How The Eagles Overthrew Led Zeppelin Off The Charts In 1979

The Battle of Final Studio Albums

Led Zeppelin released their last studio album “In Through The Out Door” on August 15, 1979 and it was a massive commercial success. It earned 6x platinum status in the US and while it wasn’t their best work, it still featured the classic hits “Fool in the Rain” and “Carouselambra”. The band is no longer in top form but they were far from being creatively spent. After a decade of playing together, they proved they were still a tight musical unit.

It offers variety and is quite moody. Not everyone likes it though but we believe it’s an underrated gem. It was a hit on both sides of the Atlantic, landing at the top spot of the UK Albums Chart and US Billboard 200 – they stayed at #1 on the latter for seven weeks but their streak ended when The Eagles dropped their sixth studio album “The Long Run”.

It would also be The Eagles’ final LP as they disbanded in 1980 just like Led Zeppelin. The Eagles’ follow-up would be 2007’s “Long Road Out of Eden”. “The Long Run” features bassist Timothy B. Schmit who was the replacement for founding member Randy Meisner.

The LP spawned three singles which became instant classics – “Heartache Tonight”, “The Long Run”, and “I Can’t Tell You Why”. It’s a brilliant record but it had the misfortune of following the magnum opus “Hotel California” and so it’s understandable that it was held to a higher standard. Nevertheless, it’s darker compared to its predecessors and showed the band’s growth and maturity as musicians.

https://youtu.be/4fQ2epFQG9g

It sounds like a departure from their earlier sound and it’s near-perfect. There’s no filler, no weak moments, and no throwaways. If they hadn’t released “Hotel California”, “The Long Run” would undoubtedly be considered as their greatest studio effort. It’s certified 7x platinum by the RIAA and stayed at #1 on the US Billboard 200 for nine weeks.