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Classic rock bands were always copying each other in some way. For example, The Eagles’ Glenn Frey said that “Peaceful Easy Feeling” was inspired by the vocals of another group. Frey also revealed what he thought about “Peaceful Easy Feeling” decades after he first performed the song.

The Eagles’ ‘Peaceful Easy Feeling’ was influenced by Glenn Frey’s biggest inspiration

During a 2003 interview with The Uncool, Frey discussed “Peaceful Easy Feeling.” “Well, it reminded me so much of Poco,” he recalled. “Compared to the original recording, it’s evolved through live performances to where it’s a bit of a different animal now. 

“Back then, Poco was the band that impressed me most,” he added. “Their vocals were pristine and perfect. They were the band I wanted to model us after. We loved all the singing bands — The Byrds and The Beach Boys — but to be honest, right then I had my eye on Poco … and I wanted to go beyond them too. Ironically, we’d have two bass players over the years, both from Poco.” Today, Poco is most known for the 1978 hit “Crazy Love.”

Glenn Frey discussed the way The Eagles’ music aged

Frey went on to reveal what he thought of “Peaceful Easy Feeling”  decades after recording it. “‘Peaceful Easy Feeling’ had a happy, country-rock quality but a bittersweet irony about it that I thought was really great,” he said. “I still love that song. Love singing it.”

Frey discussed how The Eagles’ catalog aged. “A lot has happened since that summer of 1971,” he noted. “It is amazing and gratifying that so many people, all over the world, still love these songs and come out in droves to hear us play them.” Many Eagles songs still get airplay, but the two with the most continuing popularity appear to be “Hotel California” and “Witchy Woman.” It seems that the public has a soft spot for the band’s darker songs.

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“Peaceful Easy Feeling” was a minor hit. It peaked at No. 22 on the Billboard Hot 100, staying on the chart for 12 weeks. The tune appeared on the album Eagles, which reached No. 22 on the Billboard 200 and lasted on the Billboard 200 for 49 weeks.

The Eagles’ self-titled album produced two other hits. One was “Take It Easy,” which reached No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 and impacted it for 11 weeks. The other was “Witchy Woman,” which became the band’s first top-10 single when it hit No. 9. That tune lasted on the chart for 13 weeks. Between “Take It Easy” and “Peaceful Easy Feeling,” The Eagles were really trying to go easy on that album!

The impact of “Peaceful Easy Feeling” wasn’t its commercial performance. The track found a sound in between the mellow side of country music and soft rock. That country rock style went on to become one of the most notable subgenres of the 1970s. While The Eagles dabbled in several genres, including disco, Mexican music, and reggae, their country rock sound was their biggest legacy. 

“Peaceful Easy Feeling” is one of The Eagles’ many classic songs and it wouldn’t be the same without Poco’s brilliance.

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