"The Bottle" is a song by American soul artist Gil Scott-Heron and musician Brian Jackson, released in 1974 on Strata-East Records in the United States.

The song serves as a social commentary on alcohol abuse, and it features a Caribbean beat and notable flute solo by Jackson, with Scott-Heron playing keyboards.

[3] Scott-Heron wrote it after seeing men line up every day in front of a liquor store called the Log Cabin in Washington, D.C., bringing back their empty bottles to get a discount on their next purchase.

French music critic Pierre Jean-Critin later described it as "an epic song ... whose infectious groove can still set dance floors alight over thirty years later.

"[3] Cited by critics and music writers as Winter in America's best track, "The Bottle" also addresses problems of drug addiction, abortion, and incarceration, while featuring Jackson on flute and Scott-Heron on keyboards.

[3][5] While its theme examines the plight of alcoholics and those who have to live with and cope with them, "The Bottle" became a concert favorite and one of Scott-Heron's most popular songs.

[10] Paul J. MacArthur of the Houston Press called it a "strong anti-alcohol rant with a funky bass hook and chilly flute fills.

"[10] "The Bottle" was later ranked number 92 on NME's list of The Top 150 Singles of All-Time[citation needed] and was included in Q magazine's 1010 Songs You Must Own!