Take Five: Notable Steve Miller Tracks

The music of the Steve Miller Band is inextricably associated with classic rock of the 1970s. While the San Francisco-based band led by guitarist Miller launched in 1968 as a blues-oriented outfit, the group found its biggest success with a string of album-oriented rock/pop records in the mid 1970s. The Joker (1973), Fly Like an Eagle (1976), Book of Dreams (1977) and 1978’s Greatest Hits 1974-78 all went Platinum or better; the Greatest Hits set sold enough copes to earn a staggering 15x Platinum designation.

But the music of Steve Miller – who remains a creatively active musician today at age 82 – has always encompassed much more than AOR. His earliest recorded work was immersed in the blues, and found him backing a rock and roll legend. And in recent years, the music of the Steve Miller Band has been repurposed to provide entertainment for as new generation. In celebration of the 50-year anniversary of the juggernaut 4X Platinum-selling Fly Like an Eagle, here are five notable songs that showcase the versatility of Steve Miller.

“The Mother Song” by the Goldberg-Miller Blues Band (single, 1965)
Encouraged by family friend Les Paul, young Steve Miller picked up the guitar at age six. He grew up in a household surrounded by many of music’s greats including blues legend T-Bone Walker and jazz icon Charles Mingus. By his early 20s Miller had moved to Chicago, becoming immersed in that city’s blues scene. With keyboardist Barry Goldberg, Miller formed a band that secured a contract wit Epic Records. The band found some success with “The Mother song,” including landing a performance spot on popular TV show Hullabaloo.

“Medley: ‘Rockin’ at the Fillmore’ / ‘Every Day I Have the Blues’ from Chuck Berry’s Live at the Fillmore Auditorium (1967)
Shortly after the Hullabaloo appearance, Miller left Chicago. In fairly quick succession he moved to New York City, then to Austin, finally landing in San Francisco. He launched the Steve Miller Band in ‘66, and one of the group’s first gigs was backing rock and roll legend Chuck Berry. A live date at one of the city’s most famous clubs was captured on a 1967 LP; somewhat atypically, it shows Berry highlighting his blues skills alongside his rock chops.

“My Dark Hour” from the Steve Miller Band’s Brave New World (1969)
For some of the sessions for the Steve Miller Band’s third album, the band traveled to London’s Olympic Studio, working with producer Glyn Johns. On “My Dark Hour,” Miller worked not with his regular band but with Paul McCartney. While Miller sang lead and played guitar, McCartney (using his old pseudonym “Paul Ramon”) provided almost everything else, playing bass and drums and singing backing vocals. Keen listeners will notice that one of the song’s signature riffs would be reused seven years later on the hit “Fly Like an Eagle.”

“Houdini” from Eminem’s The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce) (2024)
When hip hop artist Eminem recorded his loosely conceptual 12th album, he continued his practice of sampling from popular records to craft his original songs. “Houdini” was built around the Steve Miller Band’s original recording “Abracadabra,” a 1982 No. 1 hit in four countries. For his efforts on “Houdini,” Eminem scored another major worldwide hit: No. 1 in at least 10 countries, Top 40 in many more plus two MTV Video Music Awards and a pair of Grammy nominations.

“It’s Time” from Nas and DJ Premier’s Light-Years (2025)
Perhaps taking note of Eminem’s success in repurposing a Steve Miller Band classic, Nas and DJ Premier took a similar approach on their 2025 album. Miller’s 1976 smash recording “Fly Like an Eagle” forms the core of “It’s Time.” Miller received co-billing on the track, and gave the recording his blessing; he went so far as to promote the track on his own web site. Other tracks on the album sample Wilson Pickett, Billy Joel, Electric Light Orchestra and Shirley Bassey.