Song · Steely Dan
“Peg” by Steely Dan
From the album Aja (1977)
“Peg” by Steely Dan appears on 13 radio countdowns from 10 stations between 2002 and 2026. It was first released in 1977 on the album Aja. Its best result is #101 on the 99.1 PLR Big 500 (2021). In the combined RockLists rankings it is #1,494 indie & aaa song of all time and #218 of the '70s.
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"Peg" is Steely Dan's sunny pop turn on Aja, the 1977 album Walter Becker and Donald Fagen stacked with hired session aces. Fagen sings lead over a bright, jazz-streaked groove, and the backing harmonies are the giveaway: Michael McDonald's voice layered with Paul Griffin's, Griffin also on electric piano.
Chuck Rainey plays bass, Rick Marotta drums, Don Grolnick clavinet, Tom Scott Lyricon, with Victor Feldman and Gary Coleman on percussion, and Gary Katz producing with Roger Nichols at the board. The famous story is the solo: seven top session guitarists, Robben Ford and Larry Carlton among them, took a crack before Jay Graydon's version won out, and only after Fagen steered him off flashy jazz-pop licks and toward the blues. The single reached 11 on Billboard in 1978.
Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.
RockLists rankings
Indie & Adult Alternative
Classic Rock
All Rock Formats
All-time and decade countdowns
| Year | # | Station | Countdown | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 757 | 92.3 KGON | KGON Top 923 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2002) | 923 |
| 2004 | 755 | 92.3 KGON | KGON Top 923 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2004) | 923 |
| 2012 | 464 | Big 100 | BIG 500 Memorial Day Countdown (2012) | 500 |
| 2012 | 277 | WYEP | WYEP Top 500 Songs Countdown | 500 |
| 2019 | 311 | 102.5 KZOK | KZOK Top 1025 of 2019 | 1025 |
| 2020 | 823 | WXPN | WXPN 2020 Greatest Songs of All Time | 2020 |
| 2021 | 101 | 99.1 PLR | 99.1 PLR Big 500 (2021) | 500 |
| 2022 | 219 | 90.9 The Bridge | 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of the '70s | 908 |
| 2022 | 730 | Q104.3 | Q104.3 Top 1,043 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2022) | 1043 |
| 2022 | 284 | WMGK | WMGK Philly 500 (2022) | 500 |
| 2022 | 617 | The Colorado Sound | The Colorado Sound Top 1055 Colorado Sound Songs of All Time | 1055 |
| 2023 | 582 | 90.9 The Bridge | 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of All Time | 909 |
| 2026 | 1020 | WYEP | WYEP Greatest Songs of All Time | 1180 |
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