1972 Rock Hit, Inspired by a Famous Highway, Became an Ultimate Road Trip Anthem

The 1972 hit "Ventura Highway" by America has become synonymous with spending a sunny day in a car. According to Far Out magazine, the road trip anthem off the 1972 record, Homecoming, came about after the band's singer and songwriter Dewey Bunnell began reminiscing about being stuck on a California highway when he was a child.

"It was 1963 when I was in seventh grade. We got a flat tyre, and we're standing on the side of the road, and I was staring at this highway sign. It said ‘Ventura' on it, and it just stuck with me. It was a sunny day, and the ocean there, all of it," said Bunnell while speaking about the song, as reported by Far Out magazine. "I remember vividly having this mental picture of the stretch of the coastlines travelling with my family when I was younger. Ventura Highway itself, there is no such beast, what I was really trying to depict was the Pacific Coast Highway, Highway 1, which goes up to the town of Ventura."

Dewey Bunnell Discussed America's Two Top Hits in a 2015 Interview

In a September 2025 interview with Primary Wave Music, Bunnell noted that "Ventura Highway" and "A Horse with No Name," released in 1971, were two of America's biggest hits. According to Bunnell, fans "always ask about" the two tunes, which he has taken pride in. The musician, now 74, said that "Ventura Highway" "means a lot to [him]."

"I'm proud of all the work we've done," said Bunnell in the 2025 interview.

He also said he believes America's songs are a reflection of him and his bandmates, Gerry Beckley and Dan Peek, who died in 2011 at the age of 60.

"All of the songs have some elements of the lives we've lived, I think, and the people we are," said Bunnell.

In the interview with Primary Wave Music, Bunnell also gave some insight into how he wrote "A Horse With No Name." He explained that he "wanted to describe the sights and sounds of the desert," based on experiences he had with his family.

"Somewhat of a being out there alone and pondering this great expanse of the desert. That was the concept," continued Bunnell. "So the lyrics were written from my memory of the family. We were an Air Force family driving through the Southwest, through the desert areas of Arizona and the Mojave Desert in California."

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This story was originally published June 5, 2026 at 5:45 PM.