This article highlights three classic rock songs that explicitly celebrate the appeal and endurance of rock and roll: Bob Seger’s “Old Time Rock And Roll”, Billy Joel’s “It’s Still Rock And Roll To Me”, and Led Zeppelin’s “Rock And Roll”. It argues that these songs remain notable because they express affection for the genre itself, whether through nostalgia, resistance to changing fashions or an energetic return to rock’s roots.

– “Old Time Rock And Roll” was released by Bob Seger in 1979 and favours traditional rock over disco; it was written by George Jackson and Thomas E. Jones III, though Seger later said he deserved lyric-writing credit.
– Billy Joel’s 1980 “It’s Still Rock And Roll To Me”, from Glass Houses, became a US No. 1 single and mocks attempts to treat new musical styles and fashions as fundamentally different.
– Led Zeppelin’s “Rock And Roll”, from Led Zeppelin IV, was credited to John Bonham, John Paul Jones, Jimmy Page and Robert Plant; Plant described it as a forceful, instinctive tribute to the genre.