100 best road trip songs

100+ Best Road Trip Songs (To Sing Along With As You Drive!)

• May 4, 2024

Planning a road trip? Look no further for the best road trip songs to sing along with as you drive! Our comprehensive list of over 100 road trip songs includes the top songs that are guaranteed to make your journey even more enjoyable. Whether you prefer classic hits, feel-good anthems, or catchy tunes from various genres, our curated driving playlist has something for everyone. From nostalgic sing-alongs to upbeat tracks that will keep you energized, these road trip songs are the perfect soundtrack for your adventures on the open road. So grab your friends or family, roll down the windows, and get ready to create unforgettable memories with the best road trip songs playing in the background.

It is difficult to plan a road trip or long car ride, and it always seems like there are a million things to consider. With tons of things to prepare, a road trip playlist is something that is easily forgotten!

Whether you are in a Porsche, 4×4, camper, or on your bicycle , this list of the 100+ best road trip songs will make the journey your best experience ever!

Tunes for girly summer car trips, rock music, alternative, a little bit of country, and some contemporary 2020 hits. These songs, when put together make up an ideal playlist for your road trips.

And with more than 100 tunes included, there’s bound to be something for everyone to sing along to while driving.

• Table of Contents

Why Is It Important To Have The Perfect Road Trip Playlist(s)

Make a great road trip playlist with sing-along songs, list no. 1: summer songs for road trips, list no. 2: 2010s hits for road trips, list no. 3: 90s and 2000s hits for road trips, list no. 4: rock on playlist for road trips, what are the 100 best road trip songs, what are some good road trip songs for an instagram story, what are the best road trip songs from the 2000s, what are some popular pop road trip songs, what are some songs about road trips with friends, what are some of the best road trip songs from the 2010s, what are some fun road trip songs to sing along to, related posts:.

Your road trip playlist will serve as the theme song for your journey. Is there really anything greater than singing aloud your favorite songs while driving down the open road? We don’t think so!

Moreover, being able to enjoy a seemingly endless playlist of cool tunes on the road together with your friends is an amazing way to explore new music and music styles you might not generally listen to when at home or even when you are out with your pals.

Music has an effect on us and most of us are people whose mood can be easily affected by a song.

So, maybe you’d like to sing that song to keep yourself active while traveling , or maybe you would like to listen to some calmer, rather low-key music to relax and gaze at the picturesque landscape around you.

Yet, like we said, while we all have our own special song selections that we want to listen to on the car radio, getting a playlist of songs that everybody enjoys and can sing along to will make any road trip an unforgettable experience for the entire collective.

The window was rolled down, the stereo was turned up, and there were some great songs to sing along to. That sounds like a scene from a road trip film, doesn’t it?

Well, this is one of those cases where art imitates life, as this can easily happen to you when you have the right songs to sing along to.

This is why a road trip track list is essential: you shouldn’t have to wonder if the next song is going to be good; you should take that for granted and start singing from the very first note!

Some pieces of advice on how to create the perfect playlist:

• Check that the songs have been downloaded to your smartphone or iPod or else you’ll waste a lot of data trying to download them when you’re already on the road. Even worse, you can be in areas with bad or even no signal and end up with no music at all!
• Do you enjoy listening to anything and everything while driving? Check out Audible for podcasts, audiobooks, and more— it’s a great way to make the time fly when you are driving for a long time!

To be frank, when it comes to stuff like this, there is always a bit of debate about which road trip songs are the best, and this was indeed the case with this article.

There are many people who will disagree with the choice of some of these songs, as they might feel like some genres are way better than others for road trips.

If you, for example, feel like country music is the only thing you should listen to when driving across states, then that’s totally fine.

However, we believe that songs that you can sing along to in the car as well as songs that make you want to drive fast (but always safe and at the designated speed) are a big yes.

However, we wanted to present you with a playlist that will be everyone’s cup of tea, so rest assured that you will not be left unsatisfied. Keep on reading below to check out the songs we’ve picked for your next road trip playlist.

While all the songs in this article can be added to the same playlist, perhaps you’ll want to keep them separate and split the time spent on the road to different music themes and eras.

