Out of all of the Eagles, Don Henley had the most successful solo career. After the group initially broke up in 1982, Henley released his first solo album, I Can't Stand Still. Although it wasn't as successful as an Eagles record, the album performed respectably, launching the number three single "Dirty Laundry" and going gold. Building the Perfect Beast followed two years later and established Henley as a solo star in his own right. Featuring the Top Ten hits "Boys of Summer" and "All She Wants to Do Is Dance," as well as the Top 40 singles "Not Enough Love in the World" and "Sunset Grill," the album sold over two million copies and stayed on the charts for over a year. Henley's third album, 1989's The End of the Innocence, was his most ambitious record yet, as well as his most commercially successful. The album sold over three million copies and stayed on the charts for nearly three years, launching the hit singles "The End of the Innocence," "Heart of the Matter," "New York Minute," "How Bad Do You Want It?," and "The Last Worthless Evening."

Henley reunited with the Eagles in 1994, embarking on a worldwide tour. The group released a live album culled from an appearance on MTV Unplugged called Hell Freezes Over; the record also featured a handful of new studio tracks. Hell Freezes Over was a major success, selling over five million copies by the summer of 1995. However, the group opted to take another hiatus during the decade's latter half, and Henley continued working on his fourth solo album, finally issued in mid-2000 under the title Inside Job. He then resumed working with the Eagles, contributing to the band's new studio album (2007's multi-platinum effort Long Road Out of Eden) and touring heavily in support of the project. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide