It’s an intimidating task to come up with a Top 10 list of Bob Seger’s greatest songs. He simply has so many fabulous tunes that some real gems are going to be left on the editing room floor. Still, I’m always up for a good challenge. So, here are my picks for Bob’s best, organized chronologically:
“Ramblin’ Gamblin’ Man” (1968): Most people are familiar with the later live version, but the original studio cut is even more powerful.
“Turn the Page” (1976): This lonesome life-on-the-road tale is often held up as Seger’s greatest triumph. The classic version is found on 1976’s “Live Bullet,” although some might prefer Metallica’s incredibly satisfying cover rendition.
“Beautiful Loser” (1976): It serves as a winning title cut to Seger’s eighth studio album, which was released in 1975. It’s even more gripping on “Live Bullet,” paired with the nearly as memorable “Travelin’ Man.”
“Night Moves” (1976): The song just has so much going for it, from the superb backing vocals to the nostalgia-rich lyrics to one of the most memorable acoustic guitar riffs of all time.
“Hollywood Nights” (1978): More great rock songs have been written about Los Angeles than any other city. Yet, Seger’s salute might just be the best of them all.
“You’ll Accomp’ny Me” (1980): Seger’s best love song.
“Against the Wind” (1980): Seger is more than a great tunesmith, he is a superb lyricist as well. This song, filled with so many memorable lines, rich with nostalgia and colored with painful hindsight, is one of his finest moments as a lyricist.
“Roll Me Away” (1982): Seger proves once again to be a master storyteller.
“Like a Rock” (1986): Even some of Seger’s most ardent fans are tired of this song, which was used to sell Chevys in a ubiquitous TV ad campaign in the ’90s and early 2000s. However, the song’s soaring guitar solo alone more than compensates for the overexposure.
“Blind Love” (1991): Seger is a member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame, yet he’s also not opposed to recording the occasional cover tune. He borrowed this spellbinding beauty from the Tom Waits songbook.
— Jim Harrington
