Top 20 Eagles Songs Not Sung by Don Henley or Glenn Frey

Most Eagles narratives revolve round Glenn Frey and Don Henley. In spite of everything, they rapidly emerged because the group’s important songwriters and singers, then fronted most of their hits.

However Frey and Henley all the time had their share of gifted bandmates. The unique Eagles lineup included the gorgeous-voiced Randy Meisner and instrumental whiz Bernie Leadon. Later incarnations featured scorching guitarist Don Felder, legendary goofball Joe Walsh and the warm-hearted Timothy B. Schmit.

Leadon left first, because the band drifted from its rootsier early sound into harder-edged rock within the mid-’70s. Meisner adopted him out the door in 1977. Felder after which Walsh helped toughen issues up, whereas Schmit assumed Meisner’s function because the group’s romantic. As proven within the following checklist of High 20 Eagles Songs Not Sung by Don Henley or Glenn Frey, every made essential contributions alongside the best way.

READ MORE: Rating Each Eagles Solo Album

They did not merely praise tracks from Frey and Henley; they accomplished the group’s bigger narrative. The perfect Eagles albums had been balanced by the others. Their sudden reunion after an extended ’80s-era break might solely have been accomplished with deft touches from the others.

Henley continued to guide the band, even after the sudden dying of Frey. However Schmit and Walsh remained a fixture out on the street, as did a lot of these songs. Some are memorable singles whereas others are treasured deep cuts. However with out them, this legendary discography would’ve been lacking one thing.

No. 20. “Visions”
From: One among These Nights (1975)

Written by Don Felder with an help from Don Henley, this riffy, Southern rock-informed monitor is the one Eagles track to characteristic Felder on lead vocals. He’ll by no means be confused with the group’s better-known singers, however fortunately, Felder’s scorching runs on his important instrument present loads of gritty distractions.

No. 19. “Most of Us Are Unhappy”
From: Eagles (1972)

Glenn Frey gave this to Randy Meisner to sing, maybe as a result of it wasn’t his greatest stuff. “Most of Us Are Unhappy,” regardless of the crushing title, solely hinted on the stunning ache that Meisner would quickly convey to their ballads.

No. 18. “Twenty-One”
From: Desperado (1973)

With “Twenty-One,” and afterward “My Man” from 1974’s On the Border, Bernie Leadon proved he wasn’t a lot of a lyricist. However he was essentially the most gifted instrumentalist the Eagles ever had –and his picking-and-grinning strategy right here is simply contagiously enjoyable.

No. 17. “Responsible of the Crime”
From: Lengthy Highway Out of Eden (2007)

There was usually extra nation than rock on the Eagles’ last studio effort, save for notable examples like “Responsible of the Crime.” Sadly, Joe Walsh disappears right into a moderately faceless track co-written by Frankie Miller and the late Jerry Lynn Williams, the latter of whom composed a bunch of boring songs for Eric Clapton, too.

No. 16. “Take the Satan”
From: Eagles (1972)

Meisner’s first unique composition for Eagles was the dirge-y, hookless “Take the Satan,” exhibiting that he actually did not know the best way to showcase his greatest vocal attribute but both. Nonetheless, Frey’s crunchy closing guitar solo hints at greater, usually unrecognized successes to return.

No. 15. “I Do not Need to Hear Any Extra”
From: Lengthy Highway Out of Eden (2007)

Paul Carrack contributes one other showcase for Timothy B. Schmit, although the sweetly forgettable “I Do not Need to Hear Any Extra” won’t ever reside as much as the heights of “Love Will Hold Us Alive.”

No. 14. “Journey of the Sorcerer”
From: One among These Nights (1975)

This Leadon instrumental begins as a gently conveyed apart earlier than taking over epic proportions with the arrival of a surging orchestra and featured violinist David Bromberg.

No. 13. “Is It True?”
From: On the Border (1974)

Randy Meisner’s later development as a songwriter is likely one of the Eagles’ intriguing secondary storylines. “Is It True?” was the primary trace that he might extra absolutely emerge from behind the lengthy shadows of Frey and Henley, as Meisner supplied a lovelorn, almost full ballad. He left in an unlucky line about chainsaws throughout the center eight, however Frey saves issues with one other sharply drawn activate lead guitar.

No. 12. “Too Many Palms”
From: One among These Nights (1975)

Meisner co-wrote this sensible twist on an outdated non secular trope with Felder, who’d simply grow to be an official member. In line with Felder’s arrival, “Too Many Palms” additionally takes one of many last lengthy strides away from the pastoral sounds of their earlier albums. Felder tangles with Frey on a dueling guitar-dominated outro, whereas Henley fortunately bangs away on the tabla.

No. 11. “Do One thing”
From: Lengthy Highway Out of Eden (2007)

Timothy B. Schmit’s greatest exhibiting on the Eagles’ last album is a steel-tinged story track with a defeated sensibility that may have slot in properly among the many deepest sighs on The Lengthy Run.

