Route 66 is a musical romantic comedy about a charmingly neurotic freelance journalist from Chicago and a laconic cowboy photographer from Arizona that team up to do a magazine piece about the historic old highway. In the process of rediscovering America, they fall in love with one another - and with all the colorful characters they meet. Route 66is a musical romantic comedy about a charmingly neurotic freelance journalist from Chicago and a laconic cowboy photographer from Arizona that team up. Spend at least a couple of days to enjoy Chicago before you set off. That way, you aren't.
Roadtrips and music go hand in hand. Whether searching the airwaves for local stations of docking your iPod for a pre-arranged playlist, chances are that at some point you're going to be cruising down Route 66 listening to a rich selection of songs. This list is just a small selection of what I consider to be good Route 66 driving songs.
Putting the list together was tough - what criteria would qualify one song over another and how would I ever narrow it down to just 20?! Top rated casinos. In the end I opted for a mix of old and not so old, songs containing obvious road references and others that just had the right 'vibe' for a roadtrip (whatever that is!) In some cases I chose to include songs that had happened to pop up on the radio during my own Route 66 experience. Listen to them while you plan your trip or even download them using the links below and add them to your playlist.
So here, in no particular order (the numbers are there just to help keep count), are 20 top Route 66 driving songs - hope you enjoy!
1. Chuck Berry - Route 66
Naturally, this song had to make the list if this list was to have any credibility! There are numerous versions but in light of the sad passing of Chuck Berry it only seemed right to include his rendition.
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2. Creedence Clearwater Revival - Up Around The Bend
Creedence Clearwater Revival are one of those bands that could have had any number of their tracks featured in this list - many of their songs have that indefinable roadtrip 'vibe' that I mentioned earlier.
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3. Hal Ketchum - Small Town Saturday Night
I love this song - simple as that. The lyrics have a definite nostalgia to them that seem to fit perfectly with my idea of many small Route 66 towns of the past.
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4. Whitesnake - Here I Go Again '87
Whether you call it 'classic rock', 'hair rock' or 'dad rock' this is an absolute 80's classic - perfect for those quiet areas where you can sing at the top of your lungs!
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5. Willie Nelson - On the Road Again
While driving Route 66 I found it hard not to start each leg of the trip by singing the title of this song as I started the engine!
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6. Rascal Flatts - Life is a Highway
If you've seen the Pixar movie 'Cars' then you'll know why this track has made the list! This song, for me, is the perfect Route 66 driving song, especially for those sunny days and warm evenings.
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7. CW McCall - Convoy
Okay, so it's a novelty song that inspired a movie of the same name, but just listen to that chorus!
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8. Kid Rock - All Summer Long
One of the more contemporary songs on the list, this track mashes up Warren Zevon's 'Werewolves of London', and Lynyrd Skynyrd's 'Sweet Home Alabama'. So basically it's a two-for-one and a great track in it's own right.
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9. Eagles - Take It Easy
With it's 'standing on a corner in Winslow, Arizona' lyric how could this not make the list. There were many Eagles songs that could have been included but this seemed the most fitting.
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10. Carrie Underwood - Before He Cheats
Where's the Route 66 link? This one is very personal - in the summer of 2007 I drove the road end to end and every radio station was playing this tune. And with the lyrics describing one woman's trashing of her cheating boyfriends four-wheel drive, there's also a tenuous link to the road!
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11. Steppenwolf - Born to be Wild
Dennis Hopper and Peter Fonda riding across America on a pair of choppers - it's a classic cinematic image with an equally classic soundtrack.
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12. Ricky Gervais & Noel Gallagher - Freelove Freeway
Is this another novelty song? I'm not so sure. With the addition of Noel Gallagher's guitar and backing vocals I think this is a good song in it's own right, even if the image of David Brent isn't far from your mind!
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13. AC/DC - Highway to Hell
Classic rock at it's best. It was a toss up between this and Back in Black, but the highway theme won through! This is a great video - who else can get away with wearing horns like this!
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14. Lou Reed - Walk On The Wild Side
Groundbreaking and risqué lyrics for the time and an incredibly catchy chorus have earned this song it's place in the list. A perfect track for embarking on an adventure.
