CuriosiD: Does Gen Z know who Bob Seger is?
In this episode of CuriosiD, WDET’s Madison Ganzak explores whether younger generations can truly appreciate that ‘Old Time Rock & Roll.”
Bob Seger vinyl records for sale at Peoples Records in Detroit.
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In this episode of CuriosiD, we answer the question:
“Does Gen Z know who Bob Seger is?”
Bob Seger is a Detroit rock legend, but do younger generations know his music today? WDET listener Alyse Nichols, of Port Huron, wanted to find out if Gen Z recognizes Seger or if he’s fading from the mainstream.
The short answer
While Seger’s music remains beloved by longtime fans — especially in Detroit — many younger listeners primarily know him through their parents’ playlists. Some Gen Z-ers are familiar with his bigger hits like “Night Moves” or “Old Time Rock & Roll,” while others draw a blank when they hear his name.
To get to the bottom of this, WDET’s Madison Ganzak spoke with Seger fans, music experts, and Detroiters of different generations.
An enduring legacy
Nichols grew up surrounded by Seger’s music thanks to her dad, a lifelong fan who has followed Seger’s career since his early days.
“I’m a millennial, and a lot of my millennial friends and I — our dads are very into Bob Seger. So I’m just curious if Gen Z and the younger generations know who he is,” she said.
Ganzak, a Gen Z-er herself, admits that if it weren’t for her parents, she might not know much about Seger either.
But Nichols’ father isn’t your average Seger fan — he’s seen him live multiple times, well before the hometown hero shot to national fame.
“I know he saw him a few times in concert — back in the ’60s and ’70s at some bar up north, before he was famous,” she said. “So he’s loved him for a long time. Growing up, he would always play his music, and even now.”
Nichols believes Seger’s music still has themes that younger generations can relate to — if they would only give it a chance.
“I think his music is very much about storytelling, and traveling, and trying to figure yourself out. So I think it could definitely connect with something a younger person would like,” she said.
To get expert insight, Ganzak spoke with WDET’s Rob Reinhart, host of the WDET radio program Rob Reinhart’s Essential Music and Acoustic Café.
A changing landscape for music
Reinhart, a longtime fan of Seger, described him as “a wonderful artist, brilliant songwriter and personal hero.”
But when it comes to whether younger generations might connect with Seger’s music, Reinhart pointed out the differences in how we consume music now, compared to when Seger was in his prime.
“Music — especially now — literally with the touch of a button with your finger, you’ve got all of recorded history in your pocket, and it wasn’t that way back then,” Reinhart said. “You had to go and buy an album and then sit and listen to it and decide if it was relevant.
“Is Sinatra [still] relevant? I don’t know. Is Ella Fitzgerald relevant? Billie Holiday? I mean, depends who you ask, doesn’t it? You kind of find the right music for your moment.”
–Rob Reinhart, host of Rob Reinhart’s Essential Music and Acoustic Cafe
“Now,” Reinhart continued, “Is Sinatra relevant? I don’t know. Is Ella Fitzgerald relevant? Billie Holiday? I mean, depends who you ask, doesn’t it? You kind of find the right music for your moment.
And like, if people are ready to discover ‘Night Moves,’ — if they’ve ever had that experience — they will resonate with ‘Night Moves.'”
Detroiters weigh in
To gather more data on this very important CuriosiD question, Ganzak took to the streets to hear from other young metro Detroiters.
Nick Galinos, of Ann Arbor said that he likes Seger’s music, “but I think I haven’t listened to it enough as an adult.”
April Seltmann, of Pontiac said both her parents grew up listening to them.
“So, you know, Bob Seger was definitely in rotation,” she said.
Ganzak also spoke with Detroit singer-songwriter Ethan Daniel Davidson — son of Detroit Pistons owner Bill Davidson — about his unique past with Seger.
“My dad’s driver was Bob Seger’s bodyguard, so Bob used to come over for dinner when I was a teenager, and he and my dad would go to the basketball games together,” he said. “And then Bob used to come see my kind of crappy high school bands play back in the 80s, I was 16, 17 years old.”
“He was totally cool,” he added.
So is Bob Seger still relevant today?
It seems his music remains a thread in many Detroiters lives, passed down through families and rediscovered in new ways.
Whether or not Gen Z and beyond latch on to his legacy, one thing is clear: Seger’s music still resonates with those who take the time to listen.
We want to hear from you!
If you’ve ever wondered about Detroit’s history, culture, or community, send us your question at wdet.org/curious or fill out the form below.
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