Bob Seger: A Retrospective, 1968-2011

Bob Seger A Retrospective: 1968-2011

Overview: Rock singer/songwriter born Robert Clark Seger on 5/6/1945 in Detroit, Michigan. Has sold more than 51 million records worldwide. Songs have been covered by Brooks & Dunn, Cher, Waylon Jennings, Keb’ Mo’, Kid Rock, Barry Manilow, Martina McBride, Metallica, Bette Midler, The Pointer Sisters, Rod Stewart, Tina Turner, Conway Twitty, and Dottie West. His 1994 Greatest Hits album has been a continuous presence on either the Billboard Top 200 Albums or Catalog Albums charts since its release and was named the #1 Catalog Album of the Decade (2000-2010). On the Web: BobSeger.com (official site) Facebook Wikipedia

Awards:

Compilations: G1 Greatest Hits (1976-1994, released 1994) G2 Greatest Hits 2 (1975-2003, released 2003) U Ultimate Hits: Rock and Roll Never Forgets (1968-2011, released 2011) Under each album snapshot, songs featured on the anthologies are noted. If the song charted, the date of the song’s release or first chart appearance and its chart peaks are noted in parentheses. Click for codes to charts.

Ramblin’ Gamblin’ Man (aka “The Bob Seger System”) (1968): Ramblin’ Gamblin’ Man (9/68, 17 US, 22 CB, 10 GR, 16 HR, 7 CL, 18 CN, 13 DF U

Beautiful Loser (1975): Beautiful Loser (5/24/75, 7 CL, 9 DF) G2, U * Katmandu (8/8/75, 43 US, 45 CB, 34 GR, 48 HR, 7 CL, 57 CN, 20 DF) G2, U Travelin’ Man (7 CL, 14 DF) U * * The versions of “Beautiful Loser” and “Travelin’ Man” on Ultimate Hits are actually live versions from the Live Bullet album.

Live Bullet (live, 1976): Turn the Page (live) (11/77, 1 CL, 1 DF) G1, U

Night Moves (1976): Night Moves (12/4/76, 4 US, 6 CB, 7 GR, 5 HR, 4 RR, 1 CL, 45 UK, 5 CN, 25 AU, 4 DF) G1, U Mainstreet (4/23/77, 24 US, 19 CB, 18 GR, 32 HR, 23 RR, 5 CL, 1 CN, 11 DF) G1, U Rock and Roll Never Forgets (7/9/77, 41 US, 50 CB, 57 HR, 5 CL, 13 DF) G2, U The Fire Down Below (6 CL, 25 DF) G2, U Sunspot Baby (13 CL, 28 DF) G2 Click for DMDB album page.

Stranger in Town (1978): Still the Same (5/12/78, 4 US, 4 CB, 1 GR, 5 HR, 2 RR, 27 AC, 2 CL, 4 CN, 23 AU, 9 DF) G1, U Hollywood Nights (8/12/78, 12 US, 13 CB, 10 GR, 15 HR, 10 RR, 3 CL, 42 UK, 12 CN, 52 AU, 13 DF) G1, U We’ve Got Tonight (10/28/78, 13 US, 11 CB, 12 GR, 11 HR, 9 RR, 29 AC, 5 CL, 22 UK, 9 CN, 31 AU, 8 DF) G1, U Old Time Rock and Roll (4/7/79, 28 US, 34 CB, 33 GR, 40 HR, 1 CL, 31 CN, 3 AU, 1 DF) G1, U Click for DMDB album page.

Against the Wind (1980): Fire Lake (2/22/80, 6 US, 6 CB, 2 GR, 5 HR, 31 AC, 2 CL, 3 CN, 13 DF) G2, U Against the Wind (4/25/80, 5 US, 8 CB, 3 GR, 9 HR, 3 RR, 8 AC, 3 CL, 6 CN, 92 AU, 4 DF) G1, U You’ll Accomp’ny Me (7/25/80, 14 US, 20 CB, 13 GR, 19 HR, 8 RR, 17 AC, 6 CL, 8 CN, 9 DF) G1, U Her Strut (4 CL, 13 DF) G2, U Click for DMDB album page.

Nine Tonight (live, 1981): Tryin’ to Live My Life Without You (live) (9/11/81, 5 US, 8 CB, 4 GR, 7 HR, 5 RR, 2 AR, 11 CN, 15 DF) G2, U

The Distance (1982): Shame on the Moon (12/17/82, 2 US, 5 CB, 1 GR, 1 RR, 1 AC, 8 CN, 11 DF) G2, U Roll Me Away (1/15/83, 27 US, 28 CB, 18 GR, 19 RR, 13 AR, 13 DF) G1, U

Like a Rock (1986): Like a Rock (4/19/86, 12 US, 15 CB, 18 GR, 17 RR, 21 AC, 1 AR, 33 CN, 74 AU, 7 DF) G1, U

The Fire Inside (1991): The Fire Inside (9/21/91, 45 AC, 35 CN, 37 DF) G1 New Coat of Paint G2

Greatest Hits Bob Seger

Released: October 25, 1994 Recorded: 1976-1994 Peak: 8 US, 6 UK, 5 CN, 5 AU, 8 DF Sales (in millions): 10.0 US, 0.1 UK, 12.1 world (includes US and UK) Genre: classic rock Rating: 4.155 out of 5.00 (average of 9 ratings)

Awards: (Click on award to learn more).

