Beautiful Loser (song)

"Beautiful Loser"
Single by Bob Seger
from the album Beautiful Loser
B-side"Fine Memory"
Released1975
GenreRock
Length
  • 3:26 (album)
  • 3:14 (single edit)
LabelCapitol
Songwriter(s)Bob Seger
Producer(s)
Bob Seger singles chronology
"U.M.C. (Upper Middle Class)"
(1974) 		"Beautiful Loser"
(1975) 		"Katmandu"
(1975)

"Beautiful Loser" is a song written and recorded by American rock artist Bob Seger. It was the title track on his 1975 studio album Beautiful Loser.[1] The single just missed inclusion on the US Top 100, but became more widely known when it was included on Seger's breakout album, 'Live' Bullet (1976), where it was paired with "Travelin' Man".

Content

The song is about people who set their goals so low that they never achieve anything. Seger got the idea for the song from Beautiful Losers, a novel written by Leonard Cohen. Contrary to what many believed, the song is not about Seger himself. It took over a year to finish the song, and Seger wrote three or four versions of the song before settling on one that worked.[2]

Reception

Cash Box described it as "a country-rocker" with "super hot production and rhythm."[3]

Classic Rock History critic Janey Roberts rated it as Seger's 5th best song.[4]

Chart performance

Chart (1975) Peak
position
U.S. Billboard Bubbling Under the Hot 100[5] 3

Covers

References

  1. ^ Allen, Jim (12 April 2016). "That Time Bob Seger Broke Out With 'Live Bullet'". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
  2. ^ "Beautiful Loser by Bob Seger Songfacts". Songfacts. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
  3. ^ "CashBox Record Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. May 3, 1975. p. 20. Retrieved 2021-12-11.
  4. ^ Roberts, Janey (17 June 2022). "Top 20 Bob Seger songs". Classic Rock History. Retrieved 2023-01-22.
  5. ^ "Bubbling Under the Hot 100". Billboard. 14 June 1975. p. 23. Retrieved 10 November 2018.
  6. ^ Cashmere, Paul (12 March 2016). "Jon English Album Re-Enters Australian Chart On One Day Sales". Noise11. Retrieved 2 January 2018.