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Still the Same (Bob Seger song)

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"Still the Same"
Single by Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band
from the album Stranger in Town
B-side"Feel Like a Number"
ReleasedApril 1978
GenreSoft rock[1]
Length3:18
LabelCapitol
Songwriter(s)Bob Seger
Producer(s)Bob Seger, Punch Andrews
Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band singles chronology
"Rock and Roll Never Forgets"
(1977) 		"Still the Same"
(1978) 		"Hollywood Nights"
(1978)

"Still the Same" is a 1978 song written and recorded by the American singer Bob Seger. It hit #4 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart[2] and was an international hit.

The song was covered by Bonnie Guitar on her 1987 album What Can I Say. This version was a country hit in 1989, reaching No. 79 on the Billboard US Country chart.[3]

Lyrics and music

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"Still the Same" is a midtempo ballad that begins with what Billboard describes as a "catchy piano" part.[4][5] According to Billboard contributor Ed Harrison, the harmony vocals by Venetta Fields, Clydie King and Sherlie Matthews give the song an R&B flavor.[4]

The lyrics describe a gambler who the singer admired but in the end walks away from because he will not change.[4] Some listeners believe the song is actually about an ex-girlfriend, rather than being literally about a gambler.[6] Seger has said that he has been asked for years who the song is about, and that it is actually an amalgamation of characters he met when he first went to Hollywood.[7][8] Seger said to Bob Costas that "They’re simply really charming, but they have terrible flaws, but part of the appeal is the charisma."[6]

Personnel

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Credits are adapted from the liner notes of Seger's 1994 Greatest Hits compilation.[9]

The Silver Bullet Band

Additional musicians

Reception

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Billboard contributor Ed Harrison regarded "Still the Same" as the most "striking" song on Stranger in Town.[4] Cash Box said that "the sit-up beat, acoustic guitar work and starkly melodic piano passages have a driving presence."[10] Cash Box also said that the hook is "irresistible."[11] Record World described it as "a melancholy, mid-tempo rocker in the introspective style that helped Seger connect up with a large audience."[12]

Charts

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Certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[22] Gold 500,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

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  1. ^ "Sound Familiar? 10 Famous Cameos That May Surprise You - 60s and 70s Pop - Oldies Music". May 26, 2015. Archived from the original on May 26, 2015.
  2. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2002). Top Pop Songs: 1961-2001. Record Research. p. 218. ISBN 978-0898201499.
  3. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2008). Hot Country Songs 1944 to 2008. Record Research, Inc. ISBN 978-0-89820-177-2.
  4. ^ a b c d Harrison, Ed (June 10, 1978). "Closeup" (PDF). Billboard. p. 80. Retrieved 2020-07-09.
  5. ^ "Top Single Picks" (PDF). Billboard. May 13, 1978. p. 79. Retrieved 2020-07-10.
  6. ^ a b "The Meaning Behind Bob Seger's Classic "Still The Same"". Rock Pasta. Retrieved 2023-03-04.
  7. ^ Greatest Hits, CD sleeve.
  8. ^ "How Bob Seger Wrote "Still The Same"". Rockpasta.com. Retrieved 2023-03-04.
  9. ^ Greatest Hits (CD). Bob Seger. Capitol Records. 1994. CDP 7243 8 30334 2 3.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  10. ^ "CashBox Singles Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. May 13, 1978. p. 24. Retrieved 2022-01-01.
  11. ^ "CashBox Album Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. May 27, 1978. p. 18. Retrieved 2022-01-01.
  12. ^ "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. May 13, 1978. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-02-13.
  13. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  14. ^ "Radio2 top 30". Top30-2.radio2.be. Archived from the original on 2012-04-09. Retrieved 2015-10-27.
  15. ^ "RPM 100 Singles" (PDF). RPM. 5 August 1978. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
  16. ^ "The Official New Zealand Music Chart". Nztop40.co.nz.
  17. ^ "Cash Box Top 100 Singles, July 22, 1978". Cashboxmagazine.com.
  18. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970-1992. St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  19. ^ "Top 200 Singles of '78 – Volume 30, No. 14, December 30 1978". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved February 9, 2018.
  20. ^ "Top 100 Hits of 1978/Top 100 Songs of 1978 | Music Outfitters". Musicoutfitters.com.
  21. ^ "Cash Box YE Pop Singles - 1978". Tropicalglen.com.
  22. ^ "American single certifications – Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band – Still the Same". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved January 15, 2022.
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