Ranking Bob Seger's 25 essential songs

What to leave in ... what to leave out?

Like many children growing up in the Midwest, my first exposure to what I’d call stereotypical rock music started with Bob Seger.

Not The Beatles or The Stones or CCR or Dylan or Nirvana or the Talking Heads. In our home, Seger and his Silver Bullet Band reigned supreme.

Maybe it was Michigan pride skewing both of my parents toward superfan status that tipped the scales. Sort of like the belief that Faygo or Vernors is the best soda. Seger was raised in Ann Arbor, with the city inspiring some of his most nostalgic, formative adolescent experiences on hit songs like Night Moves and Mainstreet.

Maybe I just didn’t know any better. With a name practically synonymous with classic rock, Seger is one of the biggest selling rock stars from the height of that era. He’s sold more than 75 million records worldwide across 20 albums, boasting one of the most easily recognizable hit collections in rock and roll.

Effortlessly writing dozens of extremely catchy hit rock songs indebted to the genre’s forebears and the good old days, Seger has a unique catalog. His first hit Ramblin’ Gamblin’ Man came in 1969, but he would go another seven years before realizing the same level of chart success. His early years saw him perform under the name The Bob Seger System, churning out quasi punk rock adjacent music more aligned with the MC5 and Mitch Ryder on a handful of albums that failed to chart.

It wasn’t until he formed his famed Silver Bullet Band in 1974 that Seger was primed for his commercial breakthrough, which came a couple of years later when Seger and the band released ‘Live’ Bullet, a live album capturing two nights of performances at Detroit’s Cobo Arena in 1975. Featuring the preferred version of some of Seger’s most beloved songs, the album has sold more than 5 million copies, propelling Seger into a nearly decade-long run of hit albums and singles from the mid-70’s to the mid-80’s.

While diving into Seger’s catalog has been fun, for the most part, the hits are his best songs. There just aren’t a ton of overlooked gems or deep cuts that resonate with fans.

Which begs the question: What are Bob Seger's best songs? While I am not the highest qualified Seger scholar, I took the old records off the shelf and took a stab at it by rating my top 25 favorites. Let me know what your favorites are in the comments (OR JUST TELL ME WHY I’M WRONG!). I’ve included a playlist at the end of the list.

25. Her Strut

It’ll probably peeve some hardcore Seger fans that Her Strut is the first of four songs from Against the Wind to appear on this list. Those who truly love Seger and the Silver Bullet Band at their most rocking have to concede you could start with something much worse than Her Strut, though, with its sinister guitar riff paired with charging drums. Is it a sexist jam or a tribute to feminist icon Jane Fonda? Seger has described it as a little bit of both, illustrating the thin line his music struts in describing women.

24. Nutbush City Limits (1975 ‘Live’ Bullet version)

I will never forget heading back from a Detroit Pistons game as a 13-year-old when my Uncle Bruce slid a Bob Seger mix tape into the deck, blowing the roof off with the tension and release opener, a cover of Tina Turner’s Nutbush City Limits. The live version from Seger and the Silver Bullet Band’s famous ‘Live’ Bullet stands out as the superior version, if for no other reason than Seger having the Cobo Arena crowd eating out of his hand during the song’s brief interlude where he confirms Rolling Stone’s assertion that Detroit audiences are some of the best in rock and roll. “I thought to myself, ‘Shit, I’ve known that for 10 years,’” Seger tells the crowd. Hearing those words as an impressionable teen made me more curious about Detroit rock and roll and Seger, making Nutbush City Limits a worthy sentimental favorite that’s fit to appear on this list.

23. Shakedown

It might be surprising for some that this pop-centric Seger tune from 1987’s Beverly Hills Cop II was his lone No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100. Shakedown shouldn’t be discredited for its popularity or its severely dated 1980s sounding pop arrangement by Harold Faltmeyer, however, in evaluating its place in Seger’s catalog. Fun fact, the song was nominated for Best Song in 1988 but finished runner up to the theme song from Dirty Dancing at both the Golden Globes and Academy Awards.

22. Railroad Days

One of a handful of clear outliers in Seger’s catalog that still resonates with hardcore fans, Railroad Days captures an intimate version of Seger pining for the days of old on his 1971 solo album debut Brand New Morning. With an echo in his voice and live take feel featuring only Seger’s voice and acoustic guitar, Railroad Days is a song that forces you to listen closely and consider there’s more to the singer/songwriter than his hit collection indicates.

