The End of The Innocence Songs Ranked

The End of the Innocence is the third solo studio album by Don Henley, the co-lead vocalist and drummer for the Eagles. The album was released in 1989, on Geffen Records, and would be his last release on that label. It was also his last solo album of the 1980s and it would be eleven years before he released another solo album, 2000’s Inside Job. The album is his best selling album, selling over 6 million copies in the United States alone, peaking at No. 8. The album featured three Top 40 singles “The End of the Innocence”, “The Heart of the Matter”, and “The Last Worthless Evening”. Those singles reached No. 8, No. 21, and No. 21 respectively. The album also featured “New York Minute” which reached No. 48 on the charts and was recorded by Henley and the Eagles for their live album Hell Freezes Over in 1994. Henley won another Grammy and an MTV Video Music Award nomination for the title track. In 2012, the album was ranked at number 389 on the Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. Here are all of The End of Innocence songs ranked.

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10. The Heart of the Matter

“The Heart Of The Matter” is one of those relationship songs that came along at just the right time in my life. This song always brings me back to my turbulent 20’s, and relationships gone badly. The lyrics pretty much reflected exactly what I was going through at the time, and it was like Henley got in my head and ripped this right out of my brain.”

9. Gimme What You Got

“Edie Brickell and Melissa Etheridge contribute background vocals on “Gimme What You Got”. Because of Kotchmar’s guitar, this song has almost a John Fogerty sound to it – much like you hear on “Centerfield”.

8. Shangri-La

“This album contains his best collection of songs of his four solo albums and it is the best produced. It is easily one of the best albums of the eightites becuase of the way Henley encapsulizes the feeling of the late eightites.”

See more: Don Henley Albums Ranked

7. The Last Worthless Evening

“The Last Worthless Evening” is a brewing ballad with suppressed feelings of desire; and “New York Minute”‘s ringing guitars make for a perfect accompaniment to Henley’s mournful but hypnotic voice. This album belongs on every list as one of the best of the 1980s.”

6. How Bad Do You Want It?

“How Bad Do You Want It” is a very underrated tune. It probably is one of the best songs of the album and is co-written by Henley, Kortchmar, and Stan Lynch. There is some great horn work and terrific drum work. Patty Smyth plays a key role with the background vocals that fold in perfectly when needed.”

5. If Dirt Were Dollars

“Sheryl Crow contributes background vocals on “If Dirt Were Dollars”. This song also has a Fogerty like quality. Both songs may have a Fogerty sound, but they also explore Fogerty-like topics of materialism and greed.”

See more: Don Henley Songs Ranked

4. Little Tin God

“Paich also contributes piano on “Little Tin God”. “Little Tin God” deals with Evangelists and Healers. This best way to describe this song’s sound is a folk-like quality applied with a harder Rock edge.”

3. New York Minute

“New York Minute” is even more woeful. It begins with a starry-eyed string section and keyboards, which lead to Henley’s grizzled voice singing about suicide, street violence and the precarious shortness of life. The somewhat haunting chorus of “New York Minute” is as beautifully harmonic as it gets, and ultimately, the song ends on a positive note, lyrically.”

2. I Will Not Go Quietly

“Meanwhile, it’s priceless to hear the thin voice of Axl Rose performing backing vocals on the somewhat forced “I Will Not Go Quietly,” a song in which the pseudo-sounding metal bite is less than its valiantly attempted bark.”

1. The End of the Innocence

“Don Henley’s The End of the Innocence capped off the ’80s on a perfect note. With Bruce Hornsby’s classy piano sounding like the last, gentle strains of an uneasy age, lead track “The End of the Innocence” features one of the best lyrics ever written on disillusionment…and hope in the face of disillusionment.”