Heartache Tonight - wikipedia Heartache Tonight `` Heartache Tonight '' Single by Eagles from the album The Long Run B - side `` Teenage Jail '' Released September 18, 1979 Format 7 - inch single Genre Rock Length 4 : 25 Label Asylum Songwriter ( s ) Don Henley, Glenn Frey, Bob Seger, J.D. Souther Producer ( s ) Bill Szymczyk Eagles singles chronology `` Please Come Home for Christmas '' ( 1978 ) `` Heartache Tonight '' ( 1979 ) `` The Long Run '' ( 1979 ) `` Please Come Home for Christmas '' ( 1978 ) `` Heartache Tonight '' ( 1979 ) `` The Long Run '' ( 1979 ) `` Heartache Tonight '' is a song written by Don Henley, Glenn Frey, Bob Seger and J.D. Souther, and recorded by the Eagles. The track was included on their album The Long Run and released as a single in 1979. It reached No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in November of that year and was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America representing one million copies sold. It was the Eagles ' final chart - topping song on the Hot 100. The recording also received a Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal. The song originated from an electric jam session between Glenn Frey and J.D. Souther who would visit Frey 's home in Los Angeles whenever he was in town on tour. Frey and Souther wrote the first verse while listening to Sam Cooke songs. In the heat of jamming, Frey called Seger on the phone and sang him the verse. Seger then blurted out the chorus. According to Frey, `` J.D. ( Souther ), Don and I finished that song up. No heavy lyrics - the song is more of a romp - and that 's what it was intended to be. '' The song was covered by country music singer John Anderson on the tribute album Common Thread : The Songs of the Eagles and was also covered by Michael Bublé on his album Crazy Love. Contents 1 Personnel 2 Chart performance 2.1 Weekly charts 2.2 Year - end charts 3 Haim `` The Wire '' 4 Conway Twitty version 4.1 Chart performance 5 References 6 External links Personnel Glenn Frey : lead vocals, rhythm guitar, handclapping Don Henley : drums, backing vocals Joe Walsh : slide guitar Don Felder : rhythm guitar Timothy B. Schmit : bass guitar, backing vocals Bob Seger : backing vocals ( not credited on album liner notes ) Chart performance Weekly charts Chart ( 1979 ) Peak position Australia KMR 13 Belgium ( Ultratop 50 Flanders ) 22 Canada Top Singles ( RPM ) Ireland ( IRMA ) 10 Netherlands ( Single Top 100 ) 20 New Zealand ( Recorded Music NZ ) 7 Switzerland ( Schweizer Hitparade ) 10 UK Singles ( Official Charts Company ) 40 US Billboard Hot 100 US Adult Contemporary ( Billboard ) 38 Year - end charts Chart ( 1979 ) Rank Canada 28 Chart ( 1980 ) Rank US Billboard Hot 100 46 Haim `` the Wire '' The Haim sisters use the riff from `` Heartache Tonight '' at the beginning of their hit `` The Wire '' from 2013. Conway Twitty version `` Heartache Tonight '' Single by Conway Twitty from the album Lost in the Feeling B - side `` Hello Darlin ' '' Released August 1983 Format 7 - inch single Recorded February 1 -- 2, 1983 Studio Sound Stage Studio, Nashville, Tennessee Genre Country Length 4 : 17 Label Warner Bros. Songwriter ( s ) Don Henley, Glenn Frey, Bob Seger, J.D. Souther Producer ( s ) Jimmy Bowen, Conway Twitty Conway Twitty singles chronology `` Lost in the Feeling '' ( 1983 ) `` Heartache Tonight '' ( 1983 ) `` We Had It All '' ( 1983 ) `` Lost in the Feeling '' ( 1983 ) `` Heartache Tonight '' ( 1983 ) `` We Had It All '' ( 1983 ) `` Heartache Tonight '' was revived four years later in a cover version by country music artist Conway Twitty. Released as the second single from his Lost in the Feeling album, Twitty 's version reached No. 6 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart in the fall of 1983. Twitty 's version featured the Osmond Brothers on backing