Why the Eagles Stopped Regularly Performing This Hit Track After 1977

The hit track “Take It To The Limit” didn’t get as many live performances as fans would have liked during the band’s heyday. And the reason why Eagles stopped performing the hit song makes sense in the context of the Eagles and their revolving door of band members… and somewhat toxic band dynamic.

“Take It To The Limit” was a huge hit for Eagles back in 1975. The One Of These Nights single quickly hit no. 4 on the Hot 100 chart in the US, and also charted pretty well in the UK. The song was written as a group effort by early Eagles members Randy Meisner, Don Henley, and Glenn Frey. Though, it’s worth noting that the song had its start as an early Meisner composition.

Meisner sang lead on this song, and it quickly became a favorite among diehard Eagles fans. It was extremely popular at the band’s concerts. “[Fans] went crazy when Randy hit those high notes,” Henley said of the song.

Unfortunately, Meisner was reluctant to perform it. And his reluctance led to a physical altercation after one of the band’s shows, leading to his inevitable departure.

Throughout Eagles’ Hotel California Tour, Meisner struggled to hit those very important high notes. He always seemed to do it, but allegedly would get quite nervous before performing “Take It To The Limit”.

Why Eagles Stopped Regularly Performing The Track “Take It To The Limit”

Those nerves came to a head during a concert in Tennessee in June 1977. The band was tired, Meisner had a stomach ulcer and the flu, and he decided to shelve the song for that particular set’s encore.

This set off Frey, leading to an actual physical fight backstage over Meisner refusing to perform the song. After the fight, Meisner was “frozen” out of the band, and inevitably decided to leave. He was quickly replaced by Timothy B. Schmit, but “Take It To The Limit” was not regularly played in the years that followed that fateful backstage fight. Before the band’s eventual reunion, their last performance of the song took place during The Long Run Tour in Oklahoma City on February 14, 1980.

The band tried to make it work. Frey took over the lead vocals, and they re-composed the song from B major to G major to fit Frey’s notably different vocal range. It just didn’t hit the same. Frey and a few other members occasionally whipped it out during their respective solo tours, but “Take It To The Limit” was rarely played despite being a fan favorite until around 2017.

Fortunately, things have changed in the last decade. When Vince Gill joined the band in 2017, they started playing it again, albeit in A major. During their most recent reunion tour in 2024, Eagles performed “Take It To The Limit” live at the Las Vegas Sphere. If we’re lucky, the song will be a regular setlist staple going forward!

Photo by CSU Archives/Everett/Shutterstock

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