(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66 is a popular rhythm and blues tune written in 1946 by Bobby Troup, inspired by his cross‑country drive along U.S. Route 66 from Pennsylvania to California. The first hit version came from Nat King Cole with the King Cole Trio in 1946, released by Capitol as a single with the B-side “Everyone Is Sayin’ Hello Again (Why Must We Say Goodbye)”, and it charted on Billboard’s Race Records and overall charts. The song paints a westward road trip on Route 66 and quickly became a standard, with numerous covers over the years. Nat King Cole re-recorded it for the albums After Midnight (1956) and The Nat King Cole Story (1961). Notable later renditions include the Rolling Stones on their 1964 debut album and the Manhattan Transfer in 1982, which won a Grammy, with the tune also appearing in the Cars soundtrack (2006) featuring Chuck Berry and John Mayer.
