Kelly Clarkson has covered her fair share of beloved songs over the years, but her take on one Eagles classic had fans hearing the rock classic in a whole new way.
The singer put her own spin on “Heartache Tonight” during a 2022 “Kellyoke” performance on The Kelly Clarkson Show, lending her powerful vocals to the band’s 1979 hit.
Originally released in 1979 as the lead single from the Eagles 1979 album The Long Run, “Heartache Tonight” quickly became a major success for the band, reaching No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in November of that year. The song was the band’s fifth and final song to ever reach No. 1 on the all-genre singles chart, following their other chart-toppers, “Best of My Love,” “One of These Nights,” “New Kid in Town” and “Hotel California.”
More than four decades after its release, Clarkson brought “Heartache Tonight” back into the spotlight with her “Kellyoke” rendition in February 2022. Her version showcased the soaring vocals that have helped her become known as the queen of covers, while giving fans a chance to hear the familiar Eagles classic in her unmistakable style.
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And “Heartache Tonight” wouldn’t be the only song from the Eagles catalog to get “Clarksoned,” as the powerhouse songstress also took on the group’s beloved track “Desperado” in 2023.
Both “Desperado” and “Heartache Tonight” have been ranked as some of the best songs from the Eagles discography, according to multiple music magazines. Rolling Stone ranked “Heartache Tonight” at No. 10 on a 2019 roundup of the Eagles’ best songs, while “Desperado” was placed at No. 3.
Billboard also included both tracks on a 2023 ranking of the Top 15 Eagles tracks, with “Heartache Tonight” placing at No. 11, and “Desperado” at No. 2.
Related: 1973 Rock Classic, Reimagined by Alan Jackson, Is Considered One of the ‘Best Eagles Songs’