A nonlinear dynamic analysis, including soil-structure interaction, is developed to estimate the seismic response characteristics and to predict the earthquake response of cable-stayed bridge towers with spread foundation. An incremental iterative finite element technique is adopted for a more realistic dynamic analysis of nonlinear soil-foundation-superstructure interaction system under great-earthquake ground motion. Two different approaches to model soil foundation interaction are considered: nonlinear Winkler soil foundation model and linear lumped-parameter soil model. The numerical results show that the simplified lumped-parameter-model analysis provides a good prediction for the peak response, but it overestimates the acceleration response and underestimates the uplift force at the anchor between superstructure and pier. The soil bearing stress beneath the footing base is dramatically increased due to footing base uplift. The predominant contribution to the vertical response at footing base resulted from the massive foundation rocking rather than from the vertical excitation.