Steve Miller is beloved and honoured by anyone who’s ever had the pleasure of driving a car equipped with a radio, and hated by every other guitarist who didn’t grow up to be Steve Miller. A blues player, a successful pop-rock star and a surprising new-wave hitmaker, Steve Miller is one of the greatest rock artists of all time.

These are the 10 best songs by the Steve Miller Band.

Greatest 10 Songs by Steve Miller

10. “Steppin’ Stone”

Had none of the many radio hits ever happened, Steve Miller would still have his few, but loyal supporters today. They’d tell you that he was one of the great blues-rock American players of the age. Considering the level of the competition, that’s no small thing.

Released on the blues-rock-psychedelia of the first Steve Miller Band album, “Steppin’ Stone” presents a band that was on the level of Canned Heat or The Animals, and, perhaps, just slightly below Fleetwood Mac, Cream or the Jimi Hendrix Experience.

9. “Living in the U.S.A.”

Nah, Steve Miller didn’t earn fame and fortune by lying around. Poppy hits wouldn’t be enough either.

“Living in the U.S.A.” contains the sound of a well-drilled, road-tested rock and blues band, and the hopefulness of similar freedom-loving, hippie-era groups like Steppenwolf.

8. “In My First Mind”

The most famous song off of 1968’s “Children of the Future” debut, “In My First Mind”, already shows that Miller was never to contend with just being an ace blues guitarist.

Frankly, there’d be many blues virtuosos left behind by the times. On this one, the group firmly embraces the psychedelic-rock trend of the era, providing a dreamy 7-minute episode, not unlike The Doors of Jefferson Airplane.

This may astonish those who know Steve Miller from the radio staples, but I’m sure the surprise will be a pleasant one.

7. “Shu Ba Du Ma Ma Ma Ma”

The playing’s tight, the blues is still there, and there’s a jam-rock feel to the whole thing. You can still hear the old Steve Miller Band in there. But, surely, by this stage, Miller had well and truly discovered his knack for crafting pop songs.

Some were cynical of Miller’s careerist approach. But how many accomplished lead guitarists ever wrote jingles as memorable as his?

6. “True Fine Love”

It’s, frankly, quite surprising that Steve Miller is not more of a guitar hero. Not only had he played dazzling solos in the time of Hendrix and Clapton’s Cream. But most of Miller’s 1970s pop-rock hits are built around a memorable guitar hook.

“True Fine Love” is no different. This one’s a boogie-rocker that’s just smoother and more considerate than a ZZ Top track. During the time when rock songs ruled the airwaves, Steve Miller had no trouble getting his songs played.

5. “Take the Money and Run”

Steve Miller’s entire career seemed like a heist that had gone well. But all of the mid-1970s hits were the result of hard work.

By the time of the cleverly dumb song about stoned teenage lovers robbing banks in El Paso, Miller had learned what made audiences tick. This single helped the “Fly Like an Eagle” album be a marvellous success.

4. “Rock’n Me”

“Rock’n Me” is one of the Steve Miller Band’s biggest hits. It’s built on a simple, but memorable guitar lick. The rest is a smooth pop-rock vamp similar to the country-rock of Eagles.

Yes, it’s a bit middle-of-the-road, but quite lovely just the same. If you still believe in rock n’ roll and haven’t yet acquired enough cynicism, chances are that you’ll enjoy this.

3. “Abracadabra”

Steve Miller had already had enough musical transformations, while rarely even having to reveal his face to the general public, that the new-wave hit “Abracadabra” shouldn’t represent a shock on its own.

In 1982, MTV was emerging. And Miller was suddenly big on another medium of promotion besides radio and touring.

Some people, including many of Miller’s fans, hate it with a passion. It’s been high on numerous lists of the worst songs of all time.

I disagree. It’s a wonderful, playful, silly song. In those ways, it’s much like all the rest of Miller’s big hits, and hookier than most.

2. “The Joker”

Of all the hippie rockers, Steve Miller’s music presented him as the loosest and least resentful. Maybe that’s part of the reason for the success of “The Joker” and its continued appeal.

True to its name, the song’s a bit of a musical farce, a laidback ode to takin’ it easy. Not even Bachman-Turner Overdrive could write better songs for the common man.

1. “Fly Like an Eagle”

Less turned out to be more. While other guitar heroes were busy reminding audiences that they could blaze through solos, Steve Miller was racking up hit after hit.

And while some of those songs are very much of their time, the ethereal sound of “Fly Like an Eagle” places in a particular category with songs like “Albatross,” or “Bridge of Sighs.”

“Fly Like an Eagle” is one of the great radio rock songs, the shining hour of The Steve Miller Band and one of the greatest songs ever recorded.