Are There Any Songs Everyone Appreciates?

Even with a song list of the greatest hits, no one will ever please every single passenger on a road trip, but we can at least do our best to search and find music that all of the people in our group can enjoy .

The sun is out, you can feel that warm breeze as you walk to your friend’s home to make a list of all the things you need to pack for your road trip. Of course, you need to create that perfect playlist to match the weather and the summer mood in the air !

The US roads and highways seem never-ending, which means that your summer playlist can include plenty of songs.

And, if the time does not suffice to listen to all of them, it’s more than okay for you to drive a little bit further to enjoy all the songs and sing along.

What if you succumbed to the lure of the frontier and traveled to the coast? That’s what we are talking about: a fantastic road trip, regardless of whether you are joined by your friends or are heading somewhere alone.

The legend of the U.S. road trip is an undisputable influence in contemporary culture, with books like On the Road, films like Little Miss Sunshine, and series like American Gods.

The story goes that the further you get away from home, the more opportunities for redefinition and potential there are.

Summer is the ideal time to discover whether Route 66 truly offers an epic journey. Once you take the decision to jump on that front seat and get going, these tunes will get you in the mood for adventure.

From some classics to party songs that will make you want to jump off your seat, this playlist has it all.

So, have a look at what we’ve got for you below.

• Counting Crows- Mr. Jones
• Vodka Juniors – Whiskey And The Rain
• The Kooks- Melody Maker
• Allah Las- Don’t You Forget It
• Tom Waits- Ice Cream Man
• Damien Jurado- Sheets
• Oasis- Don’t Look Back In Anger
• Ryan Adams- Gimme Something Good
• Arctic Monkeys- Arabella
• Midlake- Roscoe
• John Butler Trio- Zebra
• The Seeds- Can’t Seem To Make You Mine
• Pitbull Ft. Kesha- Timber
• Dirty Fuse- Sunset Beach
• Firewater- Six Fourty Five
• Sixto Rodriguez- Hate Street Dialogue
• Vodka Juniors- King Of The Street
• Laura Veirs- America
• Antar Blue Band (Bob Dylan) – “Like A Rolling Stone” Cover
• Perkele- What Have I Done
• Allah Las- Tell Me
• Milky Chance- Down By The River
• Nancy Sinatra- Summer Wine
• The Doors- L.A. Woman
• The Kinks- Sunny Afternoon
• Loner- Show A Little Love
• Franz Ferdinand – The Dark Of The Matinée
• Placebo- The Bitter End
• Puresence- Casting Lazy Shadows
• The Coral- Dreaming Of You
• Lynyrd Skynyrd- Sweet Home Alabama
• The Black Ghosts- Full Moon
• Death In Vegas- Scorpio Rising
• Ben Howard- The Wolves
• James- Lose Control
• Travelling Alone- Woods Of Ypres
• Allah-Las- Katalina
• Angus And Julia Stone – Big Jet Plane
• Misun- Eli Eli
• Roo Planes- Open Road
• Detachments- The Flowers That Fell
• Fear Of Men- ‘America’
• Archive- Get Out
• David Bowie- The Man Who Sold The World
• The Last Shadow Puppets – Sequels
• The Devil Makes Three – Stranger
• Multigovernors – The Road
• The Kinks – Sunny Afternoon
• Incubus- Drive
• Milky Chance Official- Stolen Dance

Regardless of your age, we all know that each decade had some unique music coming out. The 2010s were, of course, no exception, and the tunes on this playlist have made us all dance and sing along for years now.

Even if you are not a fan of pop music, songs like Maroon 5’s “Moves Like Jagger” have undeniably made us all dance to the beat of the song and even move like Jagger ourselves.

When we have been let down by our lover or just joined our friends for a karaoke night, then Miley Cyrus’ “Wrecking Ball” must have been your go-to song.

We do, however, know that the mainstream songs of the 2010s are probably not everyone’s cup of tea and, while we can all listen to a couple of them, spending hours on a road trip dancing along to those tunes might not sound so enjoyable to everyone .

Since we want to make your road trip a memorable experience and for good reason, we picked 25 great songs for the 2010s that are just enough for you to feel the hype but not get bored by them.

