The Ambitious Comparison Don Felder Once Made in Support of Eagles: “I Think They’re the American Version of…”

As a songwriting duo, Paul McCartney and John Lennon are certainly one of, if not the most beloved and revered pairs in the history of modern music. Now, there are also a handful of duos that come close: Elton John and Bernie Taupin, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, and Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel are just a few to name. However, one set that rarely gets put in this list is the duo of Don Henley and Glenn Frey of The Eagles.

Videos by American Songwriter

When it comes to American songwriting duos, Don Henley and Glenn Frey are without a doubt some of the best. Although are they some of the best of all time? Do they compare to Paul McCartney and John Lennon? If you think so, that is absolutely not a hot take, as these guys wrote several massive hits and were arguably the most popular band in the 1970s.

Aside from the comparative dichotomy in question, The Beatles and The Eagles share a lot of similarities. They both were incredible at singing harmonies, constantly pushed the genre boundaries to new levels, and were an entirely self-contained band. In light of these similarities, Don Felder once made the ambitious comparison between Lennon and McCartney and Henley and Frey.

Do You Agree With Don Felder’s Take?

In an interview with SongFacts, Felder stated, “It was an unusual amount of talent, that we had five singers, five songwriters, and five musicians. And so what a novel idea to have everybody be able to write, sing, and play in the same band. So we had an abundance of talent and we used everyone’s strong suit. Joe and I were the primary guitar arrangers, and wrote a lot of the music.”

“But Henley was obviously the strongest lead vocalist, was a great lyricist. The team of Henley and Frey have written some amazing songs. I think they’re the American version of Lennon and McCartney as far as songwriting goes,” concluded Don Felder.

Don Felder didn’t say Henley or Frey were better than McCartney and Lennon, as he simply called them the “American version.” Nonetheless, this is certainly a bold comparison in the eyes of some, and on which side do you fall?

Despite the banter that this comment can produce, The Eagles were certainly a heavyweight in their own right. Also, while there is a through line conducive to comparison between The Eagles and The Beatles, they both drove down their own separate lanes. So, to an extent, comparing the two is like comparing apples to oranges.

Henry Diltz/Morrison Hotel Gallery