Why “Hotel California” By The Eagles Will Never Get Old

Sometimes songs are great and sometimes they’re not. Even though it came out in 1976, this Eagles standard still hits hard, no matter how many times you listen to it. But what is it about it that makes it so memorable?

Those Iconic Guitar Riffs

Let’s start with the guitar work—because, come on, it’s legendary. The song’s final solo, a soaring duet between Don Felder and Joe Walsh, is a full-blown guitar conversation. It’s the kind of solo that practically demands air guitar. If you say you’ve never played along in your head (or on an imaginary fretboard), we’re going to have to assume you’re fibbing.

A Song That Tells a Story

Then there’s the mystery. “Hotel California” isn’t just catchy—it’s poetic, eerie, and wide open to interpretation. The band has said the song was about the hedonism and excess of the late ’70s, especially in California, but the lyrics feel like a dream (or a warning). Lines like: “You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave,” “We are all just prisoners here, of our own device,” and “They stab it with their steely knives, but they just can’t kill the beast,” stick with us. They’re creepy, deep, and strangely relatable.

How It Came to Life

Don Felder first came up with the music while playing around with his 12-string guitar in Malibu. He recorded a demo and passed it along to Don Henley and Glenn Frey, who shaped the lyrics. Henley said they wanted it to be “like an episode of The Twilight Zone”—we’d say they nailed it.