Eagles – Heartache Tonight (Official Audio)

The Eagles released “Heartache Tonight” on September 18, 1979, as the lead single from their sixth studio album The Long Run. Written by Don Henley, Glenn Frey, Bob Seger, and J.D. Souther, the track grew out of a late-night jam at Frey’s house, inspired by Sam Cooke records playing in the background. Frey and Souther worked out the first verse, but when they needed a hook, Frey phoned Seger, who quickly came up with the rousing chorus line that anchored the song.

Produced by Bill Szymczyk, “Heartache Tonight” became an energetic rocker driven by stomping rhythms, handclaps, and powerful group vocals. Henley and Frey share the lead, giving the track a loose, spirited feel that contrasted with much of the darker material on The Long Run.

The single shot to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in November 1979, becoming the Eagles’ final chart-topping single of their original run. It went on to win the Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal in 1980, cementing its status as one of the band’s defining hits.

On stage, “Heartache Tonight” quickly became a live favorite thanks to its rowdy chorus and high-energy arrangement. The Eagles have performed it across decades of touring, from the Long Run era to reunion tours like Hell Freezes Over in the 1990s and History of the Eagles in the 2010s, often using it as a setlist highlight to showcase the band’s harmonies and crowd-pleasing spirit.

As the standout rocker from The Long Run, the song reflected both the Eagles’ enduring hitmaking power and the collaborative spirit between band members and close friends like Bob Seger and J.D. Souther. More than forty years later, “Heartache Tonight” remains a staple of classic rock radio, a Grammy-winning highlight of the Eagles’ catalog, and a guaranteed crowd-pleaser whenever it’s played.

Timeline

• September 18, 1979 – Heartache Tonight released as a single

• November 1979 – Reaches No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100

• February 1980 – Wins Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal

• 1979–1980 – Performed live during The Long Run tour

• 1994 – Revived in the Hell Freezes Over tour setlist

• 2013–2015 – Featured in the History of the Eagles world tour