The Eagles released six studio albums before their first breakup in 1980. Those albums were Eagles (1972), Desperado (1973), On the Border (1974), One of These Nights (1975), Hotel California (1976), and The Long Run (1979).
The sequence traces the band’s rapid rise from a new country-rock group into one of the biggest American rock acts of the 1970s. Their first album introduced “Take It Easy” and “Witchy Woman,” while Desperado established the Henley-Frey songwriting partnership. On the Border and One of These Nights expanded their commercial reach, and Hotel California became their defining international success.
The Long Run was the final studio album before the breakup. Released in September 1979, it produced three Top 10 US singles, including “Heartache Tonight.” The group broke up in 1980, although Eagles Live was released that year as a live album and not counted among the pre-breakup studio albums. Their next studio album, Long Road Out of Eden, did not arrive until 2007.