History Day 

Construction

Early History

Effects on Life

Travel Log

"Personality"

Demise

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Music

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Route 66 holds a place in popular culture that is unmatched.  Many years after Route 66 was replaced by the interstate highway system, people and culture still grasp the old road.  Preservation and restoration societies exist in almost every city the Mother Road passed through.  Car enthusiasts choose Historic Route 66 for their weekend car rallies. Even Congress has Route 66 fever, pledging federal funding to restore Route 66.

One way that 66 was immortalized was through song. "Get Your Kicks on Route 66,"  was written when Bobby Troup, a songwriter living in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, decided to move to Los Angeles. On his way, he wrote a song about the towns he passed through. He met with Nat King Cole shortly after reaching Los Angeles, and Cole asked him to finish the song. Cole recorded the song in 1946 and it was a a huge success. Jack Kerouac heard the song in New York.  He liked the song so much that it inspired him to take a trip that would later be the basis of On the Road, the bible of the Beat Generation. That Route 66 spirit hit a new crescendo as the hit television show "Route 66", starring George Maharis and Martin Milner, aired.  The show was about two lost souls searching for the meaning of life from the leather seats of their Corvette.

Nat King Cole, the singer of the original rendition of Bobby Troup's "Get Your Kicks On Route 66."

Since Nat King Cole's version of "Route 66", artists of every musical style have recorded their own version. The Rolling Stones offered a youthful rock and roll version. The Manhattan Transfer recorded a jazz-tinged version. Depeche Mode recorded a dark 80's rock version. The Cramps performed their version during the early punk rock scene at New York's CBGB. A Cajun version has been recorded by Buckwheat Zydeco. Swing revivalists, The Brian Setzer Orchestra, recently added their version of the song to the long list. If the never-ending popularity of Route 66 is any indication of times to come, a hip hop version can't be far away.

Below are some RealAudio samples of different interpretations of Bobby Troup's song courtesy of Napster. (You must have RealAudio Player to hear the music.)

Nat King Cole 
The Rolling Stones
Buckwheat Zydeco
The Cramps
Depeche Mode