Following the release of the GTA 6 trailer, many people listened to the song “Love Is A Long Road”
The announcement trailer for Grand Theft Auto 6 featured the 1989 Tom Petty song “Love Is A Long Road,” which has seen a massive increase in Spotify streams this week.
According to IGN, Spotify said that the song’s streams on its platform increased by 36,979% compared to this time last week. Not to mention the increase in streams across all other music services, in addition to anyone who purchased the song or album outright.
Petty passed away in 2017. On social media, his estate stated that it was an “honor” for Rockstar to use “Love Is A Long Road” in the GTA 6 trailer. This was not Petty’s first appearance in a GTA game, as “Running Down A Dream” was featured in GTA: San Andreas.
Rockstar is known for hiding hints in trailers, and many are wondering if the song “Love Is A Long Road” has a special meaning for GTA 6. Fans believe the lyrics refer to one of the main characters, Lucia, and mention a woman attempting to “make the world as it should be.” The lyrics also mention giving her “one more chance to try and save my soul,” which some interpret as a reference to Lucia’s apparent romantic relationship with the other main character.
GTA 6 is set in Leonida, a fictional state based on Florida. Petty was born in Gainesville, Florida in 1950, so the song is appropriate for GTA 6.
This has happened before in video games, with Linda Rondstadt’s “Long Long Time” seeing a massive increase in streams after appearing on an episode of HBO’s The Last of Us. Before that, Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill” skyrocketed in popularity after appearing on Stranger Things.
The trailer for GTA 6 was supposed to be released on December 5, but Rockstar released it a night early after it leaked. The impressive trailer gave viewers their first look at Leonida and Vice City, which serves as a stand-in for Miami, while also setting the tone and mood for what is to come. There are still many unknowns about GTA 6, and more information should become available before the game’s release in 2025 on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.