Even the most famous musicians, who have dominated the industry for years, can lose their audience’s interest with just one poorly received song. It’s surprising how quickly people can turn away and start questioning if they ever liked the artist in the first place.
This happened to the Eagles. After releasing their album “Desperado,” they faced years of struggle. However, Don Henley believed that “Best of My Love” was their saving grace, helping them regain popularity and secure their place in music history.
“Best Of My Love” was a soft rock reflecting on heartache and the flaws of love, earning the Eagles their first No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 and topping the Adult Contemporary charts. Since then, it has remained a timeless classic.
Don Henley, who leads the vocals, shared that he, J.D. Souther, and Glenn Frey wrote some of the lyrics at Dan Tana’s, a favorite Los Angeles spot of theirs. While enjoying drinks, they observed women and relationships. Henley says they were “typical, frustrated, young men” at the time.
“Best of My Love” shines in every aspect, from its gentle acoustic guitars to Don Henley’s soothing vocals.
Henley later told Rolling Stone, “We had more or less given up hope for the success of the On the Border album, and we’d begun work on the next album. So when ‘Best of My Love’ took off, it was like a resurrection, a miracle. Totally unexpected.”
Since this song was remastered in 2013, it has garnered over 12M views and 100K likes. Scroll in its comments, it’s clear to see that it brings a wave of nostalgia. Even after decades, people still vividly remember the melody from the first time they heard it.