"Take" That! Top Ten: Take It to the Limit (#1)

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Here's the end of the "take" series, my countdown of favorite songs that have the word "take" (or a variation) in the title. As I mentioned a couple of days ago, there are no surprises with the top three. Therefore, anyone who knows me even casually will not need resuscitation upon seeing the top song on my list. #1: Take It to the Limit - Eagles One of the all-time classic Eagles songs, and the biggest in terms of chart success (peaking at #4) that someone other than Glenn Frey or Don Henley sang lead on. (Next closest is "I Can't Tell You Why," which peaked at #8...in fact, those are the only two singles released that someone other than Frey or Henley sang lead on!) Randy Meisner's lead vocals are terrific, the song is terrific, and you know how much I love them and this song. So, here's some trivia for you: Firestone wanted to use this song in a commercial. The Eagles' publishing company said, "Sure, go ahead." The songwriters themselves said, "Oh, no you don't!" If you own an original copy of the Hotel California album you will see, at the bottom of the lyrics to the title song, the publisher information and the words copyright in dispute. They won the dispute. Glenn Frey said in an interview, "Those songs are our birthright and our children's heritage. Plus, it means that we don't have to hear 'Take It to the Limit' as a tire commercial." The punch line in all of this, of course, is that Frey later not only had a song featured in a Pepsi commercial, he appeared in the freaking commercial! (Guess that song ["Better in the USA," from The Allnighter] was not part of his kids' heritage...) So here you are, friends, one of the great Eagles songs and classic 70s hits. Enjoy it to the limit, one more time. Thanks for reading. Take It to the Limit Written by Randy Meisner, Don Henley, and Glenn Frey Recorded by the Eagles From One of These Nights, 1975 If it all fell to pieces tomorrow: