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Remember When Bob Seger Wrote a Song for Eagles in 1979?
Bob Seger, best known for solo hits like "Against the Wind" and "Night Moves," co-wrote Eagles' 1979 chart-topper "Heartache Tonight," a lesser-known but notable crossover between two prolific songwriting camps. The track appeared on Eagles' The Long Run album and became the band's final US No. 1 single before their split in 1980, underlining Seger's uncredited-in-memory but significant contribution to one of the group's biggest hits.
The song was written by Seger alongside Eagles members Glenn Frey and Don Henley, plus veteran songwriter JD Souther, though the collaboration happened by accident during an informal jam between Frey and Seger, close friends at the time. Frey had the verse melody, and Seger spontaneously came up with the chorus line "there's gonna be a heartache tonight," prompting Souther's approval to credit four writers. Country singer Conway Twitty later took his own version of "Heartache Tonight" into the Top 10 in 1983.
In short
- Bob Seger co-wrote Eagles' 1979 No. 1 hit "Heartache Tonight"
- It emerged from an impromptu jam session with Glenn Frey
- The song was Eagles' last No. 1 before their 1980 split
Explained simply
Bob Seger is an American rock musician best known for major solo hits including "Against the Wind" and "Night Moves." The Eagles were one of the biggest rock bands of the 1970s, famous for songs such as "Hotel California" and "Take It Easy."
"Heartache Tonight" was a 1979 song that became a significant hit for the Eagles, appearing on their album The Long Run. The track became the band's final number one single in the United States before they split up in 1980, making it one of their last major achievements as a group.
The song was co-written by Seger alongside Eagles members Glenn Frey and Don Henley, plus songwriter JD Souther. The collaboration came about through an informal jam session between Seger and Frey, who were close friends, with Frey providing a verse melody and Seger spontaneously contributing the chorus line that would become central to the song.