So, for those wanting to go back to the past decade and sing along to some hits from the 2010s, here are some great songs to add to your road trip playlist:

• Maroon 5 – Moves Like Jagger
• Carly Rae Jepsen – Call Me Maybe
• Pharrell Williams – Happy
• Walk The Moon – Shut Up And Dance
• Major Lazer – Lean On (Feat. Mø & Dj Snake)
• Kesha – Tik Tok
• Magic! – Rude
• Jonas Brothers – Sucker
• Shawn Mendes – Treat You Better
• 5 Seconds Of Summer – Youngblood
• The Chainsmokers – Closer
• Jonas Blue – Perfect Strangers
• R. City – Locked Away (Feat. Adam Levine)
• Lauv – I Like Me Better
• Hailee Steinfeld – Starving
• The Chainsmokers – I Love U
• Sia – Chandelier
• Kelly Clarkson – Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You)
• Zara Larsson – Lush Life
• Camila Cabello – Havana (Feat. Young Thug)
• Sia – Elastic Heart
• Fifth Harmony – That’s My Girl
• John Legend – All Of Me
• Miley Cyrus – Wrecking Ball
• P!Nk – Just Give Me A Reason (Feat. Nate Ruess)

Okay, we’re going, to be honest with you. If you are a woman going on a road trip with your girlfriends, this is the ultimate playlist for you. This does not mean that men will not enjoy it equally as much, but songs like Gwen Stefani’s “Hollaback Girl” are going to bring out the best in women and their singing skills.

Yes, we know that songs like that or Avril Lavigne’s “Complicated” have made teenage girls feel all the feels and get them from lows to highs. But again, don’t take this like a girls-only playlist.

We’re pretty sure that songs like Eminem’s “My name is” and Weezer’s “Beverly Hills” that are included here will make everyone sing, and even rap along.

Especially if you are a 90s kid that grew up listening to these songs (even though an earlier or later birth date won’t have an impact on your excitement when listening to these songs, trust us) you will absolutely love this playlist.

For those interested in a trip down memory lane to the 90s and 2000s, we’ve got some road trip songs just for you. So, if the 90s and 2000s are your go-to hit music, save the following songs to download later!

