Hell Freezes Over is the Eagles’ second live album which was released in 1994. Upon its release, the album debuted at number 1 on the Billboard album chart, where it remained for two weeks. In the United States, the album has sold over 9 million copies. But did you know why the album was named that way?
When the Eagles broke up in 1980, Don Henley stated in an interview that they would only reunite when hell freezes over. Fourteen years later, the Eagles released “Hell Freezes Over”, as their comeback album.
Who are the Eagles?
The Eagles are an American rock band that formed in 1971 in Los Angeles. The Eagles were one of the most successful musical acts in North America during the 1970s, with five number-one singles and six number-one albums, six Grammy Awards, and five American Music Awards. Linda Ronstadt recruited founding members Glenn Frey, Don Henley, Bernie Leadon, and Randy Meisner as band members, with some touring with her and all playing on her third solo album before venturing out on their own on David Geffen’s new Asylum Records label.
With 38 million copies sold, Their Greatest Hits is the best-selling album in the United States, and it primed the public for the late 1976 release of Hotel California, which would sell more than 26 million copies in the United States and more than 32 million copies worldwide.
The Eagles are one of the world’s best-selling bands, having sold over 200 million records worldwide, including 100 million in the United States alone. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998 and ranked 75th on Rolling Stone’s list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time in 2004. (Source: Britannica)
The 14-Year Hiatus of the Band
It is not uncommon for rock bands to have creative tensions, but few take it quite as far as the Eagles. The 1970s supergroup disbanded in 1980 after two of its members threatened each other with physical violence on stage in front of a concert audience.
The Eagles were already dealing with internal strife as a result of the pressure to follow up their career-changing 1976 album Hotel California. The Long Run sessions dragged on interminably, resulting in an uneven album, and by the time they wrapped up the tour in support of that album, things had come to a head between singer-guitarist Glenn Frey and guitarist Don Felder.
On July 31, 1980, the show in Long Beach, California, was a fundraiser for Senator Alan Cranston, who thanked each of the band members at a meet-and-greet before the performance.
Don Felder appeared to have insulted Senator Cranston under his breath, and I confronted him about it. Now that we’re onstage, Felder looks back at me and says, Only three more songs until I kick your ass, pal. And I’m saying, Wonderful. I can hardly wait. We’re out there singing ‘Best of My Love,’ but both of us are thinking to ourselves, As soon as this is over, I’m going to kill him. That’s when I realized I needed to leave.
Glenn Frey, American Musician
(Source: Taste of Country)