Bob Seger, Old Time Rock & Roll | Throwback Vibez

In the 38^th edition of Throwback Vibez (2026), we recollect and reflect on “Old Time Rock & Roll” by Bob Seger.

 

Can you feel those vibes, those surefire Throwback Vibez?! Throwback Vibez is a column that celebrates awesome songs from the past. Ah, there is nothing like a good oldie to get you fired up! The records featured in this column feature gems from the 20^th century, with a few exceptions. All genres of music are welcome. In the 38^th edition of Throwback Vibez (2026), we recollect and reflect on “Old Time Rock & Roll” performed by Bob Seger.  

Detroit rocker Bob Seger (b. 1945) had a legitimate point. “Old Time Rock & Roll” is one of Seger’s beloved hits, attributed to him and The Silver Bullet Band. It is the third track from Seger’s 1978 album, Stranger in Town.  One of the most memorable moments involving the song is the movie scene from Risky Business where Joel Goodsen (played by Tom Cruise) dances to the song in his underwear. While Seger earned higher charting hits, “Old Time Rock & Rock” reached the top 30 of the pop charts, where it peaked at number 28 on the Billboard Hot 100.  In 2022, the single was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.  Thomas Earl Jones III and George Jackson composed the song. Seger, notably, rewrote some of the lyrics, but isn’t credited. Seger and the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, who also performed on the record, produced it.

“Old Time Rock & Roll” commences with a distinct, descending piano riff (Barry Beckett).  Beckett’s piano skills kill it throughout the course of the record.  Once the groove enters the mix, it’s electrifying.  So are the juicy guitars, which have some stank.  Of course, the star of the show is Bob Seger.  Seger delivers assertive, incredibly gritty vocals. Clearly, the man is fully invested in the spirit of that “old time rock & roll.” Woo!  He masterfully brings the memorable theme and lyrics, and tuneful melodies to life.  He’s bold in his rebuke of this new soul-less music: “Call me a relic, call me what you will / Say I’m old-fashioned, say I’m over the hill / Today’s music ain’t got the same soul / I like that old time rock and roll.”  The chorus is the section to beat:

“Still like that old time rock and roll

That kind of music just soothes the soul

I reminisce about the days of old

With that old time rock and roll.”

1:55 minutes in, there is a brief but killer saxophone solo by Alto Reed (Thomas Neal Cartmell, 1948 – 2020).  There is a great instrumental break at 2:26.  The full instrumentation returns after the brief contrast, with Bob Seger continuing to do his big one vocally.  Ultimately, the unforgettable classic fades out in all of its rocking glory. “Old Time Rock & Roll” does not require extensive analysis.  The music speaks for itself.  Bob Seger is locked in, and from the opening riff to the fade out, this is the definition, the exemplification of classic rock & roll 🤘.

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Bob Seger » Stranger In Town » Hideout Records & Distributors, Inc. / Capitol Records » 1978

Bob Seger, Old Time Rock & Roll: Throwback Vibez No. 38 (2026) [📷: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; Hideout Records & Distributors, Inc. / Capitol Record; Clker-Free-Vector-Images, Gordon Johnson, schubinger from Pixabay]

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