Sweet Home Alabama was released by Lynyrd Skynyrd in 1974 on their second album, Second Helping, and quickly became the band's signature song and a defining anthem of Southern rock. Its catchy chorus and distinctive guitar intro helped it reach a huge mainstream audience, and it has since appeared in films, television, sports broadcasts and countless online videos. Decades later it remains a shorthand for road trips, hometown pride and feel-good nostalgia, which keeps the chorus in constant use by editors and meme makers.