Top 10 Bad Company Songs

Too often, supergroups don’t live up to their name. Whether it’s egos getting in the way or a lack of chemistry, it can be both hugely disappointing and underwhelming when a medley of top-class musicians is less than the sum of their parts.

Thankfully, there are a few that fulfil our rock ‘n’ roll fantasies. Paul Rodgers (Free), Simon Kirke (Free), Mick Ralphs (Mott the Hoople), and Boz Burrell (King Crimson) formed Bad Company in 1973 and went on to enjoy phenomenal success for almost a decade, until Rodgers left the band in 1982 to raise a family.

Managed by the larger-than-life maverick Peter Grant, this British-American supergroup crafted some of the most beloved and memorable songs of the ’70s.

We’ve soaked up their blues-rock swagger, soulful vocals, unforgettable hooks, and, of course, that talent pool of incredible musicianship to reveal the 10 best Bad Company songs.

10. “Good Lovin’ Gone Bad“

With a drum opening that hits you where it hurts, this raucous rocker appears on the band’s second album, Straight Shooter (1975). Powered by Ralphs’ appetite for short and punchy riff-driven hard rock, it’s a sorrowful tale of the emotional turmoil and confusion that can surface when love takes a dark turn. 

Of course, nobody can project the lyrical pain like the raspy, raw pipes of Rodgers — ‘Cos cheating is one thing and lying is another, And when I say it’s over that’s it, I’m gonna quit, yeah.’

9. “Seagull“

Hauntingly majestic with a captivating melody and words that soar with heart and soul, the gentle, transcendent acoustic feel of “Seagull” makes it one of the best acoustic rock songs to grace our musical skies.

Few singers could pull this off, but Rodgers’ incredible voice will give you the chills as he recalls the inspiration of a day at the beach, envying the seagulls above flying without any regrets or worries.

8. “Movin’ On“

Burrell smokes on this classic hit from the band’s debut LP, with a bassline that pumps along so perfectly. The combined ability of the band members is on show in this brilliant driving (or running) song through an uplifting bluesy-rock melody and memorable refrain (‘Movin’ on, movin’ on / Ain’t nothing gonna break me / Ain’t no way to slow me down’).

7. “Silver, Blue & Gold“

A forgotten gem that criminally sees so little airplay on classic rock stations. Silver, Blue, & Gold” charts a mourning over lost love. The aftermath is beautifully compared to a colorful sky and ‘rainbow overdue’, with the supremely talented Ralphs’ slipping in some fine mandolin during the lead break to add to the melancholy.

Once again highlighting Bad Company as masters of the rock ballad, the killer chorus and stunning piano accompaniment are a dreamy foil for Rodgers’ silky, smooth voice. Timeless and meaningful, music like this makes us feel golden. 

6. “Feel Like Makin’ Love“

When the power chords take over the gentle vocal harmonies for the heavier and gritty yet simplistic chorus, you realize why “Feel Like Makin’ Love” is one of the band’s most enduring hits and is regarded as a great classic rock track.

Starting out with its unmistakable guitar intro and an almost wistful Rodgers, the song’s themes of longing and desire are sent into overdrive with a climactic guitar solo during its final moments.

5. “Can’t Get Enough“

From the pop and cracks of the snare drum to the raunchiest of guitar riffs, the band’s first single, “Can’t Get Enough”, is a raw blend of ballsy confidence, bluesy undertones, and hard-hitting instrumentation.

The band’s first single is as irresistible as straight-up rock ‘n’ roll gets, with an outro that includes a cool bassline that subtlety changes every progression.

4. “Shooting Star“

A gentle reminder to never let life pass you by, “Shooting Star” is a bittersweet reminder about the fragility of a rock star. So sad and beautiful at the same time with its groovy bassline and lead guitar that wails mournfully, Rodgers’ poignant lyrics are said to be inspired by the untimely deaths of Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, and Jimi Hendrix (and possibly a prediction of the sad loss of his ex-bandmate and former Free guitarist Paul Kossoff?). 

It’s a song that hits home on so many levels and is one of the most cherished by fans in the band’s back catalog.

3. “Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy“

It’s disco time now with “Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy” — the catchy lead single from Bad Company’s Desolation Angels (1979) album. A celebration of the band’s live audience (‘I love the music and I love to see the crowd’), feel-good rock ‘n’ roll songs don’t come much more flamboyant or addictive. That said, the riff just past the minute mark is as dirty as it gets.

2. “Bad Company”

The classics never get old, and the legendary piano intro to the band’s eponymous anthem will spawn chills ‘till the day I die’. An “outlaw” song with a driving rhythm section, solid and expressive drums, and aggressive guitar chime, Rodgers described this momentous hard-hitter as bearing “an almost biblical, promise-land kind of lawless feel.” 

When blues rock fusion goes right, it is spectacular — from the power chords to the gritty vocals, you know you’re in esteemed company.

1. “Run With The Pack”

The stirring piano-led title track from their 1976 LP Run With The Pack is arguably Rodgers’s shining moment with the band. No pack would shun him the way he sings/phrases ‘You won’t even see me’. 

This pulsating anthem has a glorious energy, with the driving rhythm section, absorbing guitar solo, and majestic string arrangement with a fade out to die the icing on a cake that seduces with layers of panache and subtlety.