In 1975, the Eagles paved the way for Hotel California with their iconic album One of These Nights. The nine-track studio album was a commercial breakthrough for the Los Angeles-based band, and the last to feature the original lineup of Glenn Frey, Randy Meisner, Don Henley, Bernie Leadon, and newcomer Don Felder, who also appeared on the band’s previous album On the Border.
While the album featured multiple hit singles, the title song “One of These Nights” was ranked as the best song from the album in a February 2026 list compiled by Ultimate Classic Rock.
The music outlet described the song as a true team effort to “break the ballad template” with “contemporary R&B sounds and a sneaky lyric that pulls no punches.”
UCR credited Felder for arranging “the unforgettable bass and guitar signature for ‘One of These Nights.’” “And his searing solo then neatly underscores this chart-topping song’s bitter sense of missed opportunities,” the outlet noted.
“One of These Nights” scored well above the lowest-ranked song on the list, the Leadon and Patti Davis-penned, “I Wish You Peace.” The hit song “Take It to the Limit” ranked as runner-up.
The One of These Nights album was released in June 1975, and it spawned two other hits in addition to the title track—“Lyin’ Eyes” and “Take It to the Limit.”
The single “One of These Nights” hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 on Aug. 2, 1975, about two months after its release.
While 1976’s “Hotel California” would go on to become an even bigger blockbuster, Frey once revealed that he preferred “One of These Nights.”
Music journalist Cameron Crowe’s The Uncool quoted Frey as saying One of These Nights, both the album and the song, changed the game for the band.
“We had Don Henley’s voice, which allowed us to go in a more soulful direction, which made me exceedingly happy.,” Frey said. “There’s no doubt in my mind that One Of These Nights was the most fluid and ‘painless’ album we ever made. A lot of things came together on One Of These Nights — our love of the studio, the dramatic improvement in Don’s and my songwriting. “
“We made a quantum leap with ‘One Of These Nights,’” Frey continued. “It was a breakthrough song. It is my favorite Eagles record. If I ever had to pick one, it wouldn’t be ‘Hotel California,’ it wouldn’t be ‘Take It Easy.’ For me, it would be ‘One Of These Nights.’”
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