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15. Glenn Frey - The Heat Is On
Made famous by the 1984 movie Beverley Hills Cop, this is the second song in the list by the former Eagles frontman. A great driving record with a memorable saxophone riff.
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16. Fleetwood Mac - Go Your Own Way
Fleetwood Mac could have had numerous records in this list but I settled on Go Your Own Way simply for it's singalong quality. The lyrics reflect the difficult relationship between Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks at the time but make for a great soundtrack to a roadtrip.
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17. Spin Doctors - Little Miss Can't Be Wrong
Like the Carrie Underwood track on this list, this track is a personal selection based on the fact that it came on the radio as I cruised through Texas in the sun, and it's fun, summertime sound perfectly matched the moment.
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18. The Mamas & The Papas - California Dreamin'
You're driving on Route 66, following the path that many have taken before you, heading towards California (if you're heading west that is!) So what better song to to cruise to than 'California Dreamin'?
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19. Kansas - Carry On Wayward Son
I confess.. I hadn't heard this song prior to the release of the movie 'Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy' back in 2004. From that point on this rock epic has come to symbolize fun and having a good time. Plus, the band is called Kansas right?!
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20. Razorlight - America
A record packed with emotion, that builds from it's gentle opening chords to a memorable singalong chorus. Listen to this record at the end of your trip and try to reflect on your amazing adventure without bringing a little tear to your eye - I dare you! 😀
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So there you have it - my 20 top Route 66 driving songs. It was a tough task and I'm sure it would be different for everyone - feel free to leave yours in the comments.
Finally, if I could give you one tip.. as you embark on your Route 66 adventure, make a note of any great tracks that you hear on the radio that make you feel good. When you get home you can download them and have your own collection of Route 66 musical memories.
Take it easy, Steve Royal ace casino review.
| '(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66' | |
|---|---|
| Single by the King Cole Trio | |
| B-side | 'Everyone Is Sayin' Hello Again (Why Must We Say Goodbye)' |
| Released | 1946 |
| Genre | Rhythm and blues |
| Length | 2:57 |
| Label | Capitol |
| Songwriter(s) | Bobby Troup |
'(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66' is a popular rhythm and bluesstandard, composed in 1946 by American songwriter Bobby Troup. The song uses a twelve-bar blues arrangement and the lyrics follow the path of U.S. Route 66 (US 66), which traversed the western two-thirds of the U.S. from Chicago, Illinois, to Los Angeles, California.
Nat King Cole, with the King Cole Trio, first recorded the song the same year, and it became a hit, appearing on Billboard magazine's R&B and pop charts.[1]
Another version to reach the Billboard charts was that recorded by Bing Crosby with the Andrews Sisters on May 11, 1946,[2] and this reached the No. 14 position in 1946.[3] The song was subsequently recorded by many artists, including Chuck Berry, Glenn Frey, the Rolling Stones, Them, Dr. Feelgood, Asleep at the Wheel, the Manhattan Transfer, Depeche Mode, The Brian Setzer Orchestra, Pappo, The Cramps, John Mayer,[4]George Benson and Peter Tork & Shoe Suede Blues.
Composition and lyrics[edit]
Bobby Troup got the idea for the song on a cross-country drive from Pennsylvania to California. Troup wanted to try his hand as a Hollywood songwriter, so he and his wife, Cynthia, packed up their 1941 Buick and headed west. The trip began on US 40 and continued along US 66 to the California coast. Troup initially considered writing a tune about US 40, but Cynthia suggested the title 'Get Your Kicks on Route 66'. The song was composed on the ten-day journey and completed by referring to maps when the couple arrived in Los Angeles.[5]
The lyrics read as a mini-travelogue about the major stops along the route, listing several cities and towns through which Route 66 passes: St. Louis; Joplin, Missouri; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Amarillo, Texas; Gallup, New Mexico; Flagstaff, Arizona; Winona, Arizona; Kingman, Arizona; Barstow, California; and San Bernardino, California. Winona is the only town out of sequence: it was a very small settlement east of Flagstaff and might indeed have been forgotten if not for the lyric 'Don't forget Winona', written to rhyme with 'Flagstaff, Arizona'. Many artists who have covered the tune over the years have changed the initial lyrics, usually to 'It goes to St. Louis, down through Missouri..' then continuing with Oklahoma City and so on. Of the eight states through which the actual route passes, only Kansas and its cities—US 66 spends just eleven miles (18 km) inside the state's southeast corner—are not mentioned by the song. Chuck Berry famously mispronounces Barstow to rhyme with 'cow' instead of correctly pronouncing it to rhyme with 'go'.
