1979 Hard Rock Classic First Sparked Controversy Before Becoming a Feel-Good Road Trip Staple
One of AC/DC's most recognizable songs was misunderstood when it first - but now it's regarded as one of the most enduring road trip songs ever.
The legendary rock band's classic hit "Highway to Hell" was released in July 1979 as the title track off their sixth studio album. While it would eventually prove to have massive staying power and become one of the quintessential road trip songs, it initially raised some eyebrows.
"Highway to Hell" drew criticism at first over its dark, "hellish" imagery, and with a line in the song that directly mentions Satan by name, the band wasn't about to beat any of the allegations about promoting satanic messaging. But over the years, the song has adopted a new cultural significance, and some may say it's one of the best songs for a road trip.
Rolling Stoneranks "Highway to Hell" at No. 13 on its list of the 50 Best Road-Trip Songs of All Time. The publication writes of the band's signature hit, "AC/DC don't actually seem to have strong beliefs on the existence of Heaven and Hell, so they do their best to have a good time on Earth, cruising down a road with no stop signs or speed limit."
AC/DC vocalist Brian Johnson previously stated that "Highway to Hell" was "written about being on the bus on the road," he once explained, per American Songwriter. "When the sun's setting in the west and you're driving across it, it is like a fireball. There is nothing to do, except have a quick one off the wrist or a game of cards, so that's where Bon [Scott] came up with the lyrics."
Highway to Hell was the band's last album to feature vocals from Scott, who died of acute alcohol poisoning in 1980 at the age of 33. The album peaked at No. 8 on the UK Albums Chart in 1979, spending a total of 41 weeks on the chart.
The album's title track went on to become one of the most successful songs from the band's catalog, spending 10 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 with a peak position of No. 47.
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This story was originally published June 9, 2026 at 7:14 PM.