The #59 Album of All-Time in the Rock Era: "Against the Wind" by Bob Seger

We're featuring one great album after another each day as we reveal the Top 100 Albums of All-Time in the Rock Era*.

One of the best album artists has been Bob Seger and this one checks in at #69. It was Seger's 11th studio album, reaching #1 for six weeks on the album chart. We already learned that The Wall by Pink Floyd made the list. This is the album that bumped Pink Floyd from #1.  Bob Seger went on to be #2 for six weeks and remain in the Top 10 for 22 weeks and on the chart for 110 weeks (over 2 years).  It has sold 5 million copies and has an impressive Track Rating* of 9.1.





There were four singles that helped generate solid airplay--"Fire Lake", the title track "Against the Wind", "You'll Accomp'ny Me" and "The Horizontal Bop". "Her Strut" is one of the great Unknown/Underrated Songs of the Rock Era* while "Shinin' Brightly" and "Betty Lou's Gettin' Out Tonight" are other tracks that stand out.

Against the Wind won two Grammy Awards--for album package and best performance by a duo or group.  Seger was nominated for Favorite Male Pop/Rock Artist (Rock has dominated the "pop scene" for over 50 years now.) at the American Music Awards and International Album of the Year at the Juno Awards.



Against the Wind:
(All songs written by Bob Seger)

Side One
1.  "The Horizontal Bop" --4:03
2.  "You'll Accomp'ny Me" --4:00
3.  "Her Strut" --3:51
4.  "No Man's Land" --3:43
5.  "Long Twin Silver Line" --4:18

Side Two
1.  "Against the Wind" --5:34
2.  "Good for Me" --4:03
3.  "Betty Lou's Gettin' Out Tonight" --2:52
4.  "Fire Lake" --3:30
5.  "Shinin' Brightly" --4:30

Seger played guitar on the #59 album Against the Wind.  This was the third album in which Bob Seger was backed by the Silver Bullet Band.  He also enlisted the help of the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section on several tracks.  The Silver Bullet Band consisted of guitarist Drew Abbott, Chris Campbell on bass, Alto Reed on horn and saxophone and David Teegarden on drums and percussion.  The Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section was:  Barry Beckett on piano and keyboards, Randy McCormick (organ and keyboards), guitarist Pete Carr, Jimmy Johnson on guitar and horn, David Hood on bass and Roger Hawkins on drums and percussion. 

 Bill Payne (organ, piano and synthesizer), Dr. John on keyboards, Paul Harris (piano and organ), Doug Riley on synthesizer and Sam Clayton playing percussion also helped on the album.  Glenn Frey, Don Henley and Timothy B. Schmidt of the Eagles sang backing vocals on "Fire Lake" while Frey also sang backup on "Against the Wind". Ginger Blake, Laura Creamer and Linda Dillard also contributed backing vocals on the album.

Seger co-produced the album along with Bill Szymczyk.  Punch Andrews, Steve Melton and the Muscle Shoals Sound Rhythm Section also helped out in that area.  Szymczyk, John Arrias and Melton were the Engineers, Seger, Szymczyk, Andrews, Arrias, Melton and the Shoals Rhythm Section mixed the album.  Wally Traugott mastered Against the Wind with photography from Tom Bert. 

The album was recorded in 1979 and released February 25, 1980 on Capitol Records.

Bob Seger has a gem at #59--Against the Wind.