No. 10. “Tryin'”
From: Eagles (1972)

Simply because Randy Meisner had such facility with heartsick balladry does not imply he could not catch a groove. His unique “Tryin'” lastly gave Meisner a worthy piece of fabric, however not till their debut album’s final moments.

No. 9. “Final Good Time in City”
From: Lengthy Highway Out of Eden (2007)

Joe Walsh wasn’t a lot of a presence on Eagles’ long-awaited follow-up to 1979’s The Lengthy Run, singing on simply two tracks. That is really his solely credited co-write; Walsh contributed the verses whereas longtime Eagles collaborator J.D. Souther crafted the refrain. Nonetheless, “Final Good Time in City” – with its winking tributes to the thrill of house life after giving up the excessive life – sounds 100% Walsh.

No. 8. “Prepare Leaves Right here This Morning”
From: Eagles (1972)

This monitor ultimately grew to become one thing of a signature second for Bernie Leadon, who was revisiting a track he co-wrote with Byrds cofounder Gene Clark for 1968’s terrific however commercially disappointing Implausible Expedition of Dillard & Clark. By the point Leadon grew to become a part of Eagles’ first lineup, after a equally ignored detour in Flying Burrito Brothers, nation rock was now not the outlier it had as soon as been – and “Prepare Leaves Right here This Morning” was born anew.

No. 7. “Love Will Hold Us Alive”
From: Hell Freezes Over (1994)

This track grew out of a shelved late-’80s supergroup that includes then-former Eagles Timothy B. Schmit and Don Felder, Jim Capaldi (Site visitors), Paul Carrack (Squeeze, Mike + the Mechanics) and Max Carl (38 Particular, Grand Funk Railroad). Schmit revived the concept when the Eagles mounted a stunning comeback.

No. 6. “Bitter Creek”
From: Desperado (1973)

Leadon wrote and sang this album’s last unique, earlier than the “Doolin-Dalton”/”Desperado” reprise closes out Desperado. The monitor begins simply as you’d anticipate from the Eagles’ stalwart traditionalist: reserved nation rock – perhaps too reserved. However then one thing occurs about three minutes in, when the remainder of the group joins Leadon’s wordless harmonizing on the outro. “Bitter Creek” takes flight.

No. 5. “I Cannot Inform You Why”
From: The Lengthy Run (1979)

Poor Timothy B. Schmit. The primary Eagles track to characteristic Meisner’s alternative was additionally the primary to be accomplished for The Lengthy Run. Then it grew to become a really long term certainly, as periods dragged on from March 1978 by means of September 1979. “I Cannot Inform You Why,” with considered one of Frey’s most expressive guitar solos, wasn’t launched because the LP’s third single till February 1980. By July, the Eagles had been wandering right into a prolonged hiatus.

No. 4. “Within the Metropolis”
From: The Lengthy Run (1979)

Joe Walsh had already launched his personal model of “Within the Metropolis,” as a part of the soundtrack to 1979’s cult traditional The Warriors, when Eagles approached him about rerecording the track for his or her long-delayed new album. Musically, the strategy was lighter however largely the identical; the most important distinction is their beautiful vocal mix. Later, after “Within the Metropolis” had grow to be a reside and radio staple, the Eagles added a memorable reference to the Beatles’ “Day Tripper” onstage.

No. 3. “Fairly Maids All in a Row”
From: Resort California (1976)

The Eagles accomplished their shift from shaggy roots band to full-on rockers as Walsh took over for Leadon. No person else might have give you the riff for “Life within the Quick Lane,” Walsh’s different main contribution to Resort California. That mentioned, “Fairly Maids All in a Row” could not have been extra totally different. An emotional meditation on remorse, the track catches a distinct gear when his new bandmates be part of the vocal finale – however not earlier than Walsh tears off a mournful slide solo. Rock’s clown prince has hardly ever been extra revealing.

No. 2. “Try to Love Once more”
From: Resort California (1976)

Some days, this tucked-away album lower appears like the most effective track on the Eagles’ most celebrated studio challenge. A hovering anthem about believing in opposition to all odds, “Try to Love Once more” had an applicable theme for the often-forgotten Randy Meisner. Finally, nonetheless, he could not reside as much as that promise. “Try to Love Once more” can be Meisner’s last co-writing credit score – and his last lead vocal – with the group he co-founded.

No. 1. “Take It to the Restrict”
From: One among These Nights (1975)

As “Take It to the Restrict” grew to become Eagles’ highest charting single but, Meisner discovered himself beneath crushing stress to hit the track’s heart-rending excessive notice onstage night time after night time. Panic apparently started to creep in, and he requested that the track – regardless of its huge reputation – be faraway from the band’s units. When the remainder of the Eagles refused, Meisner give up. The vocal was first taken over by Frey, then, after Frey’s dying, by Vince Gill.