21. Lookin’ Back

An early single originally recorded for Seger’s 1970 album Mongrel, Lookin’ Back is one of several Seger tracks to have its status elevated by its inclusion on the ultra popular ‘Live’ Bullet album. On Lookin’ Back, Seger is taking aim at conservatives in the Vietnam era, albeit in a less directly confrontational way than famed anti-Vietnam anthem 2+2=, Seger’s previous single. Lookin’ Back might be a more straightforward pop rock song, but it’s no less biting and outspoken in its social commentary about the war.

20. Feel Like a Number

Seger has long sprinkled in lines about being disillusioned in his songwriting and on Feel Like a Number he is at his most overt in this regard. Closing out the incredible first side of Stranger in Town on a bang, Feel Like a Number somehow feels triumphant despite Seger’s cries that he’s just another blade of grass in the field, another testament to the relentless resolve in his voice.

19. Heavy Music

When the anthology Heavy Music: The Complete Cameo Recordings 1966-1967 was released in 2018, it felt like a revelation for some and validation for many others who long praised Seger’s early proto-punk and R&B days. Few songs from that period capture the essence of what Seger was trying to achieve like Heavy Music, a Nuggets-esque garage rock cut that shuffles in with a Motown beat before a slick bassline and the harmonies kick in. Although Heavy Music gained traction locally after it was released as a single by Bob Seger and The Last Heard, its success was stunted when the band’s label Cameo/Parkway went out of business.

18. Tryin’ to Live My Life Without You

Of all the versions of Eugene Frank Williams’ Tryin’ to Live My Life Without You, Bob Seger’s is the most popular, reaching No. 5 on the US Billboard Hot 100 as a single off Seger and the Silver Bullet Band’s 1981 live album Nine Tonight. I had no idea the song was a cover growing up, just that it was a really fun, hard-edged rocker and another example of Seger delivering it in a really catchy way.

17. Like a Rock

As you’ll begin to notice from here on out, almost every spot on the remainder of this countdown is reserved for the most recognizable hits, beginning with this popular Chevy truck jingle. For those who bag the song for becoming a commercial jingle, keep in mind that Seger’s father worked at Ford for years, while he worked at GM in Ypsilanti. It’s a fine single and the clear standout from his 1986 album of the same name that finds Seger doing what he loves best: Reminiscing about the good old days of working for peanuts and finding joy in enduring the lean times. It’s a memorable song that showcases Seger at his most confident and content after a long road traveled.

16. You'll Accomp'ny Me

A hit single from Seger’s Against the Wind album, You’ll Accomp’ny Me reached No. 14 on the Billboard 100 charts in 1980 behind another one of Seger’s best piano ballads. Like much of the best material on Against the Wind, You’ll Accomp’ny Me benefits greatly from the album’s smoother production. While some might criticize Seger’s wandering toward adult contemporary on Against the Wind, You’ll Accomp’ny Me proves he wasn’t compromising anything in pursuing a more mature sound.

15. We’ve Got Tonite

Another of Seger’s best ballads, the initial title of We’ve Got Tonite was This Old House and it was about rock and roll music, according to Seger, describing the song in his greatest hits compilation. Seger rewrote the song after seeing Robert Redford’s performance in The Sting where he delivered the line “It’s four in the morning and I don’t know nobody,” inspiring a new sentiment. Seger has been on record saying the song is about a couple of people who don’t like each other, but there is a tenderness to We’ve Got Tonite that lands in a way many of his other love ballads don’t.

14. Katmandu

I can’t offer a ton more in defense of this song than loving to sing k-k-k-k-k-k-katmanduuuuu as a kid when it would pop up on my Dad’s Seger mix tapes. That’s pretty scientific proof it’s one of Seger’s best pre-mainstream fame rockers, and one of several to have its profile elevated by appearing on Seger and the Silver Bullet Band’s ‘Live’ Bullet album. That version blows the one appearing on Beautiful Loser out of the water, highlighting its blazing guitar and saxophone solos.

13. Mainstreet

Another hometown favorite, Mainstreet takes its name from Main Street, of course. Ope! Wait, it’s actually Ann Street, just off of Main Street in downtown Ann Arbor, where Seger recalls there being R&B music on the weekends and girls dancing in the windows in his teenage years. Like Night Moves, Mainstreet relies heavily on Seger’s memories of adolescence and how the night life shaped him as an impressionable teen. Mainstreet was Seger and the Silver Bullet Band’s second single off Night Moves, reaching No. 24 on the Billboard 100. Seger’s depiction of a dingier downtown contrasts considerably from the commercial hub and skyscraper haven now taking shape there, adding another layer of nostalgia to a song already steeped in it.