• Vanessa Carlton – A Thousand Miles
• Counting Crows – Big Yellow Taxi Ft. Vanessa Carlton
• Nickelback- How You Remind Me
• Cascada- Everytime We Touch
• Weezer- Beverly Hills
• 3 Doors Down- Kryptonite
• Shakira – Hips Don’t Lie Ft. Wyclef Jean
• The Pussycat Dolls- Buttons
• Chris Brown- Run It! Ft. Juelz Santana
• Green Day- American Idiot
• Outkast- Hey Ya!
• Hoobastank- The Reason
• Gwen Stefani- Hollaback Girl
• Jennifer Lopez- Jenny From The Block
• Sheryl Crow- Soak Up The Sun
• Santana- Smooth Ft. Rob Thomas
• Avril Lavigne- Complicated
• The Calling- Wherever You Will Go
• The Pussycat Dolls- Don’t Cha Ft. Busta Rhymes
• Dmx- Party Up (Up In Here)
• The Killers- Mr. Brightside
• Greenday- Boulevard Of Broken Dreams
• Eiffel 65 – Blue (Da Ba Dee) [Gabry Ponte Ice Pop Mix]
• Kelly Clarkson- Since U Been Gone
• Panic! At The Disco- I Write Sins Not Tragedies
• The Black Eyed Peas- Let’s Get It Started
• 50 Cent- In Da Club
• The Black Eyed Peas- My Humps
• Eminem- My Name Is (The Dirty Version, Of Course)
• Akon- Smack That Ft. Eminem
• Maroon 5- She Will Be Loved
• Good Charlotte- The Anthem
• Kanye West- Gold Digger Ft. Jamie Foxx
• Bowling For Soup- 1985
• Evanescence- Bring Me To Life
• Daniel Powter- Bad Day
• Daft Punk- One More Time
• Jimmy Eat World- The Middle
• Eminem- Just Lose It
• The Click Five- Just The Girl
• Nelly- Dilemma Ft. Kelly Rowland
• Kelly Clarkson- Walk Away
• The All-American Rejects- Dirty Little Secret
• Fall Out Boy- Thanks For The Memories
• Lou Bega- Mambo No.5 (A Little Bit Of…)
• Destiny’s Child- Survivor
• Christina Aguilera- Ain’t No Other Man
• Nickelback- Far Away
• Train- Drops Of Jupiter
• Wheatus- Teenage Dirtbag
• Nelly Furtado- Turn Off The Light
• J-Kwon- Tipsy
• Simple Plan- When I’m Gone
• Nirvana- Smells Like Teen Spirit
• Avril Lavigne- Sk8er Boi
• Vanessa Carlton- A Thousand Miles
• Eminem- When I’m Gone
• Britney Spears- Babv One More Time
• Rihanna- Don’t Stop The Music
• Fountains Of Wayne- Stacy’s Mom
• Nelly- Hot In Here
• Shaggy- Angel Ft. Rayvon
• Dillon Francis, Dj Snake – Get Low
• Simple Plan- Your Love Is A Lie
• Vanessa Carlton- White Houses
• Blink-182- All The Small Things
• Justin Timberlake – Lovestoned / I Think She Knows Interlude
• Smash Mouth- All Star
• Mika- Grace Kelly
• Nelly Furtado- I’m Like A Bird
• Justin Timberlake – Sexyback Ft. Timbaland
• Britney Spears – Oops!…I Did It Again
• Enrique Iglesias- Hero
• N’sync- Bye Bye Bye
• Beyoncé – Crazy In Love Ft. Jay Z
• Rihanna- Sos
• Nelly Furtado – Promiscuous Ft. Timbaland
• Alicia Keys- Fallin’
• P!Nk – Get The Party Started
• Mariah Carey – We Belong Together
• Beyoncé – Irreplaceable
• Leona Lewis – Bleeding Love
• Mary J. Blige- Family Affair
• Timbaland- Apologize Ft. One Republic
• Calabria 2007- Enur Ft. Natasja
• Uncle Cracker- Drift Away
• Maroon 5- This Love
• Natasha Bedingfield- Unwritten
• Rob Thomas- Lonely No More
• John Mayer- Your Body Is A Wonderland
• Christina Aguilera- Beautiful
• My Chemical Romance- Teenagers
• Bon Jovi- It’s My Life
• Evanescence- Call Me When You’re Sober
• Ciara- 1.2. Step
• Beyoncé – Naughty Girl
• Tal Bachman- She’s So High
• Jesse Mccartney- Beautiful Soul
• Chamillionaire- Ridin’ Ft. Krayzie Bone
• Christina Aguilera, Lil’ Kim, Mya, Pink – Lady Marmalade
• Ciara- Oh. Ft. Ludacris
• Secondhand Serenade- All For You
• Lenny Kravitz- Fly Away
• Sean Paul- We Be Burnin’ (Recognize It)
• Shaggy – Hey Sexy Lady Ft. Brian & Tony Gold
• Gwen Stefani – The Sweet Escape (Closed Captioned) Ft. Akon
• Will Smith- Switch
• Hinder- Lips Of An Angel
• P!Nk – Don’t Let Me Get Me
• Shania Twain – Man! I Feel Like A Woman
• Destiny’s Child- Lose My Breath
• Matt Nathanson- Come On Get Higher
• Backstreet Boys- Everybody (Backstreet’s Back)
• 2pac Feat Dr.Dre – California Love
• Fly- Sugar Ray
• Blink-182- I Miss You
• Beck- Loser
• TLC- Waterfalls
• TLC- No Scrubs
• Justin Timberlake- Cry Me A River
• Red Hot Chili Peppers- Californication
• Gnarls Barkley- Crazy
• No Doubt- It’s My Life
• No Doubt- Spiderwebs
• The White Stripes- Seven Nation Army

Last but certainly not least, this article would simply be incomplete without a great rock playlist for your road trip. Whether you enjoy listening to rock music daily or can only listen to a couple of songs before changing to your own music style, this is a playlist you need for your road trips.

