Old Time Rock & Roll

Song intelligence

Old Time Rock & Roll

Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet BandStranger in Town1978Rock3:13

A joyful celebration of classic rock and roll that became one of the most-licensed songs in American advertising and film history.

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Story, meaning & motivation

"Old Time Rock & Roll" was written by George Jackson and Thomas E. Jones III, not by Bob Seger, though it has become indelibly associated with him. The song reached #28 on the Billboard Hot 100 but gained its greatest cultural footprint via Tom Cruise's famous underwear-sliding scene in Risky Business (1983). It has since been used in countless advertisements and is regularly voted one of the greatest rock songs of all time.

Footnoted claims (click a marker or open the source drawer):

"Old Time Rock & Roll" was written by George Jackson and Thomas E. Jones III, not by Bob Seger. Verified
Tom Cruise's underwear-sliding scene to this song in Risky Business (1983) became one of cinema's most iconic moments and massively boosted the song's cultural profile. Verified

Credits

Songwriter

George Jackson — Co-writer with Thomas E. Jones III

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Songwriter

Thomas E. Jones III — Co-writer with George Jackson

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Lead Vocals

Bob Seger

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Producer

Punch Andrews — Co-produced with Bob Seger

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Band & member context

Bob Seger

Lead Vocals, Guitar · since 1973

Alto Reed

Saxophone · since 1973

Chris Campbell

Bass · since 1973

Craig Frost

Keyboards · since 1980

Don Brewer

Drums · since 1983

Charlie Allen Martin

Drums · since 1973

Drew Abbott

Guitar · since 1974

Robyn Robbins

Keyboards · since 1974

Where you heard it

filmVerified

Risky Business

1983

Tom Cruise slides across the floor in his underwear and dances to the song in his family living room — one of the most iconic scenes in 1980s cinema.

source

filmMedium

Forrest Gump

1994

Heard on the soundtrack during a sequence depicting 1970s America.

source

Connections — samples, covers, remixes, interpolations, influences

influence · outgoing

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Used in Risky Business (1983) in iconic Tom Cruise scene; see media_placements

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Timeline

1978-05

Album Release

Released on Stranger in Town; initially a modest hit

1983

Risky Business

Tom Cruise's scene in Risky Business massively boosts the song's cultural profile

1994

Greatest Hits

Included on multi-platinum Greatest Hits compilation

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