Bob Seger says he regrets not seeking a songwriting credit for “Old Time Rock and Roll”, his 1979 signature hit from *Stranger in Town*. He says he retained only the chorus from the original and rewrote every verse, but declined his manager’s suggestion to request a third of the credit because he wanted to complete the album quickly. The decision mattered because it left him without control over the song’s copyright and later commercial use.

The track is officially credited to George Jackson, Thomas E. Jones III and Chuck Crozier, and initially reached only the Top 30 before becoming a lasting classic. It was recorded at Muscle Shoals Sound Studio, where engineer Jerry Masters says Seger eventually used an earlier demo track with his own vocal after unsuccessful attempts to record it with the studio musicians and his band. Jackson has offered a somewhat different account, saying Seger asked to hear songs available for future use after finishing his Muscle Shoals sessions.