Rock music has something to it that makes you feel like you are living in your own movie. It doesn’t matter if it’s wintertime or if this is another summer road trip for you, getting on the highway and hitting that play button to get Steppenwolf’s “Born To Be Wild” on the car’s speakers is the total vibe.

We could say that rock music is actually the safest bet; even if you do not enjoy it at all when you are driving or sharing a ride with your friends, it is definitely amongst the best genres you can listen to. And, let’s admit it, we all know way more rock songs than we think we do.

So, here is a list of songs that will get you to rock as you drive down the long highways:

• Steppenwolf- Born to be Wild
• Queens of the Stone Age- Go with the Flow
• The Cranberries- Zombie
• Sum 41- In Too Deep
• T.Rex- 20th Century Boy
• Gin Blossoms- Hey Jealousy
• Blink-182- What’s My Age Again?
• The Runaways- You Drive me Wild
• Thin Lizzy- The Rocker
• Puddle of Mudd- Blurry
• The Duke Spirit- Love is an Unfamiliar Name
• 4 Non Blondes- What’s Up
• The Subways- We Don’t Need Money To Have A Good Time
• Suede- Animal Nitrate
• Shed Seven- Chasing Rainbows
• The Mission- Deliverance
• Free- All Right Now
• Status Quo- Down Down
• Ugly Kid Joe- Cat’s in the Cradle
• Extreme- Get the Funk Out
• Gun- Word Up
• Kiss- Detroit Rock City
• The Blackout- Higher and Higher
• Semisonic- Closing Time
• Weezer- Buddy Holly
• The Undertones- Teenage Kicks
• La Woman – The Doors
• Spirit in the Sky – Norman Greenbaum
• Gimme Some Lovin’ – The Spencer Davis Group
• Locomotive Breath – Jethro Tull
• Roadhouse Blues – The Doors
• Beating Around the Bush – AC/DC
• Rock Me = Great White
• Born to be Wild – Steppenwolf
• La Grange – ZZ Top
• Highway to Hell – AC/DC
• Radar Love – Golden Earing
• Sail – Awol Nation
• Kickstart My Heart – Motley Crue
• Danger Zone – Kenny Loggins
• Hot For Teacher – Van Halen
• Head Like a Hole – Nine Inch Nails

The Bottom Line

There you have it. 100+ songs you can add to your list of songs you simply have to download for your next road trip.

While we have divided the songs into 4 different lists based on a theme or music genre, you can add them all to the same big list and enjoy each and every single one of these songs whilst traveling.

From Pitbull to AC/DC and from Daft Punk to Placebo, there is literally something for everyone. These lists were made after lots of consideration, so we really hope that you will enjoy not only the look but the sound of them too.

Waste no more time now; start ticking things off your list and find some time in the day to start downloading those songs. And don’t forget to enjoy the ride!

The 100 best road trip songs can vary depending on personal taste, but some popular options include “Born to Run” by Bruce Springsteen, “Life is a Highway” by Tom Cochrane, and “Sweet Home Alabama” by Lynyrd Skynyrd.

Some good road trip songs for an Instagram story include “On the Road Again” by Willie Nelson, “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)” by The Proclaimers, and “California Dreamin'” by The Mamas & The Papas.

Some of the best road trip songs from the 2000s include “Mr. Brightside” by The Killers, “Hey Ya!” by OutKast, and “All Summer Long” by Kid Rock.

Some popular pop road trip songs include “Shut Up and Dance” by Walk the Moon, “Call Me Maybe” by Carly Rae Jepsen, and “Uptown Funk” by Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars.

Some songs about road trips with friends include “Wagon Wheel” by Old Crow Medicine Show, “Road Trippin'” by Red Hot Chili Peppers, and “Don’t Stop Believin'” by Journey.

Some of the best road trip songs from the 2010s include “Some Nights” by Fun., “The Middle” by Zedd, Maren Morris and Grey, and “Best Day of My Life” by American Authors.

Some fun road trip songs to sing along to include “Don’t Stop Believin'” by Journey, “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen, and “Livin’ on a Prayer” by Bon Jovi.

