You know the feeling. You're driving, the sun is hitting the dashboard just right, and that opening piano riff of "Keep on Loving You" starts bleeding through the speakers. Suddenly, you aren't a commuter anymore; you're a 1980s arena-rock god. REO Speedwagon has that effect. They are the quintessential "Midwest road warriors" who managed to turn Midwestern grit into global platinum.
But honestly, if you only look at the REO Speedwagon song list through the lens of their biggest radio ballads, you’re missing the actual soul of the band. Before they were the kings of the power ballad, they were a hard-touring bar band from Champaign, Illinois, that played loud, fast, and occasionally weird.
The Evolution of the REO Speedwagon Song List
It's kinda wild to think about now, but REO Speedwagon didn't just wake up one day and decide to write "Can't Fight This Feeling." They spent nearly a decade grinding out albums that were much heavier than the stuff that eventually made them famous.
Their 1971 self-titled debut didn't even feature Kevin Cronin. Terry Luttrell was on vocals back then. Songs like "157 Riverside Avenue" (named after the address where they stayed in Westport, Connecticut) showed a band that was more about boogie-rock and long jams than three-minute radio hits.
When Kevin Cronin joined for R.E.O./T.W.O. in 1972, things shifted. He brought a folk-rock sensibility that crashed into Gary Richrath’s aggressive, bluesy guitar style. This tension—Cronin’s pop instincts versus Richrath’s desire to shred—is basically the secret sauce that defined the band's most iconic tracks.
The Turning Point: 1977-1980
For years, they were "the biggest band nobody had ever heard of" outside the Midwest. Then came Live: You Get What You Play For.
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The live version of "Ridin' the Storm Out" became a massive hit and fundamentally changed their trajectory. If you've never heard the original studio version from 1973 with Mike Murphy on vocals, do yourself a favor and stick to the live one. The energy is night and day.
By the time they released You Can Tune a Piano, but You Can't Tuna Fish in 1978, the REO Speedwagon song list was starting to look like a Greatest Hits record. "Roll with the Changes" and "Time for Me to Fly" proved they could write anthems that felt both personal and massive.
The Hi Infidelity Era and the Power Ballad Explosion
You can't talk about REO without talking about 1980. Hi Infidelity was a monster. It stayed at number one on the Billboard 200 for 15 weeks. Think about that for a second. In an era of Michael Jackson and Prince, these guys from Illinois were the biggest thing on the planet.
"Keep on Loving You" almost didn't happen as we know it. Kevin Cronin wrote it as a slow, traditional ballad on the piano. The rest of the band—specifically Gary Richrath—reportedly hated it at first. They thought it was too soft. But then Gary plugged in his Gibson Les Paul, added that iconic, distorted opening chord, and the power ballad was born.
The album was stacked. The REO Speedwagon song list from that single record includes:
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- "Take It on the Run" (A Richrath masterpiece about infidelity and rumors)
- "Don't Let Him Go" (A driving rocker with a killer rhythm)
- "In Your Letter" (A weirdly catchy 50s-style throwback)
- "Tough Guys" (Basically a middle finger to anyone who thought they’d gone soft)
Beyond the Number Ones
While "Can't Fight This Feeling" from the 1984 album Wheels Are Turnin' is their other massive number-one hit, some of their best work sits just below the surface.
"Back on the Road Again" is a heavy-hitter sung by bassist Bruce Hall. It’s a fan favorite because it reminds everyone that REO could still rock when they wanted to. Then there’s "Keep the Fire Burnin'" from Good Trouble, which captures that frantic energy of a band trying to follow up a Diamond-certified album while the world is watching.
The Full Breakdown: Essential Songs You Need to Know
If you're building a definitive playlist, you have to look past the "Gold" and "Platinum" stickers.
The Hard Rockers:
"Keep Pushin'" is the ultimate "don't give up" anthem. It’s got this driving beat that makes you want to run through a brick wall. "Golden Country" is another one that surprises people; it’s a politically charged, heavy track from 1972 that shows a much grittier side of the band.
The Deep Cuts:
"Like You Do" from their second album is a masterclass in Gary Richrath’s phrasing. Also, check out "Flying Turkey Trot." It’s an instrumental that really highlights how tight the musicianship was between drummer Alan Gratzer and the rest of the crew.
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The Later Years:
Even in the late 80s and early 90s, they were churning out solid tunes. "In My Dreams" from Life as We Know It (1987) is a perfectly crafted pop-rock song that probably deserved more love than it got at the time.
Why the Music Still Hits in 2026
It’s easy to dismiss arena rock as "dad rock," but REO Speedwagon’s longevity comes from Kevin Cronin’s vulnerability. He writes about being scared of feelings, being cheated on, and trying to stay positive when things suck.
That’s universal.
The REO Speedwagon song list isn't just a collection of tracks; it's a roadmap of a band that refused to quit. They survived lead singer changes, internal bickering between their two biggest stars, and the shifting tides of the music industry.
Actionable Next Steps for Fans
If you want to truly experience the band, don't just stream the Greatest Hits. Go find a copy of Live: You Get What You Play For. It captures the band at their peak—loud, unpolished, and incredibly connected to their audience.
After that, spend some time with the 1978 album You Can Tune a Piano, but You Can't Tuna Fish. It's widely considered by die-hard fans to be their most cohesive studio effort, balancing the rock and the melody perfectly. Check out the guitar work on "Say You Love Me or Say Goodnight"—it’s some of Richrath’s finest.
Finally, if you ever get the chance to see them live (they are still touring, even decades later), do it. They still play the hits with the same earnestness they had in the 80s. Hearing "Roll with the Changes" with a crowd of thousands is a rite of passage for any rock fan.