In 1969 and early ’70, the Grateful Dead was on a grueling national tour and staying at budget hotels to save money. Their song, “Truckin’,” detailed the band’s travels—and their troubles—during those months.

Recorded for the Dead’s “American Beauty” album in September 1970, “Truckin’ ” was released two months later as an edited single and peaked at #64 on Billboard’s pop chart. When FM radio embraced the song’s longer album version, it became a counterculture anthem.

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