"The Road to Hell" is a two-part song written by the English singer-songwriter Chris Rea and released on the album of the same name. It was released as a single, with only part 2 on the A-side of the 7-inch. The single is Rea's biggest success in the United Kingdom, peaking at number 10 on the UK Singles Chart.
Background The song was inspired by the frustrations of M25 and M4 motorway rush-hour traffic. “The Road to Hell” largely follows a lone protagonist undergoing self-discovery while marooned on a highway, introduced in the opening audio, though it is often suggested it could instead be the A19, heading north towards Sunderland near Rea’s native Middlesbrough.
The phrase "road to hell" was used by Rea in the song "I Can't Dance to That" from the 1987 album Dancing with Strangers.
Reception William Shaw of Smash Hits left an ironic review on the single and considered it remarkable "for being irredeemably depressing" and "sounding exactly like an old Dire Straits song."
Track listings 7-inch single Magnet YZ431
12-inch single Magnet YZ431T
CD single Magnet YZ431CD (3-inch) and YZ431CDP (5-inch)
Cassette single Magnet YZ431C
Charts
Weekly charts Chart (1989-1990)PeakpositionAustralia (ARIA)78Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)30Italy Airplay (Music & Media) 18 Chart (2013)PositionSlovenia (SloTop50) 44 Chart (2015)Position Chart (2018)PositionSlovenia (SloTop50) 49
References