Last week I was listening to the radio and I heard the end of ‘Maggie May.’

I texted my brother to see what instrument was at the end of the song - a guitar played all the way up the neck? Or a different instrument? (I couldn’t get ‘lute’ out of my head, but I was sure it wasn’t a lute. I don’t know if I’ve ever heard a lute.)

He listened and came up with mandolin. But he mentioned the ‘baroque’-type introduction to the song, which I didn’t really remember so I pulled it up and listened to the song from beginning to end and I don’t know if I’ve ever heard that intro on the radio.

The song is almost six minutes long. I think most radio stations just play it from the guitar intro, rather than the intro intro, which cuts it down closer to 5 minutes.

But that all got me thinking about early Rod Stewart, because I don’t know a lot about him.

So I did a deep dive.

I listened to ‘Every Picture Tells A Story’, the album with ‘Maggie May’ - I didn’t go head over heels for it, but I got a feel for early Rod Stewart. (Funny enough, the song that follows ‘Maggie May’ on the album is called ‘Mandolin Wind.’ I should have been a little more patient and figured that out for myself.)

Then I just went through his catalogue and listened to some of the hits.

There are A LOT.

And, it turns out, man, I kind of like Rod Stewart.

You might think, why wouldn’t you like Rod Stewart?

But I don’t know - the hair and the voice, and growing up in the ‘80s? He just didn’t seem like a guy I’d like.

But I understand the appeal, and why he was always on the video stations.

I bet people who love Rod Stewart REALLY loved Rod Stewart.

He leaned into the ‘80s. And the late ‘70s, I would offer. I don’t know how he was viewed in the ‘60s and early ‘70s, but by the late ‘70s (with ‘Do Ya Think I’m Sexy’ probably as the theme song) he was a full-fledged sex symbol, right?

There are parts of Rod Stewart’s musical career and look that remind me of Billy Joel - the early rock, the ‘80s music and clothes.

In the ‘90s there was ‘All For Love’ with Sting and Bryan Adams. I don’t know about the rest of his career, but I do know he never really stopped.

He’s 80 now.

Time stops for no one, I guess, not even Sir Roderick David Stewart.

Do yourself a favor and go turn on some of his songs.

A few I was happy to rediscover (in addition to the fact that it seems just a couple of weeks ago he put out an ‘Ultimate Hits’ collection):

Rhythm of My Heart

Maggie May (not rediscovering it, just listened to it differently)

The First Cut is the Deepest (I forgot Sheryl Crow’s version was a cover)

You’re In My Heart

Downtown Train

Young Turks

As I said. There are a lot of hits. You can spend a while with Rod Stewart’s music…and I think it’s worth it.