50 Best Rock Songs About Escaping Prison
Best Rock Tracks on Prison Escapes
There’s a strange mood that runs through songs tied to prison breaks. It is part fantasy, part desperation, and part celebration of freedom that may or may not last. You can hear the clatter of chains rattling in rhythm or the pounding pace of boots against pavement as if the band itself is running with you. These tracks lean into the chaos of trying to get out, some with swagger, others with a kind of nervous laughter. Not every lyric lines up with an actual breakout, but the feeling of clawing toward escape rings loud enough to make it count.
The stories in these songs carry wild energy. Some feel like they’re told by the guy sprinting past the gates, others by the friend waiting in the getaway car. There’s bravado mixed with fear, and sometimes it tips into comedy, like the narrator knows how ridiculous the whole plan sounds. The grit of rock guitars works perfectly here, though there are plenty of pop, rock, country, and R&B songs that circle the same outlaw spirit. It is less about sticking to the prison yard and more about catching that sense of breaking free when the world is closing in.
A playlist like this thrives on messy edges. One track might sound like a movie climax, another like a barroom brag retold a hundred times. Even when the theme is only hinted at, it still adds to the same restless mood of running against time and odds. These songs might not always be literal, but they carry the charge of escape and the noise of freedom cracking through the walls. Here are the best rock songs for escaping prison.
Top 10 Prison Break Rock Songs
1. 'Jailbreak' by Thin Lizzy
2. 'Jailbreak' by AC/DC
3. 'Folsom Prison Blues' by Johnny Cash
4. 'Prison Sex' by Tool
5. 'I Am The Law' by Anthrax
6. 'The Prisoner' by Iron Maiden
7. 'Cell 151' by Steve Hackett
8. 'Riot in Cell Block Number 9' by The Coasters
9. 'Rubber Bullets' by 10cc
10. 'The Midnight Special' by Creedence Clearwater Revival
Songs About Escaping Captivity #11 to 20
11. 'Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos' by Public Enemy
12. 'My Own Prison' by Creed
13. 'Jailhouse Rock' by Elvis Presley
14. 'Back On the Chain Gang' by The Pretenders
15. 'The Mercy Seat' by Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds
16. 'I Want To Break Free' by Queen
17. 'The Sweet Escape' by Gwen Stefani
18. 'Escape' by Journey
19. 'Born to Run' by Bruce Springsteen
20. 'Thunder Road' by Bruce Springsteen
More Freedom and Escape Rock Songs #21 to 30
21. 'I'm Free' by The Rolling Stones
22. 'Come Sail Away' by Styx
23. 'The Great Escape' by Boys Like Girls
24. 'Free Bird' by Lynyrd Skynyrd
25. 'Fly Away' by Lenny Kravitz
26. 'Drift Away' by Dobie Gray
27. 'Spread Your Wings' by Queen
28. 'Hitch a Ride' by Boston
29. 'Roll Me Away' by Bob Seger
30. 'The Getaway' by Red Hot Chili Peppers
Songs About Breaking Free From Confinement #31 to 40
31. 'Freedom' by Rage Against the Machine
32. 'The Unforgiven' by Metallica
33. 'Breaking the Law' by Judas Priest
34. 'Renegade' by Styx
35. 'The Fugitive' by Iron Maiden
36. 'Run to the Hills' by Iron Maiden
37. 'Rockin' in the Free World' by Neil Young
38. 'Heroes' by David Bowie
39. 'Free' by Phish
40. 'Escape from the City' by Ted Poley and Tony Harnell
More Freedom and Escape Music #41 to 50
41. 'Livin' on the Edge' by Aerosmith
42. 'Go Your Own Way' by Fleetwood Mac
43. 'Don't Stop Me Now' by Queen
44. 'Take Me to the River' by Talking Heads
45. 'A Place in the Sun' by Stevie Wonder
46. 'Rebel Yell' by Billy Idol
47. 'Runaway' by Bon Jovi
48. 'The Runaround' by Kansas
49. 'She's a Rebel' by Green Day
50. 'I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)' by The Proclaimers
© 2025 Carson McQueen