Taxes on table game winnings. 'Route 66' was first recorded in 1946 by Nat King Cole,[6] whose rendition became a hit on both the U.S. R&B and pop record charts.[1] Cole later re-recorded the tune in 1956 (for the album After Midnight) and 1961 (The Nat King Cole Story).
Other recorded versions[edit]
The song has become a standard and has been recorded by numerous artists.[4] The version recorded by Perry Como in 1959 (on the album Como Swings) is more lyrically complete, including the seldom-heard second verse and also the introductory verse. Chuck Berry's version, featured in his 1961 album New Juke Box Hits, was closest to its R&B roots, with jazz overtones, often blended into his own songs.
- Two of the leading British Invasion bands included 'Route 66' on their debut albums, Them (Featuring Van Morrison) and the Rolling Stones.
- Michael Martin Murphey covered the song on his 1989 album Land of Enchantment. His version was released as a single in 1990 and peaked at number 67 on the BillboardHot Country Singles & Tracks chart.[7]Little Willie Littlefield recorded a boogie-woogie version for his 1997 album The Red One.
- Essex-born English singer-songwriter Billy Bragg recorded an anglicised version of the song called 'A13 (Trunk Road to the Sea)' for a John Peel session in 1985. In the song—strummed and sung to the same tune as the original — the landmark cities are replaced with English towns along the route of the A13, with Bragg inviting listeners to 'Go motoring, on the A-thirteen'. According to Bragg he wrote the lyrics whilst playing with his band Riff Raff in 1977: whilst the band played 'Route 66' as part of their set, Bragg 'objected to singing about these places that (he) didn't know.. there's a tradition of driving down the A13 to the glory of Southend. Growing up in Barking, that was the promised land, in quite a Springsteenish way'. The song was originally meant to be released on Bragg's 1983 debut album Life's a Riot with Spy vs Spy; however, it was ultimately not included due to problems getting permission to use the music of 'Route 66'. It was finally released commercially on the bonus disc of the 2003 compilation Must I Paint You a Picture? The Essential Billy Bragg.[8]
- The Depeche Mode cover made the #1 spot on the KROQ Top 106.7 Countdown of 1988.[9]
References[edit]
- ^ abWhitburn, Joel (1988). Top R&B Singles 1942–1988. Record Research, Inc. p. 94. ISBN0-89820-068-7.
- ^'A Bing Crosby Discography'. BING magazine. International Club Crosby. Retrieved September 20, 2016.
- ^Whitburn, Joel (1986). Joel Whitburn's Pop Memories 1890-1954. Wisconsin, USA: Record Research Inc. p. 113. ISBN0-89820-083-0.
- ^ abUnterberger, Richie. 'The Rolling Stones: Route 66 – Song Review'. AllMusic. Rovi Corp. Retrieved March 27, 2015.
- ^Kelly, Susan Croce (1990). Route 66: The Highway and Its People. University of Oklahoma Press. pp. 148–149. ISBN978-0806122915.
- ^Gilliland, John (1969). 'Show 22 - Smack Dab in the Middle on Route 66: A skinny dip in the easy listening mainstream. [Part 1]'(audio). Pop Chronicles. University of North Texas Libraries. Track 4.
- ^Whitburn, Joel (2013). Hot Country Songs 1944–2012. Record Research, Inc. p. 234. ISBN978-0-89820-203-8.
- ^de Lisle, Tim (25 August 2006). 'Drive-time blues'. theguardian.com. Retrieved 28 July 2017.
- ^'List of KROQ Top 106.7 Countdowns'. RadioHitlist. Archived from the original on 2019-09-23. Retrieved 2020-05-14.
How To Play Route 66 On Guitar
