Top 10 Joe Walsh Songs

Our Top 10 Joe Walsh Songs list looks at the musical career of one of the most exciting musicians in classic rock history. Hailed for decades by many famous musicians and fans as one of the best guitarists in rock, Joe Walsh has left his mark on classic rock in various ways. He has contributed to the story of classic rock as a member of bands such as the James Gang, Barnstorm, and, of course, the Eagles.

Joe Walsh has also contributed his talents as a guitarist on many studio and live albums released by some of classic rock history’s most legendary artists, including Bob Seger, Fleetwood Mac, The Beach Boys, America, Rick Derringer, Warren Zevon, Ringo Starr, and many more.

Despite his prolific career working with so many great artists, Joe Walsh has also cemented his name in rock history as a solo artist with an impressive catalog of solo albums. This top 10 Joe Walsh songs list will examine just the material Joe Walsh released on his solo albums and related solo recordings. The point of the article is to highlight his solo records. You will not find songs written or co-written by Joe Walsh on this list like “Life in the Fast Lane” or “Walk Away” because those songs were written when he was a member of the Eagles and the James Gang. If we included all the material he composed with those groups, we would not be able to present some of the solo album material that some fans may not be aware of.

Joe Walsh’s most recent solo studio album remains Analog Man, released in 2012. It was his tenth solo album and his first new solo studio release in twenty years.

# 10 – Second Hand Store

We open our Top 10 Joe Walsh Songs list with a track from one of his most successful solo albums, But Seriously, Folks… The album featured an array of guest musicians, including Don Felder, Glenn Frey, Don Henley, and Timothy B. Schmit. The harmonies and Walsh’s lead vocals on “Second Hand Store” helped deliver a song that sounded like an Eagles song. It is one of the strongest and most underrated Joe Walsh songs ever released.

# 9 – Lucky That Way

In 2012, Joe Walsh released a brilliant album entitled Analog Man. In a world overwhelmed by electronic beats and loops, a record like Analog Man clearly defined the virtues of true musicianship. “Lucky That Way” is a biographical song that presents Joe Walsh’s outlook and appreciation of his incredible musical career. The song “Lucky That Way” also featured Ringo Starr on drums as well as Rick Rosas on bass and Bruce Sugar on organ.

# 8 – Falling Down

The excellent track “Falling Down” was released on the album So What. The record was released in 1974. The song “Falling Down” was written by Joe Walsh and Don Henley. It’s simply a breathtakingly beautiful song. Don Henley sang background vocals on the track.

# 7 – “Tie” Problems / The Confessor

The Confessor album, released in 1985, was Joe Walsh’s Progressive Rock masterpiece. We were torn between the great lengthy track “The Confessor” and the album’s opening cut “Problems.” So, we listed them both. The Confessor is an album that may surprise some rock fans. Great stuff!

# 6 – Meadows

In 1973, Joe Walsh and Barnstorm released The Smoker You Drink, the Player You Get. The album remains one of the biggest-selling records of Walsh’s early post-James Gang career. The great song “Meadows” was never released as a single, but it was one of the finest songs on the album.

# 5 – All Night Long

“All Night Long” is the first of two Joe Walsh songs on this list written for motion pictures. The song “All Night Long” was released on the soundtrack to the John Travolta / Debra Winger film Urban Cowboy. Eagles later released a live version of the song, but it originally was a Joe Walsh solo piece.

# 4 – In the City

The second of the two Joe Walsh songs on this list written for films appeared on the soundtrack to the motion picture The Warriors. The song, written by Joe Walsh and Barry De Vorzon, fits perfectly in the film’s closing scene filmed on Coney Island in the borough of Brooklyn, New York. Once again, Eagles and Joe re-recorded the song and later released it on The Long Run album. However, in its initial release and in the version you hear below, it was all solo Joe.

# 3 – A Life of Illusion

The last three songs on our top 10 Joe Walsh songs list may be pretty obvious. These three were the biggest hits of Joe Walsh’s solo career. The Joe Walsh song “A Life of Illusion” was released on the There Goes the Neighborhood album. The record was released in 1981. “A Life of Illusion” was a top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100.

# 2 – Rocky Mountain Way

One of the hallmarks of the Joe Walsh sound was not just the great guitar riffs and solos that the man employed but the space in between those riffs that Walsh utilized so brilliantly. Like the old blues saying, “Less is more,” Joe Walsh knew how those silent beats in between the iconic riffs only made the licks more powerful. “Rocky Mountain Way” was a perfect example of that.

The song “Rocky Mountain Way” was released on the album The Smoker You Drink, the Player You Get in 1973. It was released as a single and reached the number 23 position on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was written by all four members of Barnstorm, including Joe Walsh, Kenny Passarelli, Joe Vitale, and Rocke Grace.

# 1 – Life’s Been Good

As we reach the number one spot on our Top 10 Joe Walsh songs list, there should be no doubt that the great song “Life’s Been Good” would come in at number one. The song was released in 1978 on the incredible But Seriously, Folks… album. “Life’s Been Good” is the most successful single Joe Walsh ever released from one of his solo albums. The song peaked at number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1978.

Updated August 12, 2026.

Top 10 Joe Walsh Songs article published on ClassicRockHistory.com © 2026