Complete List Of 38 Special Songs From A to Z

Feature Photo: Carl Lender, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Jacksonville, Florida set the stage for 38 Special, a hard charging outfit built by Donnie Van Zant and Don Barnes out of years of neighborhood bands, relentless woodshedding, and a name born from a police officer’s promise to “let this .38 special do the talking” when a rehearsal space padlock stalled their exit. The core took shape with guitarist Jeff Carlisi, bassist Ken Lyons later replaced by Larry Junstrom, and the two drummer engine of Steve Brookins and Jack Grondin. Management ties through Peter Rudge opened prime opening slots for major tours, A&M signed the group, and producer Dan Hartman cut the self titled debut 38 Special in 1977, followed by Special Delivery in 1978 as the group pushed beyond regional circuits into a national presence.

The turn came when the band leaned from straight southern grit toward radio sharpened arena rock while keeping the Jacksonville backbeat intact. A Jim Peterik connection delivered “Rockin’ into the Night,” their first national airplay breakthrough in 1980. Momentum carried straight into Wild Eyed Southern Boys in 1981, a platinum seller powered by “Hold On Loosely,” and into Special Forces in 1982 with the Top Ten smash “Caught Up in You.” Engineer and producer Rodney Mills kept the records bright and urgent while Peterik co wrote a string of hooks that fit the band’s twin guitar reach and call and response vocals.

Through the mid eighties 38 Special moved like a road tested headliner that also lived on the charts. Tour de Force in 1983 delivered “If I’d Been the One” and “Back Where You Belong,” and 1984 added the film cut “Teacher, Teacher.” The group toured hard alongside radio heavyweights, building an identity as a precision live act that could still spin new singles into rotation. The constant is clear in the track lists and ticket stubs. Don Barnes up front, Carlisi’s lines cutting through, Junstrom’s pocket anchoring the room.

Change arrived in 1987 when Barnes stepped away. The band recalibrated with guitarist Danny Chauncey and singer keyboardist Max Carl, and Rock & Roll Strategy in 1988 tilted toward a more keyboard forward sound that yielded the crossover ballad “Second Chance,” a Number One on the Adult Contemporary chart and a Top Ten Hot 100 hit that widened the audience without erasing the band’s guitar first DNA. Bone Against Steel in 1991 continued that chapter with “The Sound of Your Voice,” followed by lineup shifts that added vocalist keyboardist Bobby Capps and drummer Gary Moffatt as the band settled into a long run of touring and selective recording.

Barnes returned in the nineties and the catalog expanded with Resolution in 1997, the holiday set A Wild Eyed Christmas Night in 2001, and Drivetrain in 2004. Across their career they have released a dozen studio albums, and they later announced a new set titled Milestone for 2025. The current touring nucleus centers on Barnes with Capps, Moffatt, Barry Dunaway, and Jerry Riggs, a lineup that keeps the show tight and the signature harmonized leads intact.

The hits list explains their staying power. “Hold On Loosely,” “Caught Up in You,” “If I’d Been the One,” “Back Where You Belong,” “Rockin’ into the Night,” “Fantasy Girl,” “You Keep Runnin’ Away,” “Teacher, Teacher,” “Like No Other Night,” “Second Chance,” and “The Sound of Your Voice” map a run where rock radio, pop charts, and live crowds all lined up. “Caught Up in You” and “If I’d Been the One” topped the Rock Tracks chart, “Second Chance” topped Adult Contemporary, and Wild Eyed Southern Boys earned platinum. Those are scoreboard moments that double as the set list’s spine night after night.

Their story also carries human detail outside the record cycle. Donnie Van Zant stepped away from touring due to inner ear nerve issues and later retired from music after decades with the group. Drummer Jack Grondin left to pursue Christian missionary work. The band crossed genre lines on network television with a CMT Crossroads appearance, pairing their catalogue with a country star and showing how easily these songs travel when stripped to their bones and rebuilt on another stage.

