Bob Seger celebrated his 79th birthday on May 6, 2024. The Michigan rock legend has written and recorded so many classic songs, 19 of which were Top-40 hits on the Billboard Hot 100.
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Seger was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2004. He retired from the road in 2019 after wrapping up a farewell tour.
Over the years, many of Seger’s songs were recorded by various well-known artists. Here are five noteworthy cover versions of his compositions:
Kenny Rogers and Sheena Easton – “We’ve Got Tonight” (1983)
In 1978, Seger and his Silver Bullet Band scored a big hit with “We’ve Got Tonite,” a ballad from their Stranger in Town album that reached No. 13 on the Hot 100. The song is about a lonely man trying to convince a lonely woman he just met to spend the night with him. Seger was inspired to write the tune by a scene from the Oscar-winning 1974 film The Sting.
In 1983, country star Kenny Rogers and pop singer Sheena Easton recorded a duet version of the song, released with the modified, correctly spelled title “We’ve Got Tonight.”
Their rendition topped the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart and reached No. 6 on the Hot 100. It also was honored by performance-rights organization ASCAP as the the Most Performed Country Song of 1983.
The Highwaymen – “Against the Wind” (1985)
“Against the Wind” was the title track of Seger and the Silver Bullet Band’s 1980 album. The song peaked at No. 5 on the Hot 100 that year and it’s become one of the singer/songwriter’s most enduring tunes.
In 1985, the country supergroup The Highwaymen, which featured Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, and Kris Kristofferson, recorded a version of “Against the Wind” for their self-titled debut album. Their rendition featured lead vocals by Jennings, Cash, and Nelson.
The song was released as a single, but The Highwaymen album reached No. 1 on the Billboard Country Albums chart.
Metallica – “Turn the Page” (1998)
Seger’s original studio version of “Turn the Page” appeared on his 1973 solo album Back in ’72. In 1976, he and the Silver Bullet Band released a live rendition of the tune on their Live Bullet album that’s become a staple on classic-rock radio.
Metallica recorded a gritty version of “Turn the Page” that was released on the heavy metal band’s 1998 covers compilation Garage Inc. The hard rockers’ rendition of the tune peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks tally.
During a 2012 red-carpet interview with Artisan News, Seger said he thought Metallica’s cover of “Turn the Page” was great.
“They told me they were gonna do it, and I loved it,” he said. “I really like the drums, especially, ’cause our drums are really simple. … What a cool take on it.”
Rod Stewart – “Still the Same” (2006)
“Still the Same” was another big hit for Seger and the Silver Bullet Band from the Stranger in Town album. The track peaked at No. 4 on the Hot 100.
In 2006, Rod Stewart covered the song and used it as the title track for his classic-rock covers project, Still the Same… Great Rock Classics of Our Time. The album reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200.
It also included versions of well-known songs by Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Pretenders, Cat Stevens, The Eagles, Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, and many others.
Dolly Parton with Chris Stapleton – “Night Moves” (2023)
“Night Moves” was Seger and the Silver Bullet Band’s breakthrough hit. Appearing on the 1976 album of the same name, it reached No. 4 on the Hot 100.
Country legend Dolly Parton recorded a version of “Night Moves” for her sprawling first-ever rock-music album, Rockstar, which was released last year.
According to an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Parton had planned to work with Seger on her rendition of the song, but he was having some vocal issues at the time. Instead, she asked contemporary country superstar Chris Stapleton to sing the tune with her. As she noted, “he killed it.”