12. Travelin’ Man/Beautiful Loser (from ‘Live Bullet’)

I’m cheating here in getting a two-for-one by tossing in the decidedly more rocking versions of Travelin’ Man and Beautiful Loser that appear seamlessly on Seger and the Silver Bullet Band’s multi-platinum ‘Live’ Bullet album. While both songs registered with Seger’s already established audiences in the Midwest in their appearances on the more restrained album Beautiful Loser a year earlier, ‘Live’ Bullet helped elevate the status of both songs with its widespread popularity.

11. Hollywood Nights

There is a crispness to Hollywood Nights that needs to be appreciated in weighing its place among the greats of its catalog. The second single from his mega popular album Stranger In Town, Hollywood Nights kicks the album off with an immediate sense of urgency on the supercharged rocker backed by a galloping beat. Inspired by driving through the Hollywood Hills where he lived at the height of his fame, you can sense he knows this is his moment on Hollywood Nights, with Seger and the band both at their absolute best.

10. Still the Same

Seger loves to write about the hardened individuals who never fold and never give in. Still the Same might be the best of them, as the song’s gambling protagonist goes from impressing Seger with his wit and ability to move from game to game without getting found out to having his act wear thin. The melodic and soulful piano ballad was another in a long streak of hit singles for Seger and the Silver Bullet Band, reaching No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1978. It’s a song that reminds us the things we used to love can look different and lose luster with time and perspective.

9. Old Time Rock & Roll

There are likely two camps of people: Those wondering how I could have possibly ranked this song so low and those who’d prefer I left it off the list entirely. Old Time Rock & Roll is played out, sure. The next wedding I attend that doesn’t play this song will be the first. That shouldn’t dismiss the song’s rightful place among Seger’s crowning achievements, though, when you consider its undeniable chart success and enduring legacy, from the Risky Business cameo to its supposed standing as Seger’s favorite song. Attempting to Men in Black the context of this song and weigh where it stands among Seger’s best tracks, it feels appropriate to position it right in the middle of his biggest hits. That shouldn’t be seen as a slight and Old Time Rock & Roll reputation as Seger’s catchiest song shouldn’t suffer from its widespread popularity.

8. Roll Me Away

Seger’s supposed “Michigan” tune Roll Me Away is really a larger ode to America and the open road. Almost in an instant, the song’s character departs and is 12 hours outside of Mackinaw City on his way to Jackson Hole, Wyoming on a motorcycle trip searching to find meaning and a better life. The song was based on an actual cross-country motorcycle trip Seger took, with the rollicking Springsteen-esque piano ballad reaching its emotional climax at the Great Divide. An anthem by any definition, it’s easy to understand why several critics including Rolling Stone Seger scholar Dave Marsh call Roll Me Away Seger’s best song.

7. Fire Lake

It makes a lot of sense than Seger’s riskiest single happens to be about drum roll … taking risks! This country ballad might seem like a puzzling choice for lead single on his 1980 album Against the Wind, but its haunting contemplations about leaving it all behind and “heading off with a bunch of wild people,” as Seger has described it, stands out for breaking from his typical rock hit formula. Recorded at Muscle Shoals approximately nine years after it was written, with a trio of Eagles (Glenn Frey, Don Henley and Timothy Schmit) providing backing vocals, Fire Lake is a lush track that breaks from Seger’s classic rock tropes for something different; something stranger. The long shot gamble paid off.

6. 2+2=?

For true Seger heads, 2+2=? is the surviving representative of his best early, less available recordings. Seger also is at his most punk rock, as he tended to be more often in the early 1970s. This anti-Vietnam War jam chugs with a bubbling intensity that quickly boils behind a sinister guitar riff. Add to it the speculative lore that the song’s bassline was a primary inspiration for American stadium anthem Seven Nation Army, and you get 2+2=?, an enduring reminder of Seger’s early fire.

5. Night Moves

An adult reflection on a coming of age moment, Night Moves was Seger’s first single to chart in seven years when it reached No. 4 on the Billboard charts as the lead single and title track off his breakthrough 1976 album. While I don’t necessarily love songs detailing Bob Seger’s sexual conquests, I’ll admit, Night Moves is a jam with a soulful punch and sweet melody. Inspired by events from his own adolescence including going into a farmer’s field in Ann Arbor to dance, Night Moves is the song that graduated Seger from regional rock star to household name.

