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Sadly, a lot of classic rock is rooted in men’s resentment towards women. During an interview, one of The Eagles revealed that “Best of My Love” was about the band’s issues with women in their lives. The American people rewarded The Eagles for expressing these resentments.

Don Henley said ‘Best of My Love’ was about a contradiction within The Eagles

During a 2003 interview with The Uncool, The Eagles’ Don Henley discussed the origin of “Best of My Love.” “A lot of the lyrics were actually written in Dan Tana’s at a booth we liked to sit in, on the front side of the bar area,” the “Boys of Summer” singer said. “JD Souther wrote the bridge and it was perfect. 

“That was the period when there were all these great-looking girls who didn’t really want to have anything to do with us,” he added. “[The Eagles] could be cocky at times — which was really just a front — but we weren’t very sophisticated or confident. We were typical, frustrated, young men. We wanted the girls to like us, but we had all the immature emotions that young men have — jealousy, envy, frustration, lust, insecurity, and the lot. At the same time, however, we were also becoming quite adept at brushing off girls who showed any interest in us. ‘If you want to be with me, I can’t possibly give you the time of day.'” Henley said The Eagles were more interested in women who spurned their advances.

‘Best of My Love’ is not as sexist as other songs from the same genre

While “Best of My Love” doesn’t display a healthy attitude toward women or relationships, at least Henley had some self-awareness. The singer said that even though The Eagles were immature at the time, they still saw their own flaws. He added that youth is wasted on the young.

While the tune has sexist undercurrents, at least it’s low-key. The tune’s gentle tempo makes it easy to swallow on a purely aesthetic level. It’s not nearly as sexist as a lot of other classic rock songs. Worse offenders include The Beatles’ “Run for Your Life” or The Rolling Stones’ “Under My Thumb.”

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The Eagles made a huge breakthrough with the song

“Best of My Love” became a No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 for a week. It lasted on the chart for 19 weeks in total. “Best of My Love” became The Eagles’ first chart-topping single in the United States. The tune appeared on the album On the Border. That record climbed to No. 17 on the Billboard 200, lasting on the chart for 97 weeks.

On the Border produced two other hits for The Eagles. One was “Already Gone,” which peaked at No. 32 on the Billboard Hot 100 and stayed on the chart for 15 weeks. The other was “James Dean,” a tune about the Hollywood icon of the same name. “James Dean” reached No. 77 on the Billboard Hot 100 and spent five weeks on the chart. The fact that “Best of My Love” climbed No. 1 after the other singles from On the Border charted lower is nothing short of astounding.

“Best of My Love” is a great song — and it proved that The Eagles had become A-list celebrities.

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