"Hotel California," the fifth studio album by the esteemed American rock band Eagles, saw its release on December 8, 1976, under Asylum Records. Produced by Bill Szymczyk and recorded by the band at the Criteria and Record Plant studios from March to October 1976, this album marked a significant transition for the group. Notably, it welcomed guitarist Joe Walsh into the fold, succeeding founding member Bernie Leadon, and also served as the swan song for bassist Randy Meisner.
The album cover features the Beverly Hills Hotel.
 
"Hotel California" swiftly garnered critical acclaim and commercial triumph, soaring to the top of the US Billboard Top LPs & Tapes chart.
At the 20th Grammy Awards, the iconic title track earned the prestigious Record of the Year accolade, while "New Kid in Town" secured the award for Best Arrangement for Voices. Despite falling short of winning Album of the Year, the album solidified its status as a cultural phenomenon.
 
With three chart-topping singles including the title track and "New Kid in Town," along with "Life in the Fast Lane" reaching No. 11, "Hotel California" solidified its place as one of the best-selling albums of all time. It achieved an astonishing 26× Platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in the US alone, and its global sales have exceeded 32 million units, making it the band's second best-selling album after "Their Greatest Hits (1971–1975)."
 
Consistently hailed as one of the greatest albums in music history by various publications, "Hotel California" has earned its spot on Rolling Stone's "500 Greatest Albums of All Time" list multiple times, reaching number 37 in 2003 and 2012 before being re-positioned to number 118 in the 2020 edition.