“Fly Like An Eagle” by Steve Miller Band

Steve Miller had been playing "Fly Like an Eagle" for years before it gave its name to his 1976 album: the band first aired it in 1973 at New York's Felt Forum, on a bill with the Marshall Tucker Band, Buddy Guy and Junior Wells. Back then it was bluesier and less funky, with guitar covering what became synthesizer lines, and Miller has recalled it sprawling out to 15 or 20 minutes in the free-roaming spirit of the psychedelic scene.

The studio version started with Miller, Gerald Johnson on bass and Gary Mallaber on drums. It's often paired with "Space Intro," and on the album it slides straight into "Wild Mountain Honey." The single reached Britain in August 1976 and America that December, and it climbed to number two on the Billboard Hot 100 in March 1977.

Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.