Top 10 Eagles Album Covers

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Our Top 10 Eagles Album Covers list will look at a legendary rock and country band that formed in the 70s. The band has five number one singles and six number one albums. They were one of the most successful rock and country bands in the 70s. The Eagles’ greatest hits album is one of the best-selling albums of all time. The band has sold over 200 million records worldwide. They have sold over 100 million records in the United States. They have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. They have also been inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame. They have won several awards throughout their career. They have been picked as one of the greatest artists of all time on Rolling Stones.

The Eagles never did things the easy way when it concerned their music as well as their album covers. Their album covers require a lot of imagination and creativity. They aren’t just headshots and imagery. They tell a story. The pictures on their album covers are memorable and breathtaking. They will have you talking while you are admiring the striking and amazing artwork. They will make you wonder what is going on while you are listening to the music. Our Top 10 Eagles Album Covers list will look at the album covers of one of the greatest rock and country bands in music history.

# 10 – The Long Run

The first pick on our Top 10 Eagles Album Covers list is The Long Run. The Long Run is The Eagles’ sixth studio album. This album was originally intended to be a double album, but they couldn’t come up with enough material for a double album. The band wasn’t up for the challenge of recording this album. They were stressed out and drained from touring while they recorded this album. The pressure was on to do a follow-up to their monster hit Hotel California. The songs on this album are about longevity and posterity. The album cover features the band’s name and the album title in white letters. There is a white border around the name. The band’s name and album title are against a black background.

This is a simple album cover for the band. It doesn’t feature the band or imagery. The picture gets to the point. John Kosh designed this album cover for the band because of the mood they were in. They were burned out, so he didn’t want to put their picture on the album cover. It was a good idea that he didn’t feature the band on the cover so the fans wouldn’t know how hard it was for them to record. He used the black background to symbolize the dark place they were in at the time.

The album cover may be simple, but it makes a statement. John Kosh is an art director and album cover designer. He has worked with The Eagles, John Lennon and Yoko Ono, The Olive Branch, John Keating, The Rolling Stones, Ringo Starr, The Beatles, Gary Wright, Family, The Who, Jonathan Kelly, Fats Domino, Bobby Keys, Bobby Whitlock, as well as others. The Long Run was released in September 1979. The album peaked at number one on Billboard 200. The Long Run features the singles “Heartache Tonight,” “The Long Run,” “I Can’t Tell You Why” and “In the City.” The album sold over eight million copies.

# 9 – Live from the Forum MMXVIII

The next pick on our Top 10 Eagles Album Covers list is Live from the Forum MMXVIII. Live from the Forum MMXVIII is the Eagles’ third live album. This is an album and a concert film. The band wasn’t going to play again once Glenn Frey died, but Don Henley changed his mind. The band enlisted Glenn Frey’s son to join the band on their tour. The album cover is a picture of a stadium. The band’s name is written on the stadium as if it were the band’s stadium. The band’s name is written in white letters. There is a shot of the moon on the left side of the album cover. There are lights coming out of the stadium. The sun in setting in the background. The band’s name and album title are written at the top of the cover in white letters.

The picture depicts an homage to the stadium The Eagles used for this album. Jeri Heiden and Ryan Corey decided to use the stadium for the album cover. They designed the stadium in a way to make it look as if it was their stadium. They did a great job with the editing. It looks like it belongs to the Eagles. They are both designers, so it is no surprise that they were able to create the illusion that the stadium belonged to them. They captured a beautiful night sky in the picture.

Jeri Heiden has worked with the Eagles, Bee Gees, Fleetwood Mac, Victoria Williams, Jude Cole, Madonna, Peter Cetera, Jennifer Hall, k.d. lang, Brian Wilson, Los Lobos, Van Halen, a-ha, Don Henley, Quincy Jones, Chaka Khan, as well as others. Ryan Corey has worked with the Eagles, Guns N’ Roses, The Syrups, Joe Cocker, Silver Sunshine, John Mayer, Steely Dan, Donald Fagen, Christina Aguilera, Rod Stewart, Pink, Lady Antebellum, Neil Diamond, Joe Walsh, Garbage, Cher, Electric Light Orchestra, as well as others. Live from the Forum MMXVIII was released in October 2020. The album peaked at number 16 on Billboard 200 and number four on the rock charts.

