Mikey’s Ultimate Jukebox: Why Bob Seger Matters To Me
He was the working man’s musician. He was responsible for the #1 jukebox tune of all time, Old Time Rock & Roll. With a classic raspy shouting voice, he was a staple of heartland rock. His music appealed to the common mand! Ladies and gentlemen… Bob Seger (& The Silver Bullet Band). And why he matters to me.
Band Members: N/A
Year Inducted: 2013
Years As A Fan: 24 Years (*1994)
Intro Song: Old Time Rock & Roll
Top 500 Songs: Night Moves, Against The Wind
Addl. Key Songs: Come To Poppa, The Fire Inside, Rock & Roll Never Forgets, Roll Me Away, Hollywood Nights, Beautiful Loser, Wait For Me, Understanding, Love’s The Last To Know, You’ll Accompany Me, We’ve Got Tonight, Her Strut, The Horizontal Bop
Key Albums: Night Moves, Stranger In Town, Against The Wind,
Personal Music Awards: N/A
Seen Live: 2011 Madison Square Garden
Photo Opp: N/A
I’d think that any fellow rock & roll fan born in 1977 like me were first introduced to the greatness of Bob Seger as a result of the success of his classic tune, Old Time Rock & Roll. The song was featured on prominently in the 1983 Tom Cruise star-making film, Risky Business. It was played over and over on the popular and rock radio. The music video featuring Tom Cruise in his underwear was on constant MTV rotation. And when jukeboxes mattered in those golden days, Old Time Rock & Roll was determined to be the most played jukebox song of all time. It was simply EVERYWHERE! The fact that Bob Seger detests the song and wishes he never recorded it is beyond the point. Maybe because he didn’t write it which meant he doesn’t receive the publishing royalties. As a young boy absorbing music at an early age, my little brain associated Old Time Rock & Roll as something really special and it definitely was one of the first songs to grab my attention and feel the power of rock & roll. Bob Seger had other great songs in the 80’s, but little Mikey Hersh couldn’t remember the difference between Bob Seger and Kenny Rogers back then and who sang what! Two husky voiced singers with beards that sang great tunes!!! I didn’t own any Bob Seger cassettes or 45’ records, but that Old Time Rock & Roll song always brought a smile to my face when it came on my radar during my early childhood. Bob Seger would continue to record more hits in the 80’s and 90's, but he fell off my radar as I began craving the decadent glam metal bands.
When I began compiling a collection of CD’s focusing primarily on classic rock greatest hits in the mid 90's, I realized there was not a Bob Seger compilation greatest hits album available. That all changed in 1994 when I saw it featured in the front of a music store in a Florida mall. Those music stores used to have listening booths in which you could sample the music before determining if you wanted to purchase the album. I spent the time to listen to the entire album and was introduced to his tunes that I missed out from the 70’s and early 80’s like Against The Wind, Roll Me Away, and Night Moves. I also got some pleasure of hearing that old Time Rock & Roll song and others that I remembered but had forgotten from my childhood like Still The Same, We’ve Got Tonight, and Hollywood Nights. I bought the album a year later after hearing more Seger tunes on classic radio station 92.3 even if many other songs of his like Her Strut, Shakedown, and Rock & Roll Never Forgets were not on the album. That album would become one of the highest-selling albums on the catalog charts, and it became a staple of my listening habits during my junior and senior year of high school. Although I knew nothing about playing guitar, I would fantasize about being a rock & roll hero in my bedroom . All the girls in school that I had crushes on would adore me as I melted their hearts in my mind performing Against The Wind.
Ever since then, I’ve added all of the Bob Seger studio and live albums to my collection while discovering more hidden gems like Come To Poppa, Sunspot Baby, and Understanding from the Teachers soundtrack. His music represents the “common” man featuring great melodies that appeals to the mass market. His lyrics were special. “Wish I didn’t know what I didn’t know then” from Against The Wind is my one of favorite quotes of all time. I had the pleasure of finally seeing Bob Seger in concert a few years ago at Madison Square Garden. The show was great including a surprise cameo of Bruce Springsteen making his first appearance since the death of his friend and E-Street legend, Clarence Clemons. There could only be one Bob Seger classic he would add his talents to. Of course, Old Time Rock & Roll. Beyond the performance, the concert was also a great experience chilling with some young Seger fans sitting next to me, and some drunk Southern girl who thought I was cool because it looked like I was smoking pot but would not leave me alone. And although I was around the reefer, I don’t actually remember if I actually smoked it since my friend’s conservative dad was there and I didn’t want him to think less of me. Bob Seger continues to release new music every few years, and I’m still a fan. His new material continues to shine. God bless Bob Seger and his talents!
-Mikey Hersh
