Released in 1977, Hotel California remains one of the most immediately recognisable openings in classic rock, built on a deceptively simple four-chord sequence that sets its haunting, cinematic mood from the very first notes. The progression moves Bm to F#, then steps down to A before resolving outward to E, creating a restless, minor-flavoured pull that never quite settles. That shift from the dark gravity of Bm through the brightening lift of F# and the grounded warmth of A to the open resonance of E gives the sequence both tension and release in a single breath. For guitarists, the progression sits naturally under the fingers yet feels endlessly evocative, which is much of why it lodges so stubbornly in the memory.