Rock ‘n Me – Steve Miller | Top 40 Chart Performance, Story and Song Meaning
Chart Performance: Pop (#1); 1976
Story Behind The Song By Ed Osborne
Steve Miller’s second #1 single was originally composed for use at a British rock festival where he played with Pink Floyd. The gig took place at a monstrous outdoor show and Steve knew he needed a jammin’ rock ‘n’ roll tune that would fire up the crowd.
So he came up with Rock ‘n Me, and its opening guitar nod to Free’s 1970 classic, All Right Now, then went back to finish his months-long sabbatical from music. Eventually, he rang up bassist Lonnie Turner and drummer Gary Mallaber, and they knocked out 22 tracks in a few weeks.
The first batch of songs recorded at those sessions was released on Fly Like An Eagle in late spring, 1976. Even though Steve had been off the charts for two years fans had not forgotten him.
Take The Money And Run sprinted to #11. Second out of the gate was Rock ‘n Me, which boogied to the top in 12 weeks, matching the chart peak set by The Joker in 1974.
This content and all Song Meaning articles were created and written by Top 40 Contributing Editor Ed Osborne. © 2024 Ed Osborne. All Rights Reserved. In addition to these song meaning articles, Ed has written our “Year in Music 1960s-1990s” articles.
Produced by:
- Steve Miller
Lyrics Written by:
- Steve Miller
Ed Osborne
Hi. I got my first record at age two and never looked back, spending a decades-long career in radio and the music business. Even after years of reading about and listening to all types of music, I am still fascinated by it. Apart from that, I’m endlessly intrigued by art, nature, and the inner lives of people (and dogs).