This American Songwriter feature rounds up three classic rock tracks from 1978 that the writer feels capture the mood of a party winding down. The framing is light-hearted, suggesting these are the sort of wistful, reflective songs you might play to gently signal to lingering guests that it is time to leave, or that you might listen to while driving home alone in the dark.

The three picks are Bob Seger's "The Famous Final Scene" from Stranger In Town, praised for its lyrics about endings and a guest who has stayed too long; Bruce Springsteen's "Racing In The Street" from Darkness On The Edge Of Town, described as a stunning heartland ballad about a dead-end job and a beloved 1969 Chevy, and rated by some as his finest song; and The Who's "Love Is Coming Down" from Who Are You, an underrated track about feeling lonely even in a crowd. The article treats them all as fitting "end-of-the-night" slow burns.