The Eagles broke up for the first time in 1980. The split followed years of exhaustion, internal tension, and increasingly difficult relationships among the band members after the success of Hotel California and The Long Run.
The Eagles had formed in Los Angeles in 1971 and became one of the biggest American bands of the decade. After completing The Long Run, released in 1979, they toured extensively. The pressure of recording, touring, and disagreements over the group’s direction contributed to the original breakup.
The band did not remain permanently separated. In 1994, the Eagles reunited for the album and concert project Hell Freezes Over, a title jokingly referring to Don Henley’s earlier claim that they would reunite only when “hell freezes over.” The 1980 breakup is therefore distinct from later periods of inactivity and personnel changes.