You may want to read:

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• Best 100 Life-Changing Family Travel Quotes
• 60 Best Travel Quotes Ideas
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• The Top 70 Funny Camping Quotes to Make Your Trip Memorable
• 150 Top Tips For Taking Perfect Couple Travel Quotes Instagram photos
• 41 Fun Road Trip Games To Play In The Car
• How Does Rural Travel Differ From Urban Travel?
• Insurances Hacks: Saving Money While Ensuring Full Coverage
• 20 Road Trip Checklist: What to Pack for an Incredible Journey
• 10 Must-Have Travel Apps: Navigate the World with Ease

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150+ Road Trip Songs: Your Ultimate Driving Playlist

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The Best Road Trip Music

A road trip wouldn’t be a road trip without a good old sing along. Whilst on the road, regardless of how you sound, singing at the top of your lungs is just de rigueur – in fact, it’s road trip law!

There are so many amazing songs to choose from that I’ve had a great time compiling our playlist of road trip songs. I’ve been transported back through time to my favourite memories and karaoke nightmares, and been introduced to some fantastic new songs.

Forget about the 100 best road trip songs, we’ve broken down the top 150+ of the best songs for road trips! Each category has its own amazing road trip playlist, and there is also a combined Spotify ultimate playlist for a road trip, with four hours of travelling songs. So, warm up those pipes and get ready to belt out some fantastic tunes on the open road!

Classic Road Trip Songs

No matter what year you were born, or your musical taste, most of you will have heard and know the lyrics to these classic rock songs, making them really good songs to drive to. From Hotel California to Space Oddity, these are some of the greatest songs, by the greatest artists of all time. They also include some of the best guitar solos ever recorded. A great addition to any road trip playlists.

• The Eagles – Hotel California
• Queen – Bohemian Rhapsody
• Lynyrd Skynyrd – Sweet Home Alabama
• Tom Petty – Free Fallin
• AC/DC – Highway to Hell
• The Beatles – Here Comes The Sun
• Creedence Clearwater Revival – Bad Moon Rising
• The Rolling Stones – Sympathy for the Devil
• The Kinks – You Really Got Me Going
• Fleetwood Mac – Go Your Own Way
• David Bowie – Space Oddity
• Don McLean – American Pie
• Bob Segar – Old Time Rock & Roll
• Abba – Waterloo
• Elton John – Rocket Man
• The Doors – Light My Fire
• Bob Dylan – Like A Rolling Stone
• Ray Charles – Hit The Road Jack
• Allman Brothers Band – Midnight Rider
• Willie Nelson – On The Road Again
• Aretha Franklin – Respect
• Billy Joel – Piano Man
• Chuck Berry – Johnny B. Goode
• The Beach Boys – Surfin U.S.A
• Neil Diamond – Sweet Caroline
• Van Morrison – Brown Eyed Girl
• Bachman Turner Overdrive – Taking care of Business
• Johnny Cash- Ring of Fire
• Simon & Garfunkel – Mrs Robinson
• Led Zepplin – Kashmir
• Nina Simone – Sinnerman
• Golden Earring – Radar Love
• Jackson Browne – Stay

Get the classic road trip songs playlist here

DJ’s & Collaborations

Some of the best songs for driving are collaborations. Two or three amazing artists bringing together their unique sounds can result in pure magic, and these are a great addition to any chill road trip songs playlist.

• David Guetta ft. Sia – Titanium
• Calvin Harris ft. Rag’n’Bone Man – Giant
• Dr. Dre, Eminem ft. Skylar Grey – I Need a Doctor
• Dua Lipa and Elton John – Cold Heart
• Rihanna and JAY Z – Umbrella
• Robin Shultz and Lilly Wood- Prayer in C
• David Guetta ft. Estelle – One Love
• Calvin Harris ft. Dua Lipa – One Kiss
• Beyonce and JAY Z – Crazy in Love
• Diddy Dirty Money and Skyler Grey – Coming Home
• Sigma ft. Paloma Faith – Changing
• David Guetta ft. Becky Hill, Ella Henderson – Crazy What Love Can Do
• Rihanna ft. Calvin Harris – We Found Love
• Rudimental and John Newman, Alex Clare – Not Givin In
• Sean Paul and Dua Lipa – No Lie
• Ed Sheeran and Khalid – Beautiful People
• JAY Z and Alicia Keys – Empire State of Mind
• Blackstreet, Dr Dre and Queen Pen – No Diggity
• Santana and Rob Thomas – Smooth
• Kanye West, Rhianna and Paul McCartney – FourFiveSeconds
• Nelly and Kelly Rowland – Dilemma
• Eve and Gwen Stefani – Let Me Blow Ya Mind
• Rudimental and John Newman – Feel The Love
• The Chainsmokers and Coldplay – Something Just Like This
• Amy Winehouse and Mark Rowland – Valerie
• Eminem abd Dido – Stan
• Run D.M.C and Aerosmith – Walk This Way

