This Is The Eagles' Most Underrated Song Ever

The Eagles have so many quality deep cuts that their lesser-known fare might well be able to take their greatest hits' place on America's subconscious soundtrack, if needs must. As Sterling Whitaker of Ultimate Classic Rock writes, the Eagles have plenty of (comparatively) little-known hits like the country soft-rocker "Tequila Sunrise" and the disco-infused "One of These Nights." In 1974, they managed to arguably out-Tom Waits the man himself with their sterling cover of "Ol' 55," a highlight of the legendary singer-songwriter's crooner years. The Desperado album has "Doolin-Dalton," a song that brought in the considerable talents of Jackson Brown and J.D. Souther, and that might just be every bit as captivating as "Desperado" itself. 

Then again, to be the best you have to beat the best. Therefore, the best underrated Eagles song has to be able to give "Hotel California" a run for its money ... and incidentally, the #1 on Whitaker's list does precisely that. "The Last Resort" is the final track of 1976' Hotel California album, and a somber Don Henley rumination that sees the whole Earth is a giant resort being razed by the humanity. In 2019, Rolling Stone listed the ballad as one of the band's 40 all-time best tracks, revealing that it took seven months to complete. Glenn Frey called it "Henley's Opus," and while the man himself always felt the song was a little off, producer Bill Szymczyk compared it to "Hotel California" itself.