"Rock and Roll Never Forgets" is a song written by American singer-songwriter

Bob Seger Robert Clark Seger ( ; born May 6, 1945) is a retired American singer, songwriter, and musician. As a locally successful Detroit-area artist, he performed and recorded with the groups Bob Seger and the Last Heard and the Bob Seger System throu ...

. The song first appeared on Seger's ninth studio album '' Night Moves'' (1976). The song was released in early 1977 as the third and final single from the album. The song peaked at No. 41 on the

Billboard Hot 100 The ''Billboard'' Hot 100, also known as simply the Hot 100, is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for songs, published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine. Chart rankings are based on sales (physical and digital), ...

, charting less successfully than the previous two singles. Nevertheless, "Rock and Roll Never Forgets" remains popular with Seger fans, and has become a staple of

classic rock Classic rock is a radio format that developed from the album-oriented rock (AOR) format in the early 1980s. In the United States, it comprises rock music ranging generally from the mid-1960s through the early-1990s, primarily focusing on comm ...

radio.

Background

According to Seger, he wrote this song after attending a high school reunion. "I wanted to just write an honest appraisal of where I was at that moment in time," he said. "I was 31 years old and I was damn glad to be here." The song is accompanied by a mid-tempo sound and Seger's signature raspy vocals. Seger expanded: The song is about aging and the ongoing power of rock music. The song advises the 31 year old listener to return to the rock 'n' roll she loved when she was 16. The song also serves as a tribute to

Chuck Berry Charles Edward Anderson Berry (October 18, 1926 – March 18, 2017) was an American singer, guitarist and songwriter who pioneered rock and roll. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Father of Rock and Roll", he refined and de ...

, who is mentioned in the line "Well all of Chuck's children are out there playing his licks/Get into your kicks/Come back baby rock and roll never forgets."

Personnel

Credits are adapted from the

liner notes Liner notes (also sleeve notes or album notes) are the writings found on the sleeves of LP record albums and in booklets that come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or cassette j-cards. Origin Liner notes are descended from the prog ...

of Seger's 2003 ''

Greatest Hits 2 ''Greatest Hits Volume Two'' (or variants) may refer to any of the following albums: * ''Greatest Hits Vol. 2'' (ABBA album) (1979) * ''Greatest Hits II'' (Clint Black album) (2001) * ''Greatest Hits, Vol. 2'' (Johnny Cash album) (1971) * ''Greate ...

'' compilation. *

– lead vocals The Silver Bullet Band * Drew Abbott – guitar *Chris Campbell –

bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Wood * Bass or basswood, the wood of the tilia americana tree Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in th ...

*Charlie Allen Martin – drums *

Alto Reed Alto Reed (born Thomas Neal Cartmell, May 16, 1948 – December 30, 2020) was an American saxophonist The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of Single-reed instrument, single-reed woodwind instrument with a conic ...

– saxophone * Robyn Robbins – piano,

organ Organ and organs may refer to: Biology * Organ (biology), a group of tissues organized to serve a common function * Organ system, a collection of organs that function together to carry out specific functions within the body. Musical instruments ...

Reception

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...

'' praised the song as "no-bullshit, horn-slathered Silver Bullet crunch with a nod to Chuck Berry (who is name-checked in the last verse) – makes the case for rock's longevity as well as the lyrics do." ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

'' said that the "standard riffs played at intense energy levels by the rhythm section make an almost ironic counterpoint to the

Van Morrison Sir George Ivan "Van" Morrison (born 31 August 1945) is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician whose recording career started in the 1960s. Morrison's albums have performed well in the UK and Ireland, with more than 40 reaching the UK ...

-type lyrics about the funky fun of the golden days of young rock music." ''

Cash Box ''Cashbox'', also known as ''Cash Box'', is an American music industry trade magazine, originally published weekly from July 1942 to November 1996. Ten years after its dissolution, it was revived and continues as ''Cashbox Magazine'', an online ...

'' said that it "rocks the hardest mong the ''Night Moves'' singles without losing the melodic and harmonic interest" and that a "really catchy intro is icing on the cake as this record builds to an exciting close with rollicking horns and a turned-on lead vocal." ''

Record World ''Record World'' magazine was one of three major weekly music industry trade magazines in the United States, with ''Billboard'' and '' Cashbox''. It was founded in 1946 as ''Music Vendor''. In 1964, it was changed to ''Record World'' under the ...

'' said that "it's infectious, fast-paced rock 'n' roll with a wistful message." ''Classic Rock History'' critic Janey Roberts rated it as Seger's sixth best song, calling it "One of the greatest album-opening rock and roll songs ever released."

References

{{Bob Seger Bob Seger songs Songs written by Bob Seger 1977 songs Song recordings produced by Bob Seger 1977 singles Capitol Records singles Song recordings produced by Punch Andrews