Complete List Of 38 Special Songs From A to Z

1. A Wild-Eyed Christmas Night – A Wild-Eyed Christmas Night – 2001
2. After the Fire Is Gone – Resolution – 1997
3. Against the Night – Strength in Numbers – 1986
4. Around and Around – 38 Special – 1977
5. Back Alley Sally – Wild-Eyed Southern Boys – 1981
6. Back Door Stranger – Special Forces – 1982
7. Back on the Track – Special Forces – 1982
8. Back Where You Belong – Tour de Force – 1983
9. Bad Looks Good on You – Drivetrain – 2004
10. Bone Against Steel – Bone Against Steel – 1991
11. Breakin’ Loose – Special Forces – 1982
12. Bring It On – Wild-Eyed Southern Boys – 1981
13. Burning Bridges – Bone Against Steel – 1991
14. Can’t Keep a Good Man Down – Special Delivery – 1978
15. Can’t Shake It – Bone Against Steel – 1991
16. Caught Up in You – Special Forces – 1982
17. Chain Lightnin’ – Special Forces – 1982
18. Changed by Love – Resolution – 1997
19. Chattahoochee – Rock & Roll Strategy – 1988
20. Comin’ Down Tonight – Rock & Roll Strategy – 1988
21. Déjà Voodoo – Resolution – 1997
22. Don’t Wanna Get It Dirty – Bone Against Steel – 1991
23. Fade to Blue – Resolution – 1997
24. Fantasy Girl – Wild-Eyed Southern Boys – 1981
25. Find My Way Back – Resolution – 1997
26. Firestarter – Special Forces – 1982
27. First Time Around – Wild-Eyed Southern Boys – 1981
28. Fly Away – 38 Special – 1977
29. Four Wheels – 38 Special – 1977
30. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen – A Wild-Eyed Christmas Night – 2001
31. Gypsy Belle – 38 Special – 1977
32. Haley’s Got a Harley – Drivetrain – 2004
33. Hallelujah! It’s Christmas – A Wild-Eyed Christmas Night – 2001
34. Has There Ever Been a Good Goodbye – Strength in Numbers – 1986
35. Heart’s on Fire – Strength in Numbers – 1986
36. Here Comes Santa Claus – A Wild-Eyed Christmas Night – 2001
37. Hiding From Yourself – Drivetrain – 2004
38. Hittin’ and Runnin’ – Wild-Eyed Southern Boys – 1981
39. Hold On Loosely – Wild-Eyed Southern Boys – 1981
40. Homeless Guitar – Resolution – 1997
41. Honky Tonk Dancer – Wild-Eyed Southern Boys – 1981
42. Hot ‘Lanta – Rock & Roll Strategy – 1988
43. Hurts Like Love – Drivetrain – 2004
44. I Been a Mover – Special Delivery – 1978
45. I Just Wanna Rock & Roll – 38 Special – 1977
46. I Oughta Let Go – Tour de Force – 1983
47. I’m a Fool for You – Special Delivery – 1978
48. If I’d Been the One – Tour de Force – 1983
49. Innocent Eyes – Rock & Roll Strategy – 1988
50. It’s Christmas and I Miss You – A Wild-Eyed Christmas Night – 2001
51. Jam On – Drivetrain – 2004
52. Jimmy Gillum – Bone Against Steel – 1991
53. Jingle Bell Rock – A Wild-Eyed Christmas Night – 2001
54. Just a Little Love – Strength in Numbers – 1986
55. Just Can’t Leave You Alone – Resolution – 1997
56. Just Hang On – 38 Special – 1977
57. Last Thing I Ever Do – Bone Against Steel – 1991
58. Last Time – Strength in Numbers – 1986
59. Like No Other Night – Strength in Numbers – 1986
60. Little Drummer Boy – A Wild-Eyed Christmas Night – 2001
61. Little Sheba – Rock & Roll Strategy – 1988
62. Long Distance Affair – Tour de Force – 1983
63. Long Time Gone – 38 Special – 1977
64. Love Strikes – Rock & Roll Strategy – 1988
65. Make Some Sense of It – Drivetrain – 2004
