Chicago Cubs fan Steve Goodman wrote and recorded "City Of New Orleans" for his 1971 self-titled album. The soon to be Grammy winning song had Paul Anka as executive producer, Kris Kristofferson and Norman Putman as co-producers and includes a recognizable John Prine on the track. Steve Goodman died of leukemia in 1984 while referring to himself "Cool Hand Leuk".

It was Woody Guthrie's son Arlo Guthrie who had the hit with "City Of New Orleans" in 1972. This is from the LP "Hobo's Lullaby". The single peaked at number four on the Easy Listening chart and eighteen on the Top One Hundred.