American Storm
Encyclopedia
"American Storm" is the title of a song written by American
singer-songwriter
Bob Seger
. It was recorded with The Silver Bullet Band and released in March 1986 as the lead single from their album Like a Rock
. The single peaked at number 13 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart and at number 2 on the US
Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.
's biography of John Belushi
. That was two and a half years ago, when there was a lot of publicity about cocaine abuse in show business. At the time, I thought that it was just a trend that would quickly die out and that the song would be out of date when it came time to record. But the situation has gotten worse. Maybe cocaine isn't quite as fashionable on the East and West Coasts these days, but the plague has spread into the heartland -- into the Middle West and the South. The key line in 'American Storm' is 'You never feel the need.' You never feel anything when you're on drugs. You're numb. You're afraid to feel for one reason or another, and that's why you turn to drugs. I want to see people not do that."
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
Bob Seger
Bob Seger
Robert Clark "Bob" Seger is an American rock and roll singer-songwriter, guitarist and pianist.As a locally successful Detroit-area artist, he performed and recorded as Bob Seger and the Last Heard and Bob Seger System throughout the 1960s...
. It was recorded with The Silver Bullet Band and released in March 1986 as the lead single from their album Like a Rock
Like a Rock
Like a Rock is the thirteenth studio album by American singer-songwriter Bob Seger, released in 1986 . The title track is best known for being featured on Chevrolet truck commercials. "Fortunate Son" is a live track from 1983, which was added as a bonus to the CD release of the album...
. The single peaked at number 13 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart and at number 2 on the US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.
Background and writing
Seger told the New York Times that the song is about cocaine abuse. "I wrote it after reading 'Wired,' Bob WoodwardBob Woodward
Robert Upshur Woodward is an American investigative journalist and non-fiction author. He has worked for The Washington Post since 1971 as a reporter, and is currently an associate editor of the Post....
's biography of John Belushi
John Belushi
John Adam Belushi was an American comedian, actor, and musician, best known as one of the original cast members of the NBC sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live, The Star of the Films National Lampoon's Animal House and the The Blues Brothers and for fronting the American blues and soul...
. That was two and a half years ago, when there was a lot of publicity about cocaine abuse in show business. At the time, I thought that it was just a trend that would quickly die out and that the song would be out of date when it came time to record. But the situation has gotten worse. Maybe cocaine isn't quite as fashionable on the East and West Coasts these days, but the plague has spread into the heartland -- into the Middle West and the South. The key line in 'American Storm' is 'You never feel the need.' You never feel anything when you're on drugs. You're numb. You're afraid to feel for one reason or another, and that's why you turn to drugs. I want to see people not do that."
Chart performance
| Chart (1986) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canadian RPM Top Singles | 26 |
| UK Singles Chart | 78 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
13 |
| US Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks | 2 |