ON THIS DAY IN 1974, THE EAGLES HEADLINED THE OZARK MOUNTAIN FESTIVAL

Held at the Missouri County Fairgrounds in Sedalia, Missouri, the festival has earned a high level of praise. Commonly included in lists of Top 10 festivals of all time, the bill also included bands like Aerosmith, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Blue Oyster Cult, America, Bachman-Turner Overdrive and more, as well as popular singers like Boz Scaggs.

One of the largest festivals ever held, the Ozark Mountain Festival drew a crowd of around 350,000 people. Though the festival was due to start on Friday night, by Thursday night a steady line of cars had arrived, and by the time they left on Sunday, damage costs of close to $100,000 were reported. The Missouri Senate met in October and stated in a report that “The Ozark Music Festival can only be described as a disaster. It became a haven for drug pushers who were attracted from throughout the United States.”

Regardless of this feedback, after a break the festival was held again, and is now an annual event, albeit at a different venue.