The Rock Icon Who Helped Write The Eagles’ “Heartache Tonight” Makes Perfect Sense, Now That I Think About It

Some musicians have such a distinct, unique sound that listeners can spot them on any collaboration of which they’re a part, even if they don’t have a prominent place in the liner notes (or a mention at all), and that is certainly true of the rock icon who helped The Eagles write “Heartache Tonight” in the late 1970s.

Stories differ on some specifics, namely whether the rock star was in the room or helping via telephone. (Blame it on the garden variety party wares of the 70s and the passing of time.) Regardless, the rock star’s involvement is plain as day.

The Rock Icon Who Helped Create the Eagles’ “Heartache Tonight”

The Eagles released “Heartache Tonight” as a single one week ahead of the release of their 1979 album, The Long Run. By this point in the band’s career, tensions and creative dissonance were high. The Long Run would be the last album The Eagles released during their first tenure as a group. Their next album wouldn’t come until 28 years later with Long Road Out of Eden in 2007. Although The Eagles’ disbandment was a devastating blow for fans of the American rock band, they certainly knew how to go out on a high note.

“Heartache Tonight” skyrocketed to the top of the Billboard Hot 100, making it The Eagles’ final No. 1 single on that specific chart. It wasn’t just a huge win for the billed band. The song was an impressive feather in the cap of Bob Seger, who played an integral role in writing the song.

Although some members of The Eagles remember Seger as being absent from the specific jam session where this song came to be, we’ll be using Seger’s recollection, which places him in the room, too. Speaking to Classic Rock in 2018, Seger said the song started with him and Glenn Frey jamming at Frey’s house on bass and guitar, respectively. “He had this little thing: ‘somebody’s gonna hurt somebody.’ He wanted to write a shuffle,” Seger recalled. “So, we’re playing that groove, and Glenn’s singing the verses and suddenly, out of the blue, the chorus came into my head. ‘There’s gonna be a heartache tonight, heartache tonight, I know.’ I started singing that, and Glenn goes, ‘Yeah!’”

The Band’s Final Group Effort Hit No. 1 on the Hot 100

Bob Seger said that after he came up with the chorus to “Heartache Tonight”, Glenn Frey called Joe Walsh, who came over and started working with them, too. J.D. Souther was the next bandmate to show. Don Henley came in the next day and began writing the rest of the lyrics. It was a true Eagles group effort (with a bit of extra help from Seger, of course), and their hard work paid off. “Heartache Tonight” peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming the band’s final chart-topping hit of their career—later reunion years included.

In hindsight, Seger’s inclusion on The Eagles’ “Heartache Tonight” makes perfect sense. The romping country-rock tune sounds like something The Silver Bullet Band could write in their sleep, which appears to be true, given that Seger came up with the earworm chorus in a matter of minutes.

Photo by Michael Putland/Getty Images