# 8 – Eagles Live

The eighth pick on our Top 10 Eagles Album Covers list is Eagles Live. Eagles Live is the Eagles’ first live album. The band was on the verge of breaking up, but the band owed their label one more album. They honored their agreement by releasing the live album of songs from their Hotel California and The Long Run tours. The album cover features a picture of a red and gray trunk. It is a trunk they used during their tour. It has the number 86 on it. There are stickers on the trunk. The album title is written on one of the stickers. It is on an angle on the right side of the trunk. The band’s name is written in gray letters at the bottom of the trunk.

The artwork symbolizes closure. John Kosh put the number 86 on the trunk to symbolize closure. The band was ready to break up, so this album cover was the perfect depiction of what they were going through at the time. John Kosh designed the best picture to describe the situation. He didn’t just use a graphic. He designed a genuine trunk. The colors of the trunk match and don’t clash with each other. Photographer Aaron Rapoport took a fantastic shot of the trunk. It looks like a genuine trunk. It doesn’t look like an album cover. It makes a metaphoric statement about the problems the band was going through.

Aaron Rapoport has worked with the Eagles, Rick Nelson, Jackson Browne, The Pointer Sisters, Aerosmith, Billy Preston and Syreeta, John Hall, Jessica Williams, Eddie Rabbitt, Millie Jackson, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Styx, Karla Bonoff, Supertramp, Black Rose, Switch, REO Speedwagon, John Cougar, Ringo Starr, James Taylor, The Sylvers, The Impressions, Ray Parker Jr. and Raydio, Kim Carnes, as well as others. Eagles Live was released in November 1980. The album peaked at number six on Billboard 200. The album sold over three million copies.

# 7 – Long Road Out of Eden

The seventh pick on our list is Long Road Out of Eden. Long Road Out of Eden is the Eagles’ seventh studio album. This is the last album featuring Glenn Frey before he passed away. Don Henley said this was probably going to be the last album they recorded together. The album cover is a picture of dunes in a desert. The sun is setting in the background. There is a glare of the sun in the middle of the picture. There are no clouds in the sky. It looks like a hazy day. There is a gold hue over the cover. The band’s name is in the center of the picture. The band’s name is written in gold hue. The album title is written in red letters.

The picture was shot in a California desert. The shot was taken in a similar location as their debut album. There is one shot that was taken close up while the others are taken from a distance. Jeri Heiden was looking for something iconic for the cover. She wanted the Eagles to be remembered for their album cover as well as their music. She did a good job because the picture is memorable. She makes you feel as if you are part of the picture. She used a pretty hue for the album cover. The color hue matches the color of the sand as well as the band’s name. This looks like a picture you would see hanging in a museum. The picture is soothing and relaxing. Long Road Out of Eden was released in October 2007. The album peaked at number one on Billboard 200. Long Road Out of Eden features the singles “How Long,” “Busy Being Famous,” “Guilty of the Crime” and “I Don’t Want to Hear Any More.” The album sold over seven million copies.

# 6 – Eagles

Eagles is the Eagles’s debut studio album. The album was an instant success for the band. It was voted as one of the greatest albums of all time. This is one of the albums that helped the Eagles make country rock music popular. The band didn’t want to make their work like everyone else’s. They wanted their music to stand out. The album cover is a picture of an eagle flying in a desert. The eagle is upside down. The sky is blue with a hint of clouds. There are cacti in the picture. There is a yellow tint at the bottom of the cover. The band’s name and album title are written on the eagle.

The album cover was designed by Gary Burden and photographed by Henry Diltz. The picture was taken at Joshua Tree National Monument in California. The Eagles were there for a ritual, so it made perfect sense to get the shot. Henry Diltz captured a fabulous shot of the sun setting. It makes the picture look more powerful. The band took a chance not being on the cover of their debut album. They ran the risk of people not knowing who they were. Luckily their name is written on the eagle. Gary Burden came up with a play on their name by having it on an eagle.

