Okay - I'm cheating a bit. I'm actually copying most of this over from a very old thread that we had when the board first started. I made a few changes - I switched the order of On the Border and One of These Nights, and also added The Long Road Out of Eden. However, I was surprised to find that my opinions have hardly changed at all. Let me preface my rankings by saying that I think all of the band's albums are excellent - there just aren't any bad ones, which is probably why I think they are America's greatest band.
1. Hotel California - I guess this is an obvious choice. This is a classic conceptual album with 8 exceptional songs. Each song is very different, yet fits perfectly into the theme of the album. The album also does an exceptional job of showcasing the talents of the individual band members, IMO. I also don't think you can ignore the social significance of this masterpiece.
2. Desperado - Same as HC comments. This is an exceptional piece of work, but some of the songs are not quite as strong as HC. I believe the reason the album was not as commercially successful as the others is simply because it was considered too country for rock and too rock for country.
3. On The Border - Overall a great underrated album. I don't think there is really a bad song on it. It is one of my favorites to listen to from start to finish, and I rarely ever skip any of the songs.
4. Long Road Out of Eden - I think this album stands up well against the band's earlier work. It has some very strong songs, and I particularly like the variety of the material on the album. While some say this causes the album to lose some of its cohesiveness, I think the variety showcases the band's versatility. The standout tracks for me are How Long, What Do I Do With My Heart, Waiting In the Weeds, No More Cloudy Days, Do Something, You Are Not Alone, Long Road Out of Eden, I Dreamed There Was No War, Somebody, Last Good Time In Town, I Love To Watch A Woman Dance, and Business As Usual. Hmmm - not much left out, was it.
5. One of These Nights - I chose this next based on the strength of the 4 hit songs. However, I don't consider Journey of the Sorcerer, Visions, or I Wish You Peace to be among the band's best work.
6. The Long Run - The hardest choice of all for me was deciding between these last two. It is probably a virtual tie for me. Both albums had three very strong hits, and I can't decide which are the strongest. Heartache Tonight is probably the best of all of them, although TIE and PEF are hard to snub. WW, TLR, and ICTYW can't be snubbed either though - they are all great. I also think King of Hollywood, Those Shoes, and The Sad Cafe are all very good underrated songs as well, which would seem to give the edge to TLR, and 'Greeks' is just fun. However, then there is the matter of Disco Strangler and Teenage Jail, which are probably among my least favorites of all of their songs.
7. Eagles - See TLR comments. After the three strong hits mentioned above, the rest of the album is very pleasant and easy on the ears. However, I don't think there are any real standout tracks, except for one. I'm now ready for you all to throw things at me - BUT - I love Chug All Night. I don't know why, but I love the tempo and the 'visions' it leaves you with. It's not a great song, but it's raw and sexy, and it rocks.