WSJ article

Reading how carefully Seger constructed this song and the personal attention he pays in songwriting, I have a newfound respect for Seger. He references Kris Kristofferson and maybe that is a good comparison - - Like Kristofferson, Seger creates a narrative and rolls out a story, most often about lost youth and sex.

I relistened to a Seger playlist. Unlike so so many of those in that generation of music, he is actually a songwriter. His songs stand the test of time, lyrically. Compare him to Foreigner for instance. Yikes. Many of his songs create such a visual as you listen - - not just Night Moves but also Turn the Page, Hollywood Nights, We've Got Tonight (which sounds like Kristofferson could have written this one), Mainstreet, Still the Same. These all really tell a story from the 70s (although some are really a callback to Seger's youth in the 60s).

I always just lumped Seger in with all other 70s music. But I think it stands on its own nicely. And two of his songs are instantly recognizable for other reasons
Old Time Rock and Roll from the film Risky Business is one of the most iconic scenes in film history
Like a Rock became synonymous with Chevy Trucks

and I didn't even mention the scene in About Last Night.

Anyhow, re-listening to some of his catalogue, I can say I will definitely be listening to him more in the future.


Side note: really like this WSJ series

Seger is great and I think he is one of many great singer/songwriters of the 70's. You had some tremendous vocal talents telling stories with their music in that era that started to disappear with Disco at first and then with MTV and beyond. Back then an artist could take the time to create a great album and make millions on simply the music itself and what they looked like was far less important. Thus you had a lot of great artists that sang songs that were more like storytelling and if you went to see them they would either sit on a stool or stand at the microphone and just sing. A lot of them weren't good looking either but damn they were talented.

I've always been fascinated with '70s music for that reason, honestly I think the quality of much of the music is as strong as any decade. Now the singer/songwriter is the exception and not the rule. It just felt like the level of art was much higher then because the emphasis was less on the stage show or the pop culture presence. When I think of that era I think of The Eagles, James Taylor, Jim Croce, Jackson Browne, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Led Zeppelin, etc. that really created albums that told a story with incredible diversity of music.

Roll Me Away to me is one of his best and one of my favorite songs on a "Top 20" type of playlist.

Seger is great and the songs you listed in the OP are all great ones. I think if he gets overlooked or underrated nowadays, its because Like A Rock ruined his sound to a lot of people. I wonder if he has regrets about commercializing his song like that. I assume not, he may even wear it as a badge of pride that he helped out a Detroit automaker.

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Seger is great and the songs you listed in the OP are all great ones. I think if he gets overlooked or underrated nowadays, its because Like A Rock ruined his sound to a lot of people. I wonder if he has regrets about commercializing his song like that. I assume not, he may even wear it as a badge of pride that he helped out a Detroit automaker.

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It definitely comprised his reputation for me. I really didn't like the song that much before, and the commercials made it that much worse.

Awesome article, thanks for sharing.

Awesome song, one of my all time fav's.

Seger is very underrated. The Fire Inside is my favorite song of his, and it's genius. He also covers like a boss (Devil's Right Hand on Ride Out).

Also reminds me of what Bruce Springsteen said about Billy Joel: his songs are "built like steel".....or a rock in Seger's case.

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WSJ article

Old Time Rock and Roll from the film Risky Business is one of the most iconic scenes in film history
Like a Rock became synonymous with Chevy Trucks

And Shakedown from Beverly Hills Cop

One of my favorite artists.

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"You'll Accomp'ny Me" is one of my favorites.

Main Street is my fav Seger track.

Bought his greatest hits album in HS on a whim and he's been one of my favorites ever since.

WTF man...They love to watch her strut

Garth Brooks covered Night Moves in his Vegas show and also did it on Leno recently. Seger was one of Garth's heroes. Seger also influenced a few of Garth's songs.

Being a child of the 70s, Seger was one of my favorites. Night Moves and Against the Wind were my favs of his.

Why'd you have to bring Foreigner into it? Lou Gramm is pretty damn awesome.

Great article.

I've always thought a good sign for a well-written song is that it sounds great with others singing it as well. Turn the Page is a very well-written song. Here's a slow tempo, jazz-oriented version by a singer I like named Rene Marie. She changes 1-2 words to make it from a woman's perspective, but shows the great songwriting that Seger put to paper. Seger did write some great songs.

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Main Street is my fav Seger track.

Bought his greatest hits album in HS on a whim and he's been one of my favorites ever since.

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Might want to check out his Greatest Hits Vol. 2. Lots of great songs on that CD as well.

I have that album as well and you're right.

Bob Seger is a top 10 favorite artist for me. Still the Same is his best track imo. I saw him about ten years ago in Houston and I was so disappointed when he did not play it. I guess it is not on everyone's list. Ramblin Gamblin Man is probably my 2nd favorite Seger tune. Great Artist and I have always respected the fact he wrote his own songs.

Still the Same and Against the Wind are my favorites.

I've had Vol. II for a while now, in addition to the recently released early Seger (with a Midnight Rider cover) and some other Wal-Mart exclusives.

When he performs with Kid Rock, you come away with a lot of respect for Rock: he's gotten very far with a horrible voice.

somehow i managed to get my son (a college sophomore) into classic rock as a young kid and he has stuck with it. he hates modern music.

and he is a huge fan of Bob Seger I am proud to say. He gets it. I got him tickets for Bob Seger a few months back here in Dallas and he loved it.

just took him to Rush also.

really helped him in college Rock Appreciation class, he aced it easily. knew as much as the prof in a lot of cases. I've had him read some rock hsitory books, articles, and watch documentaries.

Some of his favorites:
Eagles
Bob Seger
Guns 'n Roses
Stevie Ray Vaughn
Tom Petty
AC/DC
Boston
Clapton
Joe walsh
pink floyd

he "likes" Rush but not as crazy as I am about them
Zeppelin of course but again not as much as me
some Stones mostly the older stuff



My daughter...well she does like modern music (taylor swift, katy perry, etc.) she also mixes in a lot of 80's stuff like Journey, Pat Benatar, Pretendes, Bon Jovi, Bryan Adams, Fleetwood Mac, MJ, Madonna, etc.


Anyway, just a humble brag....I did pretty good with my kids and music. I talked to them about artists all the time and only play "my music" in the car with them....that way they got exposure to different stuff.

Seger writes, plays guitar and piano, sings, records, performs well live, leads a band, has integrity, has had a lengthy career and is recognized and appreciated by his fans and his peers.

If you don't dig him that is certainly your choice to make, but he's touched all the bases.

I've seen him live three times.

And over the decades have covered at least 10 of his songs on gigs.