vocals. Allmusic reviewer Thom Jurek wrote that `` Heartache Tonight '' and its follow - up single, `` Three Times a Lady, '' `` offer ( ed ) a solid view of Twitty 's amazing crossover potential, and his ability to take well - known pop tracks and turn them into solid country smashes long after the countrypolitan days of Chet Atkins and RCA. '' ( In addition to `` Three Times a Lady '' ( a cover of a song by The Commodores ), Twitty had successfully covered `` Slow Hand '' and `` The Rose, '' previously pop hits for the Pointer Sisters and Bette Midler, respectively. ) Chart performance Chart ( 1983 ) Peak position US Hot Country Songs ( Billboard ) 6 Canadian RPM Country Tracks References Jump up ^ Joel Whitburn 's Top Pop Singles 1955 - 1990 - ISBN 0 - 89820 - 089 - X Jump up ^ The Very Best of the Eagles ( CD ). Eagles. Warner Music Group. 2003. R2 73971. Jump up ^ `` Ultratop.be -- Eagles -- Heartache Tonight '' ( in Dutch ). Ultratop 50. Jump up ^ `` Top RPM Singles : Issue 7853a. '' RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Jump up ^ `` The Irish Charts -- Search Results -- Heartache Tonight ''. Irish Singles Chart. Jump up ^ `` Dutchcharts.nl -- Eagles -- Heartache Tonight '' ( in Dutch ). Single Top 100. Jump up ^ `` Charts.org.nz -- Eagles -- Heartache Tonight ''. Top 40 Singles. Jump up ^ `` Swisscharts.com -- Eagles -- Heartache Tonight ''. Swiss Singles Chart. Jump up ^ `` Eagles : Artist Chart History ''. Official Charts Company. Jump up ^ `` Eagles Chart History ( Hot 100 ) ''. Billboard. Jump up ^ `` Eagles Chart History ( Adult Contemporary ) ''. Billboard. Jump up ^ `` Top 100 Singles ( 1979 ) ''. RPM. Retrieved 2017 - 11 - 11. Jump up ^ Musicoutfitters.com Jump up ^ Whitburn, Joel ( 2004 ). The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits : 1944 - 2006, Second edition. Record Research. p. 363. Jump up ^ Jurek, Tom, Lost in the Feeling album review, Allmusic. ( 1 ) Jump up ^ `` Conway Twitty Chart History ( Hot Country Songs ) ''. Billboard. External links Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics Preceded by `` Pop Muzik '' by M Billboard Hot 100 number one single November 10, 1979 Succeeded by `` Still '' by Commodores Preceded by `` Good Girls Do n't '' by The Knack Canadian `` RPM '' Singles Chart number - one single November 17, 1979 -- November 24, 1979 Succeeded by `` Babe '' by Styx Eagles Glenn Frey Don Henley Bernie Leadon Randy Meisner Don Felder Joe Walsh Timothy B. Schmit Deacon Frey Vince Gill Studio albums Eagles Desperado On the Border One of These Nights Hotel California The Long Run Long Road Out of Eden Live albums Eagles Live Hell Freezes Over Farewell 1 Tour - Live from Melbourne Compilation albums Their Greatest Hits ( 1971 -- 1975 ) Eagles Greatest Hits, Vol. 2 The Very Best of the Eagles Selected Works : 1972 -- 1999 The Very Best Of Eagles Singles `` Take It Easy '' `` Witchy Woman '' `` Peaceful Easy Feeling '' `` Tequila Sunrise '' `` Outlaw Man '' `` Already Gone '' `` James Dean '' `` Best of My Love '' `` One of These Nights '' `` Lyin ' Eyes '' `` Take It to the Limit '' `` New Kid in Town '' `` Hotel California '' `` Life in the Fast Lane '' `` Please Come Home for Christmas '' `` Heartache Tonight '' `` The Long Run '' `` I Ca n't Tell You Why '' `` Seven Bridges Road '' `` Get Over It '' `` Love Will Keep Us Alive '' `` Hole in the World '' `` How Long '' `` Busy Being Fabulous '' Other songs `` Desperado '' `` Ol ' ' 55 '' `` The Last Resort '' `` In the City '' Tours Long Road Out of Eden Tour History of the Eagles Tour Related Discography Poco Linda Ronstadt Flying Burrito Brothers Common Thread : The Songs of the Eagles History of the Eagles Heaven and Hell : My Life in the Eagles ( 1974 -- 2001 ) Book Conway Twitty Studio albums Sings Saturday Night with Conway Twitty Lonely Blue