66. Midnight Magic – Rock & Roll Strategy – 1988
67. Miracle Man – Resolution – 1997
68. Money Honey – Rockin’ into the Night – 1979
69. Never Be Lonely – Rock & Roll Strategy – 1988
70. Never Give an Inch – Strength in Numbers – 1986
71. O’ Holy Night – A Wild-Eyed Christmas Night – 2001
72. Once in a Lifetime – Strength in Numbers – 1986
73. One in a Million – Strength in Numbers – 1986
74. One of the Lonely Ones – Tour de Force – 1983
75. One Time for Old Times – Tour de Force – 1983
76. Play a Simple Song – 38 Special – 1977
77. Quick Fix – Drivetrain – 2004
78. Rebel to Rebel – Bone Against Steel – 1991
79. Robin Hood – Rockin’ into the Night – 1979
80. Rock & Roll Strategy – Rock & Roll Strategy – 1988
81. Rockin’ into the Night – Rockin’ into the Night – 1979
82. Rough-Housin’ – Special Forces – 1982
83. Santa Claus Is Back in Town – A Wild-Eyed Christmas Night – 2001
84. Saving Grace – Resolution – 1997
85. Second Chance – Rock & Roll Strategy – 1988
86. See Me in Your Eyes – Tour de Force – 1983
87. Shatter the Silence – Resolution – 1997
88. She Loves to Talk – Resolution – 1997
89. Shelter Me – Resolution – 1997
90. Sheriff’s County Line – Drivetrain – 2004
91. Signs of Love – Bone Against Steel – 1991
92. Somebody Like You – Strength in Numbers – 1986
93. Something I Need – Drivetrain – 2004
94. Stone Cold Believer – Rockin’ into the Night – 1979
95. Take ‘Em Out – Special Forces – 1982
96. Take Me Back – Special Delivery – 1978
97. Take Me Through the Night – Rockin’ into the Night – 1979
98. Tear It Up – Bone Against Steel – 1991
99. Tell Everybody – 38 Special – 1977
100. That Old Rockin’ Chair – A Wild-Eyed Christmas Night – 2001
101. The Love That I’ve Lost – Rockin’ into the Night – 1979
102. The Play – Drivetrain – 2004
103. The Sound of Your Voice – Bone Against Steel – 1991
104. The Squeeze – Drivetrain – 2004
105. Throw Out the Line – Wild-Eyed Southern Boys – 1981
106. Travelin’ Man – Special Delivery – 1978
107. Treasure – Bone Against Steel – 1991
108. Trouble – Resolution – 1997
109. Trooper with an Attitude – Drivetrain – 2004
110. Turn It On – Rockin’ into the Night – 1979
111. Turnin’ to You – Special Delivery – 1978
112. Twentieth Century Fox – Tour de Force – 1983
113. Undercover Lover – Tour de Force – 1983
114. What Can I Do? – Special Delivery – 1978
115. What’s It to Ya? – Rock & Roll Strategy – 1988
116. Who’s Been Messin’ – Special Delivery – 1978
117. Wild-Eyed Southern Boys – Wild-Eyed Southern Boys – 1981
118. You Be the Dam, I’ll Be the Water – Bone Against Steel – 1991
119. You Definitely Got Me – Bone Against Steel – 1991
120. You Got the Deal – Rockin’ into the Night – 1979
121. You Keep Runnin’ Away – Special Forces – 1982
122. You’re the Captain – Rockin’ into the Night – 1979

Albums

38 Special (1977): 9 songs

Special Delivery (1978): 8 songs

Rockin’ into the Night (1979): 9 songs

Wild-Eyed Southern Boys (1981): 9 songs

Special Forces (1982): 9 songs

Tour de Force (1983): 9 songs

Strength in Numbers (1986): 10 songs

Rock & Roll Strategy (1988): 11 songs

Bone Against Steel (1991): 13 songs

Resolution (1997): 13 songs

A Wild-Eyed Christmas Night (2001): 10 songs

Drivetrain (2004): 12 songs

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