The Eagles are one of the coolest bands ever

Dad rock or not, there's no denying this band's musical genius

The Eagles, 1976
(Image credit: Everett Collection Historical / Alamy Stock Photo)

If you're under the age of 40 and have a college degree, you probably hate the Eagles.

It's basically an article of faith among educated white people who are serious about music that dad rock — Bob Seger, Tom Petty, bands named after places in America, like Kansas — is godawful. A lot of it is: I would rather be the next White House press secretary at a salary of $1 a year than hear "Don't Stop Believing" on a jukebox ever again. But let's not throw out the babies with the bathwater. Most dad rock isn't bad; it's just misunderstood.

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Matthew Walther

Matthew Walther is a national correspondent at The Week. His work has also appeared in First Things, The Spectator of London, The Catholic Herald, National Review, and other publications. He is currently writing a biography of the Rev. Montague Summers. He is also a Robert Novak Journalism Fellow.