“ONE HIGH NOTE MADE IT A HIT — AND NEARLY BROKE THE BAND.” In 1975, the Eagles released a country-rock ballad co-written by Randy Meisner, Don Henley, and Glenn Frey. Meisner brought the core idea; Henley and Frey helped shape it into a soaring radio-ready track built around piano, steady drums, and a long vocal climb designed for his range. Meisner took the lead vocal — and that towering high ending became the song’s signature as it climbed to No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100. But onstage, that same note turned into pressure. Night after night, the demanding finale strained him physically and emotionally, feeding tensions inside the band during their mid-1970s peak. What sounded effortless on radio carried a hidden cost — proof that sometimes the moment that defines a hit is also the one that changes everything behind the scenes.
“Scroll down to the end of the article to listen to music.” Introduction “Take It To The Limit” feels less…