Top 10 Eagles Songs
Top 10 Eagles Songs
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From country to rock, these birds could fly high with the best of them. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we’re counting down our picks for the top 10 Eagles songs. For this list, we’ve chosen our entries based on a combination of the artist’s fan favorites and their most commercially successful songs. We’re excluding outputs from the members’ solo careers or other projects, meaning, no James Gang, no “Boys of Summer” and that “The Heat is [definitely not] on.”
#10: “Lyin’ Eyes” One of These Nights (1975)
Written by lead-Eagles Don Henley and Glenn Frey, this mellow tale of adultery hit #2 on the pop chart and also reached #8 on the country charts. Frey and Henley got the spark for “Lyin” Eyes”’s lyrics when they noticed a striking young woman with an older, dumpier man at a resto-bar. After assuming the couple was incompatible and lacked wonderful personalities, this song was born. The track is graced by tasteful playing from then-guitarists Bernie Leadon and Don Felder on the mandolin, and earned the band a Grammy for Best Pop Performance in 1976.
#9: “Tequila Sunrise” Desperado (1973)
One of the many songs from its parent album, Desperado, to carry a distinct western theme, this folk and country track has endured as a fan favorite and signature song - despite limited chart success. It’s also one of the best-known songs from the Eagles’ original four-man line up. Written by Frey and Henley, the song’s title is both a nod to the then-trendy drink as well as a poetic description of a long night of drinking. “Tequila Sunrise” was later recorded by country singer Alan Jackson in tribute to the band and was also included on the Eagles comeback concert album, Hell Freezes Over.
#8: “New Kid in Town” Hotel California (1976)
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Sung and co-written by Glenn Frey, this track deals with the band’s feelings that their days in the limelight were numbered. Oh, how wrong they were. The song became one of two chart-toppers from their Hotel California album and was their third overall #1 hit. “New Kid in Town” features authoritative guitar work from Don Felder, moody electric piano and organ from co-guitarist Joe Walsh, and bassist Randy Meisner playing the mariachi instrument guitarron mexicano, all of which lend the track a warm slightly south-of-the-border feel.
#7: “Take it to the Limit” One of These Nights (1975)
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Featuring a rare lead vocal from original bassist Randy Meisner, this track is also notable for being the group’s first and only A-side single without Don Henley or Glenn Frey on lead. Topping out at #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #12 on the UK Charts, “Take it to the Limit” became an instant classic. The soft rock number also quickly became a live staple, which was a source of tension for the bassist who often felt forced to sing the song in concert.
#6: “Peaceful Easy Feeling” Eagles (1972)
Penned by friend of the band Jack Tempchin, who also wrote “Already Gone,” this is one of the few songs in the Eagles’ catalogue to be exclusively written by an outsider. Regardless, the laid-back track eased up to #22 on the U.S. charts, and became a signature song not only for the band but also of the whole mellow decade. Surprisingly given the band’s Cali-cred, this tune and the album from which it was spawned were recorded entirely in London, England - proving that California really is a state of mind.
#5: “One of These Nights” One of These Nights (1975)
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As the opening track to the album of the same name, this rockin’ tune announced the presence of Don Felder like no other. Although the guitarist had appeared on two tracks of the band’s previous album On the Border, the bulk of it was recorded prior to his joining as a full member. Once firmly entrenched, ‘Fingers’ and his blistering guitar work drove the group towards a harder rock sound than fellow six-stringer Bernie Leadon was able to or interested in. This new direction was rewarded when the song became the band’s second Billboard #1.
#4: “Life in the Fast Lane” Hotel California (1976)
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Although intended as a warning, this groove rocker instead became an ode to the 1970s excessive lifestyle. New boy Joe Walsh - who had replaced founding guitarist Bernie Leadon - quickly earned his keep by composing the track’s signature riff during rehearsals. Lyrically meanwhile, Glenn Frey’s spark for the top 20 U.S. tune came while a riding as a passenger in a speeding Corvette being driven by a drug dealer. When asked to slow down, the dealer said “hey man, life in the fast lane” giving Frey the song’s title...and a reason to change his pants.
#3: “Desperado” Desperado (1973)
While it’s one of the most recognized and most covered songs in the Eagles collection, the title track to the album of the same name was never actually released as a single. And though it was only included on the Eagles’ second album Desperado, drummer and vocalist Don Henley actually began writing the soft rocker prior to the group’s formation. Later with assistance from Glenn Frey, the unfinished track would be dusted off and became the first in a long line of songs by the Henley and Frey writing team.
#2: “Take It Easy” Eagles (1972)
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Co-written with Glenn Frey’s then-downstairs neighbor Jackson Browne, this country rocker was not only the band’s first single but also a #12 Billboard Hot 100 hit. As the song the group essentially built their career on, “Take It Easy” also played a part in the Eagles’ eventual reunion in 1994: country singer Travis Tritt recorded the classic for a tribute album and requested the 1980 lineup of the band appear with him in the song’s video. Much to his - and anyone else’s surprise - they obliged. Hell had frozen over. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions. - “Witchy Woman” Eagles (1972) - “The Long Run” The Long Run (1979) - “Heartache Tonight” The Long Run (1979) - “Wasted Time” Hotel California (1976) - “Get Over It” Hell Freezes Over (1994)
#1: “Hotel California” Hotel California (1976)
Taking our top spot and few by surprise is the signature song of signature songs. Known as much for its fiery guitar shoot-out between Don Felder and Joe Walsh as it is for its mystifying lyrics, “Hotel California” was an enduring concert staple from the minute it dropped. While Felder initially wrote most of the music, the song took on a whole new life when presented to and completed by Glenn Frey and Don Henley. As for what the chart-topping Grammy winner’s about? Your guess is as good as ours but we do know this much: It. Is. Awesome. Do you agree with our list? What’s your favorite Eagles song? For more witchy Top 10s published daily, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.
