Road Rock
tagStarted 1975Peak 1978-1987Last big hit still active
Located in 1 route
Rock about leaving and not looking back: the open road as escape, freedom, and self-definition. Propulsive mid-tempo drive, jangling 12-string and Rickenbacker chime, steady backbeat, and lyrics full of departures, dashboards, and horizon lines. Restless and forward-leaning, the sound of a tank of gas and an unfinished story.
History
A throughline of heartland rock from the late 1970s, built on the American mythology of the highway as escape from dead-end towns. Tom Petty and Bob Seger turned departure into anthem; Springsteen's 'Born to Run' codified the romance. The motif carried into '90s and 2000s touring-band culture where life on the road became its own subject.
Defining artists
Essential listening
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Runnin%27_Down_a_Dream
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heartland_rock
- https://www.allmusic.com/style/heartland-rock-ma0000004436