Boy House on Old Lonesome Road Crazy in Love Even Now Final Touches Collaboration albums We Only Make Believe Lead Me On Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man Country Partners Dynamic Duo Compilation albums 25 Number Ones Notable singles `` It 's Only Make Believe '' `` Mona Lisa '' `` Danny Boy '' `` Next in Line '' `` I Love You More Today '' `` To See My Angel Cry '' `` Hello Darlin ' '' `` Fifteen Years Ago '' `` How Much More Can She Stand '' `` I Ca n't See Me Without You '' `` ( Lost Her Love ) On Our Last Date '' `` I Ca n't Stop Loving You '' `` She Needs Someone to Hold Her ( When She Cries ) '' `` You 've Never Been This Far Before '' `` There 's a Honky Tonk Angel ( Who 'll Take Me Back In ) '' `` I 'm Not Through Loving You Yet '' `` I See the Want To in Your Eyes '' `` Linda on My Mind '' `` Touch the Hand '' `` This Time I 've Hurt Her More Than She Loves Me '' `` After All the Good Is Gone '' `` The Games That Daddies Play '' `` I Ca n't Believe She Gives It All to Me '' `` Play Guitar Play '' `` I 've Already Loved You in My Mind '' `` Georgia Keeps Pulling on My Ring '' `` Boogie Grass Band '' `` Your Love Had Taken Me That High '' `` Do n't Take It Away '' `` I May Never Get to Heaven '' `` Happy Birthday Darlin ' '' `` I 'd Love to Lay You Down '' `` Rest Your Love on Me '' `` Tight Fittin ' Jeans '' `` Red Neckin ' Love Makin ' Night '' `` The Clown '' `` Slow Hand '' `` We Did But Now You Do n't '' `` The Rose '' `` We Had It All '' `` Lost in the Feeling '' `` Heartache Tonight '' `` Three Times a Lady '' `` Somebody 's Needin ' Somebody '' `` I Do n't Know a Thing About Love ( The Moon Song ) '' `` Ai n't She Somethin ' Else '' `` Do n't Call Him a Cowboy '' `` Between Blue Eyes and Jeans '' `` Desperado Love '' `` Fallin ' for You for Years '' `` Julia '' `` I Want to Know You Before We Make Love '' `` That 's My Job '' `` Goodbye Time '' `` Saturday Night Special '' `` I Wish I Was Still in Your Dreams '' `` She 's Got a Single Thing in Mind '' `` House on Old Lonesome Road '' `` Fit to Be Tied Down '' `` Crazy in Love '' `` I Could n't See You Leavin ' '' `` Rainy Night in Georgia '' Collaboration singles `` After the Fire Is Gone '' `` Lead Me On '' `` Louisiana Woman, Mississippi Man '' `` Feelins ' '' `` The Letter '' `` I Ca n't Love You Enough '' `` Making Believe '' `` Do n't Cry Joni '' Related articles Discography Discography with Loretta Lynn Joni Lee Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Heartache_Tonight&oldid=812189392 '' Categories : 1979 singles 1983 singles 1993 singles Billboard Hot 100 number - one singles Songs written by Glenn Frey Songs written by Don Henley Eagles ( band ) songs Conway Twitty songs John Anderson ( musician ) songs Songs written by Bob Seger RPM Top Singles number - one singles Songs written by J.D. Souther Song recordings produced by Jimmy Bowen Song recordings produced by Bill Szymczyk Asylum Records singles Warner Bros. Records singles 1979 songs Hidden categories : Wikipedia semi-protected pages Articles with hAudio microformats Singlechart usages for Flanders Singlechart usages for Canadatopsingles Singlechart usages for Ireland2 Singlechart usages for Dutch100 Singlechart usages for New Zealand Singlechart usages for Switzerland Singlechart usages for UKsinglesbyname Singlechart usages for Billboardhot100 Singlechart usages for Billboardadultcontemporary Singlechart usages for Billboardcountrysongs Singlechart called without song Talk View source Contents About Wikipedia Français 한국어 Italiano Nederlands Norsk nynorsk Português Edit links This page was last edited on 26 November 2017, at 14 : 30. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. 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Question: who wrote there's gonna be a heartache tonight
Answer: Don Henley