10 Best Rock Songs About Luck

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Luck has always made a natural subject for rock and roll because it can mean everything from good fortune and bad timing to gambling, fate, love, and the feeling that life can turn on a single moment. Our list of the 10 best rock songs about luck crosses several generations and styles, bringing together classic rock, punk, pop, progressive rock, and hard rock in a collection built around chance, risk, and the strange ways fortune can shape a life.

Feature Photo: Adam McCullough / Shutterstock.com

Our “10 Best Rock Songs About Luck” presents a collection of songs that deal with all aspects of luck. Whether it’s good luck, bad luck, the same old luck, or just being unlucky in love, all these concepts qualify for a spot on this list. We tried to mix it up and reach across various rock and roll genres. A little bit of pop, a little bit of basic rock and roll, a little bit of punk, a little bit of new wave, and a little bit of progressive music have all found their way into this list. Add an ex-Beatle, and you’ve got something that’s fun to read.

# 10 – Roll Of The Dice – Bruce Springsteen

We open our 10 Best Rock Songs About Luck list with this rockin’ fun song by Bruce Springsteen, “Roll of the Dice.” In 1992, Bruce Springsteen pulled a Guns N’ Roses by releasing two albums at the same time. However, unlike Guns N’ Roses, who released Use Your Illusion I and Use Your Illusion II, Springsteen released two separate albums with two separate titles: the first, Human Touch, and the second, Lucky Town.

It’s kind of funny that we’re actually choosing a song from Human Touch for this article about luck instead of one from Lucky Town. Nonetheless, “Roll of the Dice” was a rocking, fun, piano-driven tune that featured Roy Bittan’s phenomenal piano playing and stood out as one of the album’s better tracks. Springsteen is one of those artists with many songs about luck, from “Lucky Town” to “Lucky Day” and more. But this one just felt right.

# 9 – Bad Luck Streak in Dancing School – Warren Zevon

Continuing with our 10 Best Rock Songs About Luck list, we present the most original-sounding title. Leave it to Warren Zevon to come up with a song called “Bad Luck Streak in Dancing School.” It wasn’t just the title of a song; it was also the title of the album. Bad Luck Streak in Dancing School was released in the winter of 1980. It was Warren Zevon’s fourth studio album. While the song was never released as a single, it was the album’s opening track. This is the same album that contained the hits “A Certain Girl” and Bruce Springsteen’s “Jeannie Needs a Shooter.”

# 8 – Lucky Man – Emerson, Lake & Palmer

Now, I know when you first saw the title of this list, the first song you were probably thinking of, if you’re a longtime classic rock fan who grew up in the 1970s, was Emerson, Lake & Palmer’s “Lucky Man.” Greg Lake’s singing on this one was just out of this world. Unlike most of the band’s music, which was standout magnificent progressive rock of epic proportions, “Lucky Man” was a short pop single. Of course, it was full of substance and brilliance, but it was a short tune that the band released as a single and had some success with. I think the first time I ever heard this song was on the Superstars of the 70s three-record set compilation album, which came out in 1973.

# 7 – With A Little Luck – Paul McCartney & Wings

Anytime we can put a Paul McCartney and Wings tune on one of these concept lists, we think it’s a good thing. “With a Little Luck” was the debut single from Paul McCartney and Wings’ album London Town. The London Town album was released in March 1978 and was the sixth studio album released by Paul McCartney and Wings. At the time, the band still featured Denny Laine on vocals and guitar, Linda McCartney on vocals and keyboards, Jimmy McCulloch on electric guitar, and, of course, Paul McCartney on vocals and just about every other instrument.

This was a pretty successful song for Wings, as it reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100. Interestingly, it only reached number five in the United Kingdom. What was up with that? It also hit number one in Canada. I guess they just liked it a little more on the western side of the Atlantic than on the eastern side.

# 6 – Ace of Spades – Motörhead

Landing in the number six spot on our 10 Best Rock Songs About Luck list, we take a listen to the ferocious Motörhead song “Ace of Spades.” This is definitely one of the most popular Motörhead songs of all time. The song served as the title track of the band’s Ace of Spades album, the band’s fourth album. Issued in 1980, the song was a top 20 hit in the UK. It did not break into the Billboard Hot 100. The track features Lemmy on bass and vocals, “Fast” Eddie Clarke on guitars, and Phil “Philthy Animal” Taylor on drums. Just love those names.

# 5 – Bad Luck – Social Distortion

I first became a fan of Social Distortion when I heard their rocking punk version of Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire” playing in a record store. I immediately picked up one of their albums and began following the band’s career. One of their most successful albums, titled Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell, was released in 1992. The group consisted of Mike Ness on lead vocals and guitar, Dennis Danell on rhythm guitar, John Maurer on bass, and Christopher Reece on drums. “Bad Luck” was featured as the second track on the album. If you don’t know these guys, you should check them out; they’ll hit you pretty hard in the face.

# 4 – Lady Luck – Deep Purple

Deep Purple’s “Lady Luck” was released on their 1975 album Come Taste the Band. This was considered the Mark IV lineup of the band. At the time, Deep Purple consisted of Tommy Bolin on guitar, David Coverdale on lead vocals, Glenn Hughes on bass, Jon Lord on organ, and Ian Paice on drums. “Lady Luck” was a song originally written by Tommy Bolin, who then collaborated with David Coverdale to finish it for a Deep Purple version of this killer tune.

# 3 – Tumbling Dice – The Rolling Stones

Now you know we could not have composed a rock and roll song list about luck without including this Rolling Stones classic. Taken from the Rolling Stones’ phenomenal 1972 double LP Exile on Main St., “Tumbling Dice” quickly became a classic Rolling Stones song. Sung by Mick Jagger, with Keith Richards, who might just be the luckiest person alive, defying all the odds, on guitar, this one has always been one of the most loved Stones songs ever released.

# 2 – Viva Las Vegas – Elvis Presley

Just off the top spot on our 10 Best Rock Songs About Luck list, we celebrate the song “Viva Las Vegas” by Elvis Presley. We knew we were going to put this song on the list; the issue was whose version to include. There were three in major contention. The first one was Bruce Springsteen’s rocking version of this Elvis Presley classic. The second was ZZ Top’s killer recording. In the end, we decided to pay our respects to the man who pretty much started it all, Mr. Elvis Presley.

# 1 – You Got Lucky – Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers

We close out our 10 Best Rock Songs About Luck list with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’ very cool song “You Got Lucky.” Anyone who grew up in their teens or early twenties at the dawn of the MTV era will probably remember this video. It was played quite often on MTV. It’s a pretty low-budget video but nonetheless received a lot of airplay. The scene is set in what seems to be a post-apocalyptic world, or maybe just the future. Who knows? The Road Warrior was very popular a year or two before this video came out. None of it makes much sense, but it was still enjoyable to watch these guys try their hand at acting, which didn’t go so well. Nonetheless, it was a great song, one of the Heartbreakers’ best. And that’s why it deserves the number one spot.