10 Most Underrated Eagles Songs

Feature Photo: s_bukley / Shutterstock.com

Writing our article on the 10 Most Underrated Eagles Songs was not an easy task because the band has a relatively small catalog, and most Eagles fans are very familiar with nearly all of the songs the band has released. This is especially true for their classic albums, though it may not be the case for The Long Road Out of Eden album, which we touch on later in the article. For the casual Eagles fan who may have only purchased the greatest hits records, or for the general public, there are definitely many Eagles songs that deserve more attention. To qualify for this list, any song chosen must have never been released as a single.

You can’t call a song underrated if it was released as a single. Other than that, it’s just based on songs that we think deserve more attention in their catalog. Some of these songs did receive a lot of attention when first released but have since faded in popularity, or were never discovered by new fans who never purchased any of the original studio albums. In the end, we are just trying to turn people onto great material they may not be aware of or just serve as a celebration of these songs for those who have loved them forever.

# 10 – Chug All Night – Eagles

We open our 10 Most Underrated Eagles Songs list with this cranking Eagles song, “Chug All Night.” It made sense to open this list with a song from the band’s first album. This is the rock and roll side of The Eagles that we always thought the band kept under wraps far too much throughout their career. When they did turn it up to 11, and especially when Joe Walsh joined the band later on, the results were spectacular. The song was composed by Glenn Frey, who also sang lead vocals on the track.

# 9 – You Never Cry Like a Lover – On The Border

Continuing with our 10 Most Underrated Eagles Songs list, we showcase the first of two songs in a row from the On the Border album, released in 1974. This song is so spellbinding that it’s unbelievable that they never released it as a single. They all knew it was a great one because they placed it as the second song on the album. The song was composed by Don Henley and J.D. Souther. The song would soon be covered by the Fifth Dimension

# 8 – Ol’ ’55 – On The Border

In the number eight spot on our 10 Most Underrated Eagles Songs list, we present the magnificent song entitled “Ol’ 55.” I remember when this album was first released, the song “Ol’ 55” got a lot of airplay. However, it was never released as a single. Over the years, it seems to have been forgotten, which I don’t understand why, because the Eagles’ version of this stunning Tom Waits song is just so killer. Those harmonies on the chorus are why we all fell in love with The Eagles.

# 7 – Waiting in the Weeds – Long Road Out Of Eden

By the time The Eagles released The Long Road Out of Eden album in 2007, it had been twenty-eight years since their last studio album, The Long Run, was released in 1979. That’s a long time. Society changes dramatically every ten years, and it had been almost thirty between albums. Fans who were in their teens or twenties in 1979 were now in their forties and fifties. For many, music did not matter as much. The Long Road Out of Eden is a wonderful double album, jam-packed with twenty new Eagles songs. But did they wait too long to release it? Probably. It’s why we could probably fill this list with a handful of songs from this album, but many may not care. So, we went with just one.

# 6 – Those Shoes – The Long Run

This was a tricky one because the song “These Shoes” got a lot of airplay on FM album-oriented rock back when “The Long Run” was released in 1979. However, the song was never released as a single, so it qualifies for this list. It also seems to have been a bit forgotten among all the airplay that the classic Eagles singles still get. The song was composed by Don Henley, Glenn Frey, and Don Felder. Don Henley sang lead vocals on the track.

# 5 – Journey of the Sorcerer – One Of These Nights

Eagles - One of These Nights [Vinyl LP] (1 LP)

At the halfway point on our list of the 10 Most Underrated Eagles Songs is the first of two consecutive Bernie Leadon compositions. It’s the only instrumental on this list, as The Eagles, known for their heavenly vocals, did not record many instrumentals. Obviously, this was never released as a single, and I don’t remember ever hearing it on FM radio. Yet, it was one of my favorite songs to listen to when driving late at night. It’s just one of those thought-provoking instrumentals that will take you where you want to go. Most fans will be surprised at this one.

# 4 – Train Leaves Here This Morning – Eagles

At the number four spot on our 10 Most Underrated Eagles Songs list stands the beautiful, heartwarming song “Train Leaves Here This Morning.” The song was composed by original Eagles member Bernie Leadon and the legendary Gene Clark of The Byrds. Bernie Leadon performed the lead vocals on the track. Just listen to those sensational harmonies on the chorus. It will melt you down. This is a very different Eagles band from when they first started. At the time, the group consisted of just Glenn Frey, Don Henley, Bernie Leadon, and Randy Meisner.

# 3 – Try And Love Again – Hotel California

It’s hard to pick underrated songs from the Hotel California album because it was such a massive success and is one of the biggest-selling albums of all time. Yet, this song by Randy Meisner always felt like it was just a little bit ignored among the album’s many classic tracks. It’s the only song that Randy Meisner composed on the album, and it also stands as the only lead vocal Randy Meisner performed on the record.

# 2 – Doolin-Dalton – Desperado

Just in the top spot on our 10 Most Underrated Eagles Songs list is a big-time Eagles fan’s favorite called “Doolin Dalton.” I have always loved how Glenn Frey and Don Henley traded off on lead vocals on this one. “Doolin Dalton” was the opening song on the band’s Desperado album. The song was also featured in a short instrumental reprise as the second track on side two of the album. It was also featured in a final reprise with the song “Desperado” as the closing track of the record. “Doolin Dalton” was composed by Don Henley, Glenn Frey, J. D. Souther, and Jackson Browne.

# 1 – The Last Resort – Hotel California

We close out our 10 Most Underrated Eagles Songs list with the phenomenal song “The Last Resort.” I remember buying the Eagles Hotel California album when it first came out before any of the songs on the album had become hits. The song that blew my mind immediately was “The Last Resort.” I thought it stood above everything else on the album. It was never released as a single, so anyone who had never purchased the album was pretty much unaware of this fabulous song.