The Significance Of Hotel California And New Kid In Town

Throughout the history of humanity, few things have been able to transcend time truly. As new information or discoveries are made, those specific period relics become outdated, leaving them behind. However, the artifacts that can avoid becoming archaic become enshrined as an icon of culture. When looking back on the culturally iconic artifacts of the 1970s, one cannot ignore the significance and timelessness of 'Hotel California' by The Eagles. Released on December 8th, 1976, The Eagles 5th album' Hotel California' saw the band skyrocket to stardom, with two number-one hits' Hotel California' and 'New Kid In Town’. However, the significance of the former still holds importance in today's day and age. Often it is not the music that is remembered,

Lyrics such as "You can check out anytime you like, but you can never leave" have led some people to believe the song is about the church of satan or drug addiction. This song's cultural significance and decisive interpretation have led it to become included in many different movies and television shows over the last almost fifty years. The Eagles' song' Hotel California', has become a culturally iconic artifact with captivating music, haunting lyrics, that have led to many different interpretations; its inclusion in movies and television shows, such as in "American Horror Story" and "Shang Chi and The Legend Of The Ten Rings," have solidified it as one of the most culturally important yet mysterious pieces of music of all

The Eagles formed in 1971 in Los Angeles, originally consisting of Don Henley, Glenn Frey, Randy Meisner, and Bernie Leadon. Throughout these first couple of years, the band experienced only one number-one single, 'One Of These Nights.' The music of the Eagles, as described by Don Henley, is music with a "mission to portray emotional ups and downs emotionally" within the already defined boundaries of music ( Hunter). However, the band would not become one of the best-selling bands until the release of 1976' Hotel California' and its most famous song. Hartman states in 'Goodnight, L.A' that "Don Felder first came up with the chord progression for Hotel California," the start of the iconic song ( Hartman 163). Felder then brought guitar riffs to his fellow bandmates Don Henley and Glenn Frey. Out of more than a dozen riffs, the bandmates knew they had something special in the working song titled "Mexican Reggae," which would later become 'Hotel California' ( Hartman 164). From that, Don Henley would create the lyrics, which he claims is a story about a "driver who ends up stranded for a night in a freakish inn," a metaphor for Henley of life in California, specifically Los Angeles ( Hartman 164). Upon release, the song would shoot up to the number one spot, where it would stay for over sixteen weeks, along with the album,