Queens of the Stone Age frontman Josh Homme attributes his lifelong love of the open road and his music career to Jackson Browne's 1978 album Running on Empty, which profoundly influenced him during childhood. Hearing the album repeatedly on long car journeys showed Homme that being a free spirit and expressing oneself through music could be a viable and fulfilling career path.

Homme's family would drive approximately 900 miles from California to Idaho during summer holidays, with Running on Empty playing on cassette tapes throughout the journey. The album was unique because Browne recorded it entirely on the road—in hotels, on buses, during performances and behind the scenes—rather than in a traditional studio, a fact that deeply resonated with young Homme and shaped his approach to creativity and inspiration.