Which Eagles song was released as their debut single in 1972?

The Eagles' debut single, released in 1972, was "Take It Easy." Issued by Asylum Records on May 1, 1972, it also served as the opening track on the band's self-titled debut album.

The song was written jointly by Glenn Frey and Jackson Browne. Browne had begun writing it but was struggling to finish the second verse; Frey, who lived in the same Echo Park apartment building, helped complete that section. The collaboration became the Eagles' defining introduction to radio audiences.

"Take It Easy" reached No. 12 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. Its relaxed country-rock arrangement combined acoustic guitars, harmony vocals, electric guitar, and Bernie Leadon's distinctive banjo, a sound that became central to the band's early identity.

Listeners sometimes confuse the song's release history because Jackson Browne later recorded his own version for For Everyman in 1973. That later recording does not change the Eagles' status as the song's first releasing artist or as the band’s debut single.