The only thing better than a classic rock and roll song might be a song that celebrates rock and roll. Fortunately, the genre has plenty of songs that do just that, including these three songs, which are still pretty incredible today.
“Old Time Rock And Roll” by Bob Seger
Bob Seger released “Old Time Rock And Roll” in 1979. The song was written by George Jackson and Thomas E. Jones III, with Seger later revealing he should have received credit for the lyrics as well.
Videos by American Songwriter
“Old Time Rock And Roll” says, “Don’t try to take me to a disco / You’ll never even get me out on the floor / In ten minutes I’ll be late for the door / I like that old-time rock and roll / Still like that old-time rock ‘n’ roll / That kind of music just soothes the soul / I reminisce about the days of old / With that old-time rock and roll.”
“It’s Still Rock And Roll To Me” by Billy Joel
In 1980, Billy Joel had a No. 1 single with “It’s Still Rock And Roll To Me”. The song, written by Joel, is on his Glass Houses record.
“It’s Still Rock And Roll To Me” says, “What’s the matter with the clothes I’m wearing, can’t you tell that your tie’s too wide? / Maybe I should buy some old tab collars, welcome back to the age of jive / Where have you been hiding out lately, honey / You can’t dress trashy ’til you spend a lot of money / Everybody’s talking ’bout the new sound / Funny, but it’s still rock and roll to me.”
“Rock And Roll” by Led Zeppelin
On Led Zeppelin’s fourth studio album, appropriately called Led Zeppelin IV, is “Rock And Roll”. The song was written by band members John Bonham, John Paul Jones, Jimmy Page, and Robert Plant.
According to Plant, “Rock And Roll” became a bit of a tribute to the genre.
“We just thought rock and roll needed to be taken on again,” he says. “I was finally in a really successful band, and we felt it was time for actually kicking ass. It wasn’t an intellectual thing, ’cause we didn’t have time for that—we just wanted to let it all come flooding out. It was a very animal thing, a hellishly powerful thing, what we were doing.”
“Rock And Roll” says, “It’s been a long time since I rock-and-rolled / It’s been a long time since I did the Stroll / Ooh, let me get it back, let me get it back / Let me get it back, baby, where I come from / It’s been a long time, been a long time / Been a long lonely, lonely, lonely, lonely, lonely time.”
Photo by Paul Natkin/Getty Images
More The List
-
British singer-songwriter David Bowie performing at BC Place in Vancouver, during his Serious Moonlight tour, Canada, 9th August 1983. (Photo by Armando Gallo/Getty Images) -
American New Wave group Devo backstage at Max's Kansas City, New York, New York, November 15, 1977. (Photo by Allan Tannenbaum/Getty Images) -
Photo by David Redfern/Redferns -
NASHVILLE – OCTOBER 11: Music group Alabama (Pictured left to right) Mark Herndon, Teddy Gentry, Jeff Cook, and Randy Owen pose for a portrait for The 16th Annual Country Music Association Awards, (CMA Awards show), at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville, Tenn., October 11, 1982. (Photo by CBS via Getty Images) -
Patsy Cline poses for a portrait wearing a fur coat in circa 1958. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images) -
WASHINGTON, DC – MARCH 05: Dave Grohl (L) and Josh Freese (R) of Foo Fighters perform at the Power to the Patients concert at The Anthem on March 05, 2024 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Paul Morigi/Getty Images) -
American musician Kenny Rogers performs at the Rosemont Horizon (later renamed the Allstate Arena), Rosemont, Illinois, April 12, 1986. (Photo by Paul Natkin/Getty Images) -
SAUGUS, CA – AUGUST 18: Peter Frampton born Peter Kenneth Frampton is a British-American rock musician, singer, songwriter, producer, and guitarist. He was previously associated with the bands Humble Pie and The Herd. in 1978 Peter Frampton portrayed the character Peter Buckley in an episode of Baa Baa Black Sheep titled "A Little Bit of England." filmed August 18, 1978 in Saugus, California (Photo by Paul Harris/Getty Images)