Tracks: (1) Roll Me Away (2) Night Moves (3) Turn the Page (live) (4) You’ll Accompn’y Me (5) Hollywood Nights (6) Still the Same (7) Old Time Rock and Roll (8) We’ve Got Tonite (9) Against the Wind (10) Mainstreet (11) The Fire Inside (12) Like a Rock (13) C’est La Vie (14) In Your Time Total Running Time: 61:54 Tracks Not on Previously Noted Albums: C’est La Vie (29 DF) G1 In Your Time (25 CN) G1

It’s a Mystery (1995): Manhattan G2

Greatest Hits 2 Bob Seger

Released: November 4, 2003 Recorded: 1975-2003 Peak: 23 US Sales (in millions): 1.0 US Genre: classic rock Rating: 3.032 out of 5.00 (average of 6 ratings)

Tracks: (1) Understanding (2) The Fire Down Below (3) Her Strut (4) Beautiful Loser (5) Sunspot Baby (6) Katmandu (7) Shame on the Moon (8) Fire Lake (9) Tryin’ to Live My Life Without You (live) (10) Shakedown (11) Manhattan (12) New Coat of Paint (13) Chances Are (14) Rock and Roll Never Forgets (15) Satisfied (16) Tomorrow Total Running Time: 67:09 Tracks Not on Previously Noted Albums: Understanding (from Teachers soundtrack) (10/13/84, 17 US, 20 CB, 19 GR, 20 RR, 7 AC, 5 AR, 38 CN, 18 DF) G2 Shakedown (from Beverly Hills Cop II soundtrack) (5/22/87, 1 US, 1 CB, 2 GR, 1 RR, 1 AR, 88 UK, 1 CN, 12 DF) G2, U Chances Are (with Martina McBride from Hope Floats soundtrack) (6/27/98, 23 AC, 40 CN, 36 DF) G2 Satisfied G2 Tomorrow G2

Face the Promise (2006): Wait for Me (7/22/06, 16 AC, 52 CW) U

Ultimate Hits: Rock and Roll Never Forgets Bob Seger

Released: November 21, 2011 Recorded: 1968-2011 Peak: 19 US, -- UK, -- CN, 5 AU Sales (in millions): 1.0 US Genre: classic rock Rating: 3.435 out of 5.00 (average of 7 ratings)

Tracks, Disc 1: (1) Old Time Rock and Roll (2) Hollywood Nights (3) Night Moves (4) Mainstreet (5) Roll Me Away (6) Turn the Page (live) (7) Her Strut (8) Still the Same (9) You’ll Accomp’ny Me (10) We’ve Got Tonight (11) Like a Rock (12) Fire Lake (13) Tryin’ to Live My Life Without You (live) Tracks, Disc 2: (1) Rock and Roll Never Forgets (2) Against the Wind (3) Ramblin’ Gamblin’ Man (4) The Fire Down Below (5) Travelin’ Man (live) (6) Beautiful Loser (live) (7) Shakedown (8) Shame on the Moon (9) Katmandu (10) The Little Drummer Boy (11) Wait for Me (12) Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey (Going Back to Birmingham) (13) Downtown Train Total Running Time: 108:06 Tracks Not on Previously Noted Albums: The Little Drummer Boy (from the various artists’ compilation A Very Special Christmas) (11/14/87, 17 DF) U Downtown Train (2/28/11, 17 AC, 34 DF) U Hey Hey Hey Hey (Going Back to Birmingham) (9/29/11, --) U

Resources and Related Links: DMDB encyclopedia entry for Bob Seger Dave’s Music Database: Acts’ Profile Pages and Best-of Lists Wikipedia page for Greatest Hits Wikipedia page for Greatest Hits 2 Wikipedia page for Ultimate Hits: Rock and Roll Never Forgets First posted 2/11/2023; last updated 2/12/2023.

Lyle Lovett and Keb’ Mo’ cover Bob Seger's "Till It Shines"

Till It Shines Lyle Lovett & Keb’ Mo’

Writer(s): Bob Seger (see lyrics here) Released: 5/5/1978 (Seger), 9/21/1999 (Lovett/Keb’ Mo’) First Charted: -- Peak: 47 CL (Seger), 1 DF (Lovett/Keb’ Mo’) (Click for codes to charts.) Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio; 2.20 (Seger), 0.04 (Lovett/Keb’ Mo’) video; 15.12 (Seger), 0.62 (Lovett/Keb’ Mo’) streaming

Awards (Lovett/Keb’ Mo’): Click on award for more details.