Gary Burden was a photographer, art director and designer. He worked with the Eagles, David Crosby, America, Neil Young, Richard Pryor, Richard Harris, The Mamas & the Papas, Mama Cass, Steppenwolf, Wings, Three Dog Night, The Turtles, Crosby, Stills & Nash, The Doors, Graham Nash, Joni Mitchell, Jackson Browne, as well as others. Henry Diltz is a singer and photographer. He has worked with the Eagles, John Stewart, Stephen Stills, America, Phil Spector, as well as others. Eagles was released in June 1972. The album peaked at number 22 on Billboard 200. Eagles features the singles “Take It Easy,” “Witchy Woman,” “Peaceful Easy Feeling Woman” and “Most of Us Are Sad.” The album sold over one million copies.

# 5 – Desperado

The next pick on our Top 10 Eagles Album Cover list is Desperado. Desperado is the Eagles’ second studio album. The album depicts the story of a touring musician and an Old West outlaw. Glenn Frey wanted the band to be taken seriously and wanted to do a concept album. The album cover features a picture of the band dressed up as outlaws. They all have guns. Two of the band members are holding their guns while the other two have them in their holsters. Randy Meisner is on the left. He is wearing a hat. He is holding his gun. He is also wearing a holster. He is wearing a brown jacket, pink shirt and blue jeans. He is face forward in the picture.

Glenn Frey is standing on an angle. His picture is taken from the left side. His head is turned to the right. He is wearing a brown jacket, pink shirt and blue jeans. He is wearing a gun holster. His right hand is touching Randy Meisner’s gun. Don Henley is wearing a red shirt, brown vest and blue jeans. He is wearing a gun holster. Bernie Leadon in on the end holding a gun. He is wearing a holster. He is wearing a brown shirt and vest. He is also wearing blue jeans. He is wearing a bullet holder across his body. There is dust in the picture. The band’s name and album title are written in a blue border at the top of the cover.

Gary Burden and Henry Diltz worked together on this album cover. They created a western setting for this album cover. The band is on the Paramount ranch for the photo shoot. The picture has movie set vibes. Gary Burden and Henry Diltz chose to keep the dust in the picture. It gives the picture an authentic western look. This album cover gives fans a chance to see what the band looks like. Henry Diltz took a magnificent shot of the band. They look like they could be outlaws. They have serious looks on their faces which creates the illusion that they are outlaws. Desperado was released in April 1973. The album peaked at number 41 on Billboard 200. Desperado features the singles “Tequila Sunrise,” “Outlaw Man,” “Desperado” and “Certain Kind of Fool.” The album sold over two million copies.

# 4 – On the Border

On the Border is the Eagles’ third studio album. The band wanted to have more of a rock sound than the country rock sound that they had on their previous albums. They wanted to lean towards hard rock music. Their producer wanted them to stick with the country rock sound. The album cover features a painting of an eagle. The eagle is a mix of light and dark blue. It has one wing out and the other inside. The eagle has a blue worm in its mouth. There is a shot of a hill in the background. The eagle is in front of a red sun with green wings on the side. There are also arrows on the side of the green wings. The background is white. The band’s name and album title are written in blue letters at the top of the cover.

The painting was done before the album. Artist Beatien Yazz painted the picture. Gary Burden bought the painting at a yard sale. The band liked the painting and wanted to use it for the album cover. The painting represents the cultural awareness of the Navajo Reservation. Psychedelic artist Rick Griffin designed the lettering on the album cover. He used a great color for the lettering. It makes the blue stand out. He is mostly known for working with the Grateful Dead. This is a unique painting. The image is something you can have on your shirt or as a tattoo. On the Border was released in March 1974. The album peaked at number 17 on Billboard 200. On the Border features the singles “Already Gone,” “James Dean,” “Best of My Love” and “You Never Cry Like a Lover.” The album sold over two million copies.

# 3 – One of These Nights

Coming in at number three on our list is One of These Nights. One of These Nights is the Eagles’ fourth studio album. This was a dark country rock album. The band thought times were dark politically and musically. Disco music was popular at the time. They wanted to share their stories with guitars instead of a disco beat. The album cover is a picture of a cow’s skull. It has feathers on it. There are blue, white and red colors on the skull. There is an ominous-looking black eagle behind the cow skull. There are dark clouds in the background. The band’s name is written in blue letters while the album title is written in red letters. The band’s name and album title are featured on top of the cover.

