The Eagles are a hugely popular American rock band that formed in Los Angeles in 1971. One of the biggest bands of the 1970s, the group rose to stardom in a relatively short space of time.
To date, the band has sold more than 200 million records worldwide, and Their Greatest Hits, and Hotel California albums are the 5th and 6th highest-selling albums of all time.
Mixing a variety of genres, the Eagles are probably best known for their sweet sound that mixes country and folk with soft rock. Despite a breakup in the 1980s, the band later reunited to bring us hits like “No More Cloudy Days” and “Love Will Keep Us Alive”.
Don Henley, Timothy B. Schmit, Vince Gill, and Joe Walsh still entertain fans with their music to this day. The ideal songs for completing any playlist, we’re going to show you the 10 best Eagles songs that take it to the limit.
Kick your feet up and stay a while.
1. “Hotel California” (1976)
If you consider yourself an Eagles fan, you would’ve already known this first track was going to make our list. Originally titled “Mexican Reggae”, “Hotel California” was part of the band’s Hotel California album. This track is arguably the Eagles’ most iconic song.
Released in 1976, it is an incredible portrayal of the dark side of the American dream. What once started as a 4-track recording was sculpted into an epic rock song that features Latin and reggae influences throughout.
Thanks to “Hotel California”, the album quickly became one of the best-selling albums of all time, with the song still being played by the band all around the world today.
2. “New Kid In Town” (1976)
Another classic song found on the Hotel California album is “New Kid In Town”. Released as the album’s debut song, “New Kid In Town” is all about being the new kid on the block and the hottest new thing in town, before then being quickly discarded again when the next one comes along.
Many would say that the Eagles were at the peak of their prowess when they released this single. As a result, it is widely believed that Henley, Frey, and collaborator JD Souther believed the band may soon be forgotten.
Whilst they turned out to be wrong, tensions within the band were high at the time.
3. “Peaceful Easy Feeling” (1972)
If you’re looking for an incredibly chill song to add to your playlist, look no further than “Peaceful Easy Feeling”. As the title would suggest, this single creates a peaceful and easy feeling within the listener.
Part of the Eagles self-titled Eagles album, the lyrics of this song center around the band themselves and how they might feel around a new lover. Written by Jack Tempchin who also wrote “Already Gone” and “The Girl From Yesterday, “Peaceful Easy Feeling” is a great listen with lyrics that will penetrate your mind.
What we love most about this single is how it combines the folk, rock, and pop genres so effortlessly. The guitar solo from Don Henley shouldn’t be missed either.
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4. “Take It Easy” (1972)
“Take It Easy” actually became the Eagles’ national anthem. Written on the road by Jackson Browne, the band quickly realized its potential. Guitarist Bernie Leadon once said the song has “momentum to it – it’s cruising”.
A top 10 Eagles hit, this single perfectly embodies the mellow vibes the band became known for. The single had a huge impact on the genre, with other bands being left feeling jealous of the success “Take It Easy” brought the Eagles.
From the wind-in-your-sales intro to the song’s catchphrase title, this is a track you simply have to listen to. Interestingly, Timothy B. Schmit, who wasn’t a part of the band at the time recalled hearing the song on the radio and sighing as his band Poco wasn’t doing as well.
5. “Tequila Sunrise” (1973)
Twang-infused, “Tequila Sunrise” was the smash hit single on the Eagles’ Desperado album. Aptly named after a famous Mexican cocktail, this song tells the story of a man drowning his sorrows every night in tequila whilst his ex-lover lives a happy life with her new man.
One quirky thing to know about this track is that it actually increased the popularity of the cocktail. The infusion into popular culture resulted in the cocktail going mainstream. It has been popular ever since.
Brilliantly, “Tequila Sunrise” doesn’t refer to the drinking of the cocktail. Instead, the lyrics refer to drinking tequila through the night and still having the glass in your hand when the sun comes up.
6. “One Of These Nights” (1975)
The next Eagles single on this list is “One of These Nights”. Released in 1975, this song has stood the test of time. The title track for the band’s 1975 album, it was only the second number 1 hit the band ever had.
Many fans consider “One of These Nights” to be the best song the Eagles have ever written. Deviating from typical blues and country-infused rock music, the band decided to take a different approach when writing this track. Instead, they decided to blend it with R&B and disco.
The end product was a refreshing masterpiece that offers something completely unique and new. If you want to listen to something a bit different, check out “One of These Nights”.
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7. Take It To The Limit (1975)
“Take It To The Limit” is one of the best Eagles songs to listen to for two reasons. First of all, it’s an epic rock song with wonderful lyrics, awesome vocals, and divine guitar playing. Secondly, there is a controversial story that surrounds the song that makes it quite significant.
“Take It To The Limit” was written by Randy Meisner. Meisner sings the lead vocals on the single. He started writing the song as a solo composition. Because it remained unfinished for the One of These Nights album, Frey and Henley helped him finish it.
However, problems soon arose. Meisner was reluctant to perform the single live. The dispute later resulted in Meisner leaving the band.
8. “Seven Bridges Road” (1980)
“Seven Bridges Road” was first recorded by Steve Young in 1969. However, the song is best known for Iain Matthews’ five-part cover which was later recorded by the Eagles. Matthews recorded his version in 1973 before allowing the Eagles to borrow the arrangement in 1980.
Aside from being a fantastic listen, this is another Eagles song that has a great story behind it. Before playing a stadium, the Eagles would perform “Seven Bridges Road” in the changing room’s shower. Then, the show would begin with the band singing the song a capella.
This quickly became a common occurrence in most Eagles concerts.
9. “Desperado” (1973)
As you can probably tell, “Desperado” was part of the Eagles’ second album Desperado. This single was written by Glenn Frey and Don Henley and was based on a song Henley started writing in 1968.
It’s a slow-burning track that tells the story of an aging cowboy living on the plains. The somber lyrics beautifully tell the story of a lonely life that stems from the wrongful pursuit of money as opposed to love.
Bizarrely, despite being one of the band’s most well-known songs, “Desperado” was never released as a single. This powerful ballad was instead performed at almost every single Eagles concert.
It has earned a special place in the hearts of all Eagles fans.
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10. “Lyin’ Eyes” (1975)
The final Eagles song on this list is “Lyin’ Eyes”. The idea and title for “Lyin’ Eyes” came from Don Henley and Glenn Frey. They got the idea whilst eating in their favorite Los Angeles restaurant. They started talking about gorgeous women that were cheating on their husbands at the restaurant.
From that story came the inspiration needed to write “Lyin’ Eyes”. The title came about when the pair saw a wealthy, fat, old man with a pretty young woman. Frey simply said “she can’t even hide those lyin’ eyes, which spurred the artists into action.
Final Thoughts
There you have it, 10 of the best Eagles songs that take it to the limit. As you can see from our list, the Eagles have produced some of the best singles the rock genre has ever seen. All of the songs we have mentioned help set the band apart.
Without classic hits such as “Hotel California” and “New Kid In Town”, the Eagles might never have become the band they are today. Having said that, it could be argued that the band was always destined for success.
Fans have enjoyed their music for almost 50 years, except for a rough patch in the 80s, and their popularity doesn’t seem to be waning.
Now you have this list of songs at your fingertips, we recommend adding them to your playlist. It might also be worth noting that the Eagles still tour all over the world. If you get the chance, you have to see them live.
If you were already an Eagles fan, I hope you found some tracks today that you might have forgotten about, and if you’re new to the band then this list is the perfect place to start.
See you next time.
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