Ranking All the Don Henley Studio Albums
Donald Hugh Henley was born on 22 July 1947. In 1971, he became the co-lead vocalist and drummer for the band the Eagles until late 1980, when the band broke up. After the disbanding, Henley decided to pursue his career as a solo music artist with his debut music album dabbed I Can’t Stand Still, which Henley released in 1982. He has also released a live DVD and two complications but, in this article, we will rank all the Don Henley albums.
5. I Can’t Stand Still (1982)
Year of release: 1982
Tracks featured: You Better Hang-Up, The Unclouded Day, and Johnny Can’t Read.
The album I Can’t Stand Still was released in 1982 under Asylum Records and produced by Greg Ladanyi, Danny Kortchmar, and the American musician Don Henley. The album is Henley’s debut solo album, and its message revolves around his frustrations at the time. For instance, the single Dirty Laundry showcased his disgust towards the media and their tabloid news coverage. According to Classic Rockers, his disdain was inspired by a personal experience with tabloid media. This 1982 album charted at number 24 on the Billboard 200 and the same position on the U.K. Singles Chart. The track I Can’t Stand Still peaked at number 48, while the hit song Johnny Can’t Read rose to number 42 on the album charts. Additionally, the controversial track Dirty Laundry became Henley’s best-selling hit after peaking at number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 tracks.
4. Cass County
Year of Release: 2015
The album Cass County is the fifth solo studio album by Don Henley. It was released on 25 September 2015 under Capitol Records and Past Masters Holdings. After a long break, Henley released this album 11 years after the launch of the 2000 album Inside Job. The main inspiration for the title is that Cass County is the place where Don Henley grew up. Cass County was quite a success as it received several positive reviews from well-known artists. According to reviews on Metacritic, the album has an average score of 72 out of 100. Moreover, the album reached number 2 on the Top 40 Best Country Album of 2015 in East Texas County. It was listed at number 20 on the Rolling Stone magazine list of the Top 50 Best Albums of 2015. The album was also featured as number 1 on the Top County Albums, and number 3 on the Billboard 200 after a maximum of 259,400 of its copies had been sold in the United States by 2016.
3. Inside Job (2000)
Year of Release: 2000
Tracks featured: Annabel, Taking You Home, and My Thanksgiving.
The 2000 album titled Inside Job was produced under the Warner Bros Record Label and became Henley’s fourth solo music album. It was the first solo album by the American singer in over 11 years, as well as his final studio album of all-new content until the launch of the 2015 Cass County. According to an Ultimate Classic Rock article, this long break was due to a dispute between Henley and Geffen Records – his label. In May 2000, the album rose to 7 on the Billboard 200 and featured two Adult Contemporary Tracks – Everything’s Different Now and Taking You Home. Henley’s 2000 album was certified as Platinum by the RIAA on 12 July 2000 after a maximum of 1,124,000 copies were sold in the United States by September the same year. This makes it one of his best selling albums of all time.
2. The End of the Innocence (1989)
Year of Release: 1989
Singles Featured: The End of the Innocence, I Will Not Go Quietly, and Shangri-La
The album titled The End of the Innocence is the third solo studio album by Don Henley. The album was recorded under Geffen Records to mark the end of his 1980’s music era and was launched 11 years before he released his fourth studio album, Inside Job. Three of the singles featured in the album – The Last Worthless Evening, The End of the Innocence, and The Heart of the Matter – were ranked among the Top 40 tracks at number 21, 8, and 22, respectively. Another single featured in the album that performed well was the track New York Minute, which rose to number 48 on the U.S. singles charts. The End of the Innocence album is Henley’s best selling album after approximately 6 million copies of the album were sold in the United States alone. In 2012, the album was nominated for an MTV Video Music Award for its leading track. It was also listed as No.389 on the Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the “500 Greatest Albums of All Time” in the same year.
1. Building the Perfect Beast (1984)
Year of Release: 1984
Singles featured: You’re Not Drinking Enough, Land of the Living, and Drivin’ with Your Eyes Closed.
The album Building the Perfect Beast was the second album by Don Henley. It was released on 19 November 1984 through the Geffen Records label. After its release, it was generally regarded as one of the greatest albums of the 1980s. The album features more adult-oriented tracks with singles like Sunset Grill, Boys of Summer, and many other songs a light rock or pop fan would enjoy listening to. In 1989, the album was listed at number 73 on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of “The 100 Greatest Studio Albums of the 1980s”. All the four singles featured in the album were ranked among the top 40 songs on the Billboard Hot 100, including the hit track The Boys of Summer. This song won Henley a number of popular awards, such as the Grammy Award and 4 MTV Video Music Awards. Moreover, this album was certified with 3x Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) after it peaked at number 13 on the Billboard 200.
Conclusion
As an American solo musician, Don Henley released his first solo debut studio album titled I Can’t Stand Still on 13 August 1982 under Asylum Records. The album peaked at number 24 on the U.S. Billboard 200 music chart and was followed by four other Don Henley albums that played a major role in his rise to fame and cementing his status as a legendary musician.
