The Eagles Best Song From Each Of Their Studio Albums

Feature Photo: karstenknuth, Attribution, via Wikimedia Commons

Continuing this series with the Eagles seemed fitting since we started with Jackson Browne. The Eagles are one of the most loved bands in classic rock history. For a group that first started in the early 1970s, the band has not released many albums. Internal strife caused many problems, ending their first run before they had been together for ten years. After The Long Run was released in 1979, it would be fifteen years before the band recorded again when they released a handful of new songs on their live album Hell Freezes Over.

Another thirteen years would pass before the Eagles released their first brand-new full-length studio album, Long Road Out of Eden, in 2007. It had taken them almost thirty years to do it. Sadly, the world saw the passing of Glenn Frey in 2016. Since his passing, the Eagles have continued touring. They have not released another studio album since Long Road Out of Eden. Since Hell Freezes Over was more of a live album than a complete studio album, we did not include it on this list.

Eagles – “Peaceful Easy Feeling”

The odds-on favorite here would have been “Take It Easy” since it was the band’s first big-time hit. Nonetheless, our choice for the best song on their debut album is the Jack Tempchin-penned song “Peaceful Easy Feeling.” Glenn Frey sang lead vocals on the track. The song hit number twenty-two on the Billboard Hot 100. The track featured Glenn Frey on lead vocals and acoustic guitar, Bernie Leadon on B-Bender electric guitar and harmony vocals, Randy Meisner on bass and backing vocals, and Don Henley on drums and backing vocals.

Desperado – “Desperado”

We simply had no choice with this one. The title track of the band’s second album is one of the group’s most heartfelt songs they have ever released. The album was released on April 17, 1973. Interestingly, the song was never released as a single. “Tequila Sunrise” and “Outlaw Man” were the album singles. Both failed to break into the top 40, which was disappointing since their debut album had three songs in the top 30. Don Henley sang lead vocals on “Desperado.”

On the Border – “Already Gone”

This one was a battle between “Already Gone,” “Best of My Love,” and the Tom Waits-penned “Ol’ 55.” In the end, that line in which Glenn Frey sings “well then you will have to eat your lunch all by yourself” sealed the deal. “Already Gone” was the opening track on the album. The song was composed by Jack Tempchin and Robb Strandlund. On the Border was also the first Eagles album to feature the guitar playing of Don Felder.

One of These Nights – “Lyin’ Eyes”

While the album’s title track was a massive success on the charts, hitting number one, we went with the heartbreaking track “Lyin’ Eyes.” This one can be a painful listen for a lot of people. “Lyin’ Eyes” was also a success on the charts, reaching the number two spot on the Billboard Hot 100. The Eagles received the Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals for the song. The lead vocal on “Lyin’ Eyes” was performed by the late Glenn Frey.

Read More: Top 10 Glenn Frey Eagles Songs

Hotel California – “The Last Resort”

This list gets more challenging with every album. I remember when I first bought this album, before any song on the record had become a hit, the song that caught my attention the most was the closing track, “The Last Resort.” It still does. This was one of Don Henley’s greatest vocal performances from any Eagles album. “You call someplace paradise, kiss it goodbye.”

Read More: Top 10 Don Henley Eagles Songs

The Long Run – “In the City”

The Hotel California album was just so good; the Eagles didn’t have much of a chance to follow it up. Despite some criticism when The Long Run was first released, it is a really good Eagles album in retrospect. The record has some spectacular stuff, like the title track, “I Can’t Tell You Why,” “The Greeks Don’t Want No Freaks,” “Heartache Tonight,” and more. In the end, we went with our friend Joe Walsh’s killer track “In the City.” I still see the Warriors walking on the beach whenever I hear this song.

Read More: Top 10 Joe Walsh Songs

Long Road Out of Eden – “Busy Being Fabulous”

We close out this list with the Eagles’ most recent studio album, Long Road Out of Eden. The second single from the album, “Busy Being Fabulous,” is the pick here. Lyrically, this is the sequel to “Lyin’ Eyes” in many ways. It was a top 20 hit on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart, peaking at number twelve, and reached number twenty-eight on the Hot Country Songs chart. It did not enter the Billboard Hot 100.