

First of all, are they The Eagles or just Eagles? Just like The Pixies or Pixies, it is grammatically impossible to write or talk about them without messing up their intended band name, which is pretty cool (see our list of best band names), but invites music nerds to correct people like eager idiots.

Comedian Steve Martin, a friend of the band from their early LA days at The Troubadour, recounts in his autobiography that he suggested that they should be referred to as "the Eagles", but Glenn Frey insists that the group's name is simply "Eagles". But why do we care enough to discuss this? Why are we even asking this question?

Why am I even writing this article?

I am standing backstage in the newly minted FLA Live Arena in Sunrise, Florida (every promoter and performer refers to it as Fort Lauderdale, but it is ten miles and ten outdoor shopping malls away from the beach), as stagehands race around with equipment, computers and even…washing machines (yes, there are washing machines labeled ‘Eagles’ on the front). And I am wondering to myself whether I am excited to sit through an Eagles concert (a The Eagles concert? That doesn’t sound right!). Sure, they are iconic for people who became parents in the 80s, but the buck evidently stopped at the last bastion of Boomers. Even as a music journalist aka a music geek, I am only here to check it off a list and write an article which evolved into what you are reading.

Who Gives a Shit?!?

For some reason, Eagles (the band, not the bird) brings on vitriol when discussed amongst mix company, especially avid music fans. The popular yet divisive band is a barometer of music fandom; hating the Eagles defines whether a music fan is a fan of music or just a Top 40 bandwagon-jumper.

Who Knows?

Following the news of Glenn Frey’s passing, the customary moment of mourning lasted for roughly a millisecond before haters busted into R.I.P. Twitter and Instagram threads to proudly declare his death hadn’t changed their dismissive takes on his band’s legacy.

Is it like our parents’ version of East Coast vs West Coast hip-hop? Was there a time when folks were up in arms about Bruce Springsteen above Don Henley? I have asked many people, both mega music fans and casual listeners, and no one can tell me why they like Eagles or hate The Eagles!

Why Do We Give a Shit Either Way?

Their hits – from “Desperado” to “Witchy Woman” and even the insufferably hummable “Take It Easy” and “Hotel California” – are played in only three places: grocery stores, arenas, and acoustic cover band setlists. They are considered the most successful country-rock band ever to aggressively straddle the globe. Maybe it is my Hipster Generation heart, but I would never consider them country-rock; they are more like Stepdad Rock with a splash of Miller High Life. At best, they are Classic Rock, and even as I write this, I find myself getting angrier at Eagles aka The Eagles.

Abide?

In the Coen Brothers film, The Big Lebowski, which a billion white males saw at a way-too-young-age, the protagonist, affectionately only known as The Dude, chides a cab driver for listening to "Peaceful Easy Feeling" by Eagles (goddamn it, here's a clip). The film made it cool to shit on Eagles (bird shit), but it goes deeper than that. Even my step dad who has never seen a Coen Brothers flick hates The Eagles. When asked why, he simply says “That’s bubblegum shit.” An hour later, he calls me back to ask: “Is it The Eagles or just Eagles?”

The Verdict?

They’re okay. Sure, Hotel California is fine, but no matter what generation you come from, being fine is being boring and being boring sucks. The Eagles are like the Miller High Life of rock music: successful, no doubt, yet ultimately watered down and unsatisfying. They are objectively one of the most successful bands ever. They've sold 100 million albums, and their first greatest hits album is the best-selling album of all time in North America. The music can, and in my opinion should, also be seen as some of the most cliched, and ultimately perishable ever recorded. They are like the Perry Cuomo of their generation, which translates into another generation’s Nickleback.