Nashville in 1993 was a weird place. It was the peak of the "hat act" era, Garth Brooks was basically a deity, and the line between rock and country was blurring so fast nobody could keep up. Right in the middle of that chaos, a giant Record Executive named Irving Azoff—the legendary, often-feared manager of the Eagles—had a crazy idea. He wanted to get the biggest names in country music to cover Eagles songs. The result was Common Thread: The Songs of the Eagles, a tribute album that didn't just sell millions of copies; it actually forced one of the greatest rock bands in history back together.
Most tribute albums are kind of forgettable. You listen once, think "that’s neat," and never touch it again. But this one was different. It stayed on the Billboard 200 for forever. It won Album of the Year at the CMAs. Honestly, if you grew up in a house with a cassette player in the mid-90s, you probably heard Travis Tritt’s growling version of "Take It Easy" at least a thousand times.
The Album That Ended a Fourteen-Year Grudge
When the Eagles broke up in 1980, they didn't just part ways. They exploded. Glenn Frey and Don Felder famously spent a 1980 Long Beach show threatening to beat each other up once the curtain dropped. Don Henley famously said the band would play together again only "when hell freezes over." They were done.
Then came the Common Thread: The Songs of the Eagles project.
The most important moment in the entire history of this album didn't even happen in a recording studio. It happened on a video set. Travis Tritt was tasked with covering "Take It Easy," and he had a condition. He wanted the 1980 lineup of the Eagles—Henley, Frey, Walsh, Felder, and Schmit—to appear in his music video.
People thought he was nuts. Azoff thought it was a long shot. But they all said yes.
Seeing them all standing together on that set, playing pool and laughing, changed everything. They realized they didn't hate each other as much as they thought they did. Or, at the very least, they realized that the "common thread" of their music was more powerful than the grudges they'd been nursing for over a decade. Within months of that video shoot, the Hell Freezes Over tour was announced. Without this tribute album, the Eagles might have remained a memory.
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Why Country Music Claimed the Eagles
It’s easy to forget that the Eagles were a country-rock band before they were an arena-rock band. When Bernie Leadon was in the group, they were practically a bluegrass outfit with electric guitars. Common Thread: The Songs of the Eagles felt less like a collection of covers and more like the songs returning to their natural habitat.
Take "Lyin' Eyes." Diamond Rio didn't have to change much to make it sound like a 90s country hit. The storytelling—that specific, cynical, West Coast brand of narrative songwriting—fits the Nashville mold perfectly. Country music is built on "three chords and the truth," and Glenn Frey’s writing was basically the high-gloss, California version of that mantra.
The tracklist for the album reads like a Hall of Fame induction ceremony:
- Vince Gill took on "I Can't Tell You Why" and somehow made Timothy B. Schmit’s high-tenor ballad even more soulful.
- Alan Jackson did "Tequila Sunrise," keeping it simple and dusty.
- The Southern Pacific version of "New Kid in Town" added a layer of jangle that felt fresh but familiar.
- Trisha Yearwood tackled "New Kid in Town" later (actually, she did a stunning "Midnight Flyer" for a different project, but her presence on this scene was vital). On this specific record, her voice on "New Kid in Town" is a masterclass in restraint.
The reason these covers worked where others failed is because 90s country was essentially 70s rock with a fiddle added. The production by James Stroud and others on this record didn't try to "fix" the Eagles. They just leaned into the steel guitar and the vocal harmonies.
The Surprise Hits and the Misses
Not every track was a home run. Clint Black’s "Desperado" is fine, but it’s hard to beat Henley’s original haunting vocal. However, some artists found something new in the material.
Tanya Tucker doing "Already Gone" is a vibe. She brought a grit and a "don't-mess-with-me" attitude that Glenn Frey had, but in a totally different register. It’s loud, it’s proud, and it’s arguably the most energetic moment on the disc.
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Then you have Suzy Bogguss doing "Take It to the Limit." That song is a beast to sing. Randy Meisner’s original high note is legendary. Bogguss didn't try to out-scream Meisner; she turned it into a sophisticated, crystalline ballad that highlights the desperation in the lyrics. It’s about being tired. It’s about the road. It’s about the exact things Nashville stars were feeling in 1993.
