"Dirty Laundry" is a song written by Don Henley and Danny Kortchmar, from Henley's debut solo studio album I Can't Stand Still, (1982). The song hit number 1 on the Billboard Top Album Tracks chart in October 1982, prior to being issued as a 45 rpm single. Lyrically, the song describes mass media sensationalism.

Released as the second single from I Can't Stand Still, it spent three weeks at number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 in early 1983. The single was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America in March 1983, representing sales of a million copies in the United States.^[2]

The song is about the callousness of network television news reporting as well as the tabloidization of all news. Henley sings from the standpoint of a news anchorman who "could have been an actor, but I wound up here". The song's theme is that TV news coverage focuses too much on negative and sensationalist news; in particular, deaths, disasters, and scandals, with little regard to the consequences or for what is important ("We all know that crap is king"). The song was inspired by the intrusive press coverage surrounding the deaths of John Belushi and Natalie Wood, and Henley's own arrest in 1980 when he was charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor and possession of marijuana, cocaine, and Quaaludes after a 16-year-old girl overdosed at his Los Angeles home.^[3] The "bubbleheaded bleach blonde" mentioned in the song was rumored to have been Christine Lundstedt (Christine Lund) of KABC-TV in Los Angeles, but Henley has categorically denied this. ^[4]

Among the musicians on the record were Timothy B. Schmit and Joe Walsh, two of Henley's bandmates of the Eagles. Walsh performs the first guitar solo, followed by Steve Lukather of the band Toto; the guitar basic tracks are played by Danny Kortchmar who also helped Henley compose this song.^[4] The sleeve notes also mention musicians George Gruel, Roger Linn and Steve Porcaro.^[5]

Although an official music video was never made, Global News produced a parody video in 1985 (credited to the "News Brothers", all Global News reporters) featuring the song.^[6][7][8]

• Don Henley – lead vocals, backing vocals
• Steve Porcaro – keyboards, special keyboard effects
• Roger Linn – Linn LM-1 (credited with "special effects")^[9]
• Danny Kortchmar – rhythm guitar, backing vocals
• Joe Walsh – 1st guitar solo
• Steve Lukather – 2nd guitar solo
• Timothy B. Schmit – bass, backing vocals
• Jeff Porcaro – drums
• George Gruel – backing vocals

• Don Henley discography
• List of Billboard Mainstream Rock number-one songs of the 1980s
• Narcotizing dysfunction
• Yellow journalism