About the Song: Music history is littered with overlooked songs. Some get released as singles but just don’t catch on. Others are unfairly overlooked as possible singles. There are some songs – like “Till It Shines” – which manage to miss the mark more than once. Bob Seger wrote the song and released it on Stranger in Town in 1978. It was his second consecutive top-ten, multi-platinum album with his Silver Bullet Band. The album featured four top-40 hits – “Still the Same” (#4), “Hollywood Nights” (#12), “We’ve Got Tonite” (#13), and “Old Time Rock and Roll” (#28) as well as the album rock staple “Feel Like a Number.” That could well explain why a song as good as “Till It Shines” got lost in the shuffle. While a good song, it was overwhelmed by just how strong the entire album was. GreatSongs.com called the song a “powerful anthem” FL that “is beautifully straightforward yet profoundly universal,” FL delivering a “message with an authenticity that is both comforting and inspiring.” FL It speaks of “navigating the complexities of life with a blend of grit and optimism.” FL It “speaks of the daily grind, the challenges that life throws our way, and the unwavering hope that keeps us going, believing that eventually things will get better.” FL The song got a second chance two decades later when Lyle Lovett and Keb’ Mo’ covered it. It was featured on the soundtrack for Mumford, a comedy/drama film from director Lawrence Kasdan. Sadly, the powers that be failed once again to see the potential the song had as a single. The pairing of Lyle Lovett and Keb’ Mo’ was inspired. Both artists were veterans with more than a decade of albums under their belt. Both built audiences because of their blend of different genres. Lovett, born in Houston in 1957, was pegged as a country artist, but he blended jazz, blues, and even big band into his sound. He had six straight gold albums and had gained a measure of celebrity status for his marriage to Julia Roberts from 1993 to 1995. Keb’ Mo’, born Kevin Moore in Los Angeles in 1951, was known for music in a blues vein, but held an appeal to the same adult alternative radio listeners who championed Lovett. He had four albums under his belt at the time and while none had sold enough to even reach gold status, his previous two releases both won Grammys for Best Contemporary Blues Album, an award he would snag again in 2000. In the end, a song written by a massively successful recording artist didn’t land the first time. It didn’t land the second time. However, in the hands of two artists who knew how to connect with their audiences, it fell short of the audience it deserved but still delivered its message of hope and inspiration to those who did listen. Resources: FL GreatSongs.FunnyLuffy.com (5/17/2025). “Bob Seger – ‘Till It Shines’” Related Links: First posted 11/20/2025.

Toto “Stranger in Town” charted

Stranger in Town Toto

Writer(s): David Paich, Jeff Porcaro (see lyrics here) First Charted: October 27, 1984 Peak: 30 US, 26 CB, 21 GR, 21 RR, 7 AR, 100 UK, 16 CN, 40 AU, 1DF (Click for codes to charts.) Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 9.3 video, -- streaming

Awards: Click on award for more details.

About the Song: Toto formed in Los Angeles in 1977. The original lineup consisted of the brothers Jeff Porcaro (drums) and Steve Porcaro (keyboards) along with Steve Lukather (guitar), David Hungate (bass), David Paich (keyboards, vocals), and Bobby Kimball (vocals). That lineup would reach its greatest acclaim and commercial success with 1982’s Toto IV, which produced three top-10 hits – “Rosanna” (#2), “Africa” (#1), and “I Won’t Hold You Back” (#10). It also won the Grammy for Album of the Year. Their next album would see the group’s first shakeup in members. Bobby Kimball was fired during the making of the 1984 album Isolation, although he was still credited as a guest musician. The album went gold and peaked at #42 – a far cry from the multi-platinum top-5 success of the group’s previous effort. The lead single, “Stranger in Town,” featured Paich on vocals and was written by him and Jeff Porcaro. While it reached the top 40, it was a disappointment compared to the success of the singles from Toto IV. Toto would go on to land three more top-40 hits in the 1980s before disappearing from the pop charts. The song’s lyrics are based on the 1961 film Whistle Down the Wind, a British children’s crime drama. The Lancashire children discover a fugitive hiding in their barn. They mistake him for Jesus Christ and the story spreads to other children who come to visit him. He plays along as a way to hide out from the law. However, with posters circulating in town about a wanted murderer, the Lancashire’s father catches on to what his children are doing and calls the police to apprehend him. WK This story was recreated for the music video, with Brad Dourif playing the convict. The video was directed by Steve Barron, who also did such iconic videos as Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean,” aha’s “Take on Me,” and Dire Straits’ “Money for Nothing.” He had also previously worked with Toto on their video for “Africa.” One of the most dramatic scenes in the video for “Stranger in Town” (which is also taken from the movie) is when Dourif is apprehended by the police. He stretches out his arms in a manner that echoes the crucifixion as he is padded down and then cuffed. Resources: DMDB encyclopedia entry for Toto WK Wikipedia page for Whistle Down the Wind First posted 12/10/2022; last updated 12/29/2022.