The Cultural Impact: More Than Just a CD
This album sold over three million copies. In the 90s, that was "triple platinum," a feat that’s almost impossible to grasp in the age of Spotify. But the impact was deeper than sales. Common Thread: The Songs of the Eagles acted as a bridge. It told rock fans it was okay to like country, and it told country fans that their favorite stars owed a massive debt to a bunch of long-haired guys from Southern California.
It also raised a massive amount of money for the Walden Woods Project. Don Henley is a huge Thoreau nerd. He wanted to protect the land around Walden Pond from developers. He used his clout to make this album a charity project. So, every time someone bought the cassette at a Truck Stop in 1994, they were technically helping preserve American literary history.
A Lesson in Songwriting Longevity
What does this tell us about the Eagles' catalog? Basically, that the songs are indestructible. You can strip away the 70s gloss, the drug-fueled studio perfectionism, and the Joe Walsh guitar heroics, and you’re still left with a perfect song.
"Desperado" works as a cowboy ballad.
"Best of My Love" works as a soft-rock radio staple.
"Heartache Tonight" (covered by John Anderson on the album) works as a honky-tonk floor-filler.
The "common thread" wasn't just the genre of country music; it was the sheer craftsmanship of the songwriting. Henley and Frey were notoriously difficult to work with because they were perfectionists. They fought over single words. They spent weeks on drum sounds. This album proved that their obsession paid off. When the songs were handed over to different artists with different styles, the structural integrity of the music held up.
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How to Appreciate This Era Today
If you’re looking to dive back into this specific moment in music history, don’t just stream the songs. You have to look at the context.
- Watch the "Take It Easy" video. Look at the faces of the Eagles members. They look nervous. They look like they’re waiting for someone to throw a punch. Then, they start smiling. That’s the moment the band was reborn.
- Compare the harmonies. Listen to the Eagles’ "Seven Bridges Road" and then listen to the country covers on this album. The Eagles were basically a vocal group that happened to play instruments. The country artists on the tribute album understood that the harmony was the "lead instrument."
- Check the credits. Look at the session musicians on the album. You’ll see names like Brent Mason and Paul Franklin. These guys are the "secret sauce" of 90s Nashville.
Real-World Takeaways for Fans and Musicians
The legacy of this album isn't just nostalgia. It’s a blueprint for how to handle a musical legacy.
First, it shows that collaboration beats isolation. The Eagles were stuck in a stalemate for 14 years. It took an outside project—a tribute—to break the ice. Sometimes, looking at your own work through someone else's eyes (or ears) is the only way to move forward.
Second, it proves that genres are mostly imaginary. The Eagles were "rock," but they were also "country," "folk," and "R&B." By leaning into the country side of their DNA, they found a whole new audience and rejuvenated their career.
Lastly, quality is the only thing that lasts. There were dozens of tribute albums in the 90s. Most of them are in bargain bins or forgotten. This one stays relevant because the source material was undeniable.
If you want to experience the "common thread" yourself, go back and listen to the album start to finish. Skip the radio edits. Listen to the way the steel guitar interacts with the lyrics. It’s a reminder of a time when music felt a bit more grounded, even when it was being made by the biggest stars on the planet.
To truly understand the impact, look for the live performances from the 1994 CMA Awards where several of these artists performed together. It wasn't just a marketing gimmick; it was a genuine celebration of a sound that defined a generation. Whether you’re a rock purist or a country fan, there’s no denying the gravity of these songs. They aren't just tracks on a record; they are the DNA of American popular music.
Actionable Next Steps:
- Track Down the Physical Media: If you can find a used CD or vinyl of Common Thread, grab it. The liner notes provide deep insight into the Walden Woods Project and the specific gear used by the session players.
- A/B Testing: Create a playlist that alternates between the original Eagles version and the Common Thread cover. Pay specific attention to the tempo changes; the country artists often slowed things down to emphasize the "heartbreak" factor.
- The Documentary Connection: Watch the History of the Eagles documentary (Part 2) to see the behind-the-scenes footage of how this tribute album served as the actual catalyst for the reunion.