Roll With The Changes – REO Speedwagon | Top 40 Chart Performance, Story and Song Meaning

Chart Performance: Pop (#58); 1978

Story Behind The Song By Ed Osborne

Singer Kevin Cronin appeared on exactly one REO Speedwagon album, 1972’s R.E.O. T.W.O., before his new bandmates gave him the boot. Mike Murphy took over the vocal spotlight for three LP’s before he, too, received his walking papers. Next up was…Kevin Cronin…again.

This time the chemistry worked. On R.E.O., the band’s 1976 release, their mix of melodic pop and arena rock finally came together on vinyl, and 1977’s follow-up live album delivered sales-wise, going platinum. You can Tune a piano, but uou can’t Tuna fish arrived in 1978 with all the elements for success in place, REO’s rock ‘n’ roll engine firing on all cylinders.

In addition to his passionate lead singing, Kevin contributed the words and music for the band’s first significant chart single, Roll With The Changes. Gary Richrath’s guitar and Neal Doughty’s keyboards powered Changes’ classic sound, and helped drive the album to multi-platinum status.

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:

  • Kevin Cronin,
  • Gary Richrath
  • Paul Grupp

Lyrics Written by:

  • Kevin Cronin

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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).