The only six Eagles songs that won Grammy Awards
You know of the Eagles, I know of the Eagles, we all know of the Eagles, but is recognition from the everyday man enough to convince a group that they’ve made it to the top… Or might they have to take home as many awards as they can get?
The topic of industry recognition and official accolades is a much-contested one between the groups who sit at the top of the fame pyramid. While Oasis slammed the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame plentiful times before quickly backtracking after official recognition this year, young actor Timothée Chalamet’s pursuit of greatness appeared inextricably tied to his success at award ceremonies (better luck next year, Timmy).
As for the Eagles, they appear to have had industry support at every turn. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998, on the very first year of their eligibility, and in 2016, they received the prestigious lifetime achievement award from the Kennedy Centre Honours – a decade on, and they’re still expanding upon said lifetime, though the end is admittedly drawing near.
As for the Grammys, however, the group first experienced a general scepticism at the awards, which necessitated the simplification of an artist’s livelihood for a surface-level event consumed on a mass scale – still, they took home their first Grammy in 1976 for the ‘Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals’ Grammy for their catchy, though accusatory, track ‘Lyin’ Eyes’.
In 1978, they scooped in two wins, landing the coveted Grammy for ‘Record of the Year’ for ‘Hotel California’, as well as the Grammy for ‘Best Vocal Arrangement for Two or More voices’ on ‘New Kid in Town’, but the band famously skipped the ceremony due to their uncertain regard for what the accolade represented.
Two years on from this, the friends and collaborators bagged the ‘Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals’ once again for their track ‘Heartache Tonight’, a song included in their album The Long Run, which reached the top spot on the US Billboard Hot 100.
A decent slug of time would pass before the Eagles copped another of the enticing awards, down to the band’s hiatus between 1980 and 1994, as former members pursued solo albums. Despite nominations in 1996 and 2005. In 2008, the band took home the only Grammy they were nominated for that year; ‘How Long’ bagged them the Grammy for ‘Best Country Performance by a Duo or a Group with Vocal’.
The long, dreary wait for recognition was over, and another award came thick and fast: in 2009, they were nominated for four Grammys, including ‘Best Pop Vocal Album’ for Long Road Out of Eden, but they took home a singular award. The optimistic ‘I Dreamed There Was No War’ landed them their sixth, and final, Grammy, this time for ‘Best Pop Instrumental Performance’, indicative that the band can expertly straddle plenty of different genres.
Six is likely the final number for the band, who are finally winding down a years-long farewell tour. In Don Henley’s eyes, they’ve had a fabulous career, and isn’t it always best to choose when the party is over?