4. Rock and Roll Never Forgets

As Seger explains it, Rock and Roll Never Forgets is a grateful song. Grateful to all of the people who came to see him in the small clubs and the arenas. Grateful for his first 10 years that began with four figure annual earnings and ended with the 6X platinum album Night Moves. The third and final single from Night Moves, Rock and Roll Never Forgets didn’t chart as well as its predecessors, but time has proven it to be the quintessential Seger rocker. Sure, you can slap the lazy “midtempo” label on Rock and Roll Never Forgets, but that term always feels like a dismissal of the song’s power to make you feel something, whether it’s about aging, losing your edge or trying to salvage what’s left of your “rock and roll years,” whatever that means to you. Seger’s best songs deliver emotional haymakers that remind you that it all goes too fast in the catchiest way imaginable. No song embodies that description in his catalog like Rock and Roll Never Forgets.

3. Ramblin' Gamblin' Man

There is not a colder opener in Seger’s catalog. That beat. That organ. The patented “gravely” sneer. It all feels fully realized on what would eventually be recognized as the title track from The Bob Seger System’s debut album. It was also his first hit, although it would be several years before Seger sniffed the same level of success that Ramblin’ Gamblin’ Man achieved after its release in 1969 by reaching No. 17 on the Billboard charts, providing the first hint of his hit making capabilities. It’s hard to argue he’s rocked any harder since.

2. Against the Wind

Calling Against the Wind Seger’s best nostalgic, introspective ballad feels like a big statement. Dude basically made his name on those. It doesn’t feel like a stretch to call it that, though, even if you only get as far as the song’s opening line: Seems like yesterday, but it was long ago … There are others: Wish I didn’t know now, What I didn’t know then and my personal favorite: I was livin’ to run and runnin’ to live, never worried about paying/or even how much I owed. That is a LOT of processing of those drifter days, as Seger puts it, even if he claims the song grabs inspiration more literally from his cross country days at what is now Pioneer High School. Seger has said it’s about “trying to move ahead, keeping your sanity and integrity at the same time.” It’s also about fighting through the hard times in relationships, like the one he had with longtime partner Janey Dinsdale, and getting older.

If you’re into visiting that mindset, Against the Wind is likely your thing, filled with laments, regrets and plenty of clear-eyed hindsight. It’s a song about the older version of you taking a moment to shake your head at the things you spent so much time toiling over and worrying about. Produced by Eagles producer Bill Szymczyk with backing vocals from Glenn Frey, the piano ballad reached No. 5 on the Billboard charts, executing Seger’s vision for the album as a well-constructed, professional sounding hit, helping it become his only No. 1 album. Stripping away the grit and rock and roll strut from his mid-70’s run of hits, Against the Wind instead showcases Seger’s evolution as a songwriter and lyricist, achieving what feels like a high water mark on both fronts.

1. Turn the Page

It’s the sax. I’ll admit it. The sax is what puts Turn the Page over the top as the most singular Seger song. But then, everything about Turn the Page feels singular and different from anything else he’s done. Written while touring with Teegarden & Van Winlke in 1972, Turn the Page is the ultimate anthem for the exhausted, road weary rocker, surviving its initial spot on a now very hard to find record Back in ‘72, to become Seger’s most enduring hit. It feels fitting that the top song on this list earned its stripes as a live cut off Seger and the Silver Bullet Band’s legendary 5x platinum ‘Live’ Bullet, an album I’ve only mentioned a dozen times in this countdown. Turn the Page also endures and resonates in the classic rock and roll canon, with covers from Gold Earring, Waylon Jennings and Metallica, a guitar-heavy version that topped the Billboard rock charts.

Beyond all the charts and certifications and lore, though, there’s still an air of mystery surrounding Turn the Page that makes it feel very personal for the listener. Regardless of whether you’ve ever been a touring musician or traveled on a lonesome highway east of Omaha, you can still feel what Seger’s feeling when he gets stared down walking into a restaurant with long hair — a real thing that happened, serving as inspiration for the song, Seger says. The echo from the amplifier might not be what’s ringing in your head; the day’s last cigarette might be something else. At the end of the day, Turn the Page is about the end of the day — the quiet moment of zen before moving forward and doing it all over again.