Gary Burden oversaw the creation of the album cover. He wanted the cover to be something that would grab listeners attention. Gary Burden hired Boyd Elder to create the cover. Gary Burden chose the picture the illustrator created because it described where the band was creative. The cow skull represents the country and folk music the band was singing. The inspiration for the skull was inspired by Indian American fashion. The ominous eagle was used to represent intrigue. Gary Burden didn’t want the album cover to be a regular headshot.

He wanted people to remember that it was an Eagles’ album cover when they held it in their hands. He got what he wanted because the album cover is memorable. The album cover was nominated for a Grammy Award. Boyd Elder was an artist. He worked with the Eagles, Bobby Fuller, Blue Mountain Eagle, Rubicon, Lita Ford, Ryan Bingham and Yacht. One of These Nights was released in June 1975. The album peaked at number one on Billboard 200. One of These Nights features the singles “One of These Nights,” “Lyin’ Eyes,” “Take It to the Limit” and “I Wish You Peace.” The album sold over four million copies.

# 2 – Hotel California

Hotel California is the Eagles’ fifth studio album. This is one of the best-selling albums of all time. The album is about the loss of innocence, the obstacles of fame, the dark side of the American dream, illusions and relationships. This is a concept album. The album cover features a picture of a hotel. There are trees and hedges in front of the hotel. The lights are on in the hotel. There are blue lights on the building. The lights are in different spots on the hotel. The sun is setting in the background. The album title is reflected in a side mirror. The title is written in blue cursive letters in the bottom right of the cover.

John Kosh and David Alexander wanted the cover based on the title track. They had to look for a hotel to use for the cover. They wanted to do a dark album cover to match the theme of the album. They took the picture at sunset. The darkness makes the picture look sinister. They used a cherry picker to shoot above the hedges. John Kosh was happy with the shot and didn’t want to add to the picture by adding the band’s name on the cover. It looks like a challenging shot, but it was worth it because the cover is unforgettable.

David Alexander is a photographer who has worked with the Eagles, Kenny Loggins, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Artie Butler, Lorie Leiberman, Tony Booth, Tina Turner, Nancy Wilson, Percy Sledge, Susan Raye, Linda Ronstadt, Natalie Cole, Bobby Whitlock, Parliament, Guthrie Thomas, Ray Conniff, Sammy Hagar, Ohio Players, Ringo Starr, Peabo Bryson, Melissa Manchester, The Gregg Allman Band, Carole Bayer Sager, David Ruffin, Rick Nelson, Aretha Franklin, Thelma Houston and Jerry Butler, Minnie Riperton, Diana Ross, as well as others. Hotel California was released in December 1976. The album peaked at number one on Billboard 200. Hotel California features the singles “New Kid in Town,” “Hotel California,” “Life in the Fast Lane” and “The Last Resort.” The album sold over 26 million copies.

# 1 – Their Greatest Hits (1971 – 1975)

The number one pick on our Top 10 Eagles Albums Covers list is Their Greatest Hits (1971 – 1975). Their Greatest Hits (1971 – 1975) is the Eagles’ first compilation album. The album features songs from their first four albums. This is the first album to go platinum. The album spent 239 weeks on the charts. This is one of the best-selling albums in history. It competes with Michael Jackson’s Thriller as one of the best-selling albums. The album cover features a picture of a plastic eagle skull. The eagle skull has different pictures on it. The eagle skull is sitting on a light blue background metallic. There are crevices in the background. The band’s name is written in light blue letters while the album title is written in yellow and red letters. The letters are made in unique designs.

Boyd Elder created the picture for the album cover. It may be hard to tell that it is an eagle’s skull. It could also be a mask from a horror movie. It looks as if it took a while to create the picture. Boyd Elder does sculptures like this one so it’s no surprise he created another picture like this. He used a skull for their One of These Nights album cover so he was right at home with this one. The blue background looks like powder. We are not sure if that’s the look they were going for with the album cover, but the color is nice. The skull of the eagle replaces the band. It is a creative cover that only Boyd Elder could have thought of doing for the band. Their Greatest Hits (1971 – 1975) was released in February 1976. The album peaked at number one on Billboard. The album sold over 45 million copies and counting worldwide.