Get the alternative road trip songs playlist here

Road Trip Songs from the Twenties (2020 – 2022)

There is a bigger selection of all types of music than ever before, and a lot of the new artists are very exciting. However, Kate Bush and Running Up That Hill making a comeback after 30 years just goes to show that there’s room for everyone. Use these songs to help create your modern road trip playlist.

• Lizzo – About Damn Time
• Doja Cat – Say So
• Tones and I – Dance Monkey
• Kate Bush – Running Up That Hill
• Adele – Easy On Me
• Charli XCX – Yuck
• Gayle – abc
• Charlie Puth – Light Switch
• Florence + The Machine – King
• Harry Styles – As It Was
• Beyonce – Summer Renaissance
• The Weekend – Out Of Time
• Camilla Cabello – La Buena Vida
• Jessie Ware – Free Yourself
• Amber Mark – Bliss
• Ellie Goulding – Easy Lover
• Dua Lipa – Love Again

Get the twenties playlist here

Late Noughties (2011-2019) Road Trip Songs

In 2011 Spotify really started to take off, gaining over 1 million subscribers. This new way of listening allowed you to play music your own way, whatever you wanted, whenever you wanted, and changed the way we buy and listen to music forever. Creating a songs playlist of your favourites led to people discovering new music, which they wouldn’t have heard otherwise. These are some of the best road trip songs of the 2000s.

• Adele – Rolling in The Deep
• Paloma Faith – Crybaby
• Robin Thicke – Blurred Lines
• Mumford & Suns – I Will Wait
• Rag’n’Bone Man – Human
• The Weekend – Blinding Lights
• Mr. Probz – Waves
• Klangkarussell – Sonnentanz
• Parov Stelar – The Sun
• Arctic Monkeys – I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor
• Rihanna – Diamonds
• Lorde – Royals
• Jess Glynn – Hold My Hand
• The Chainsmokers – Don’t Let Me Down
• Bruno Mars – 24k Magic
• Pharrell Williams – Happy
• Twenty One Pilots – Stressed Out
• Coldplay – Viva La Viva
• Mylie Cyrus – We Can’t Stop
• Harry Styles – Adore You
• Sia – Chandelier
• Robyn – Dancing On My Own
• Ed Sheeran – Shape of You

Get the late noughties playlist here

The Early Noughties (2000-2010) Best Driving Songs

Anything goes as far as music from the early noughties, there wasn’t a particular genre that stood out and no new genres really emerged. Still, we had some fantastic music from really iconic bands. Include these great tunes on your road trips songs playlist.

• Coldplay – Yellow
• The Killers – Mr. Brightside
• Muse – Uprising
• Florence + The Machine – You’ve Got The Love
• Kings of Leon – Sex on Fire
• Alicia Keys – Fallin’
• Gnarls Barkley – Crazy
• Nelly Furtado – I’m Like A Bird
• India.Arie – Video
• Lady Gaga – Just Dance
• Eminem – The Real Slim Shady
• Keane – Somewhere Only We Know
• Black Eyed Peas – I Gotta Feeling
• Coldplay – Clocks
• Black Eyed Peas – Where is the Love
• Snow Patrol – Chasing Cars
• Stereophonics – Dakota
• Madonna – Hung Up
• Kaiser Chiefs – I Predict A Riot
• The Fratellis – Whistle For The Choir
• Kelly Rowland – Work
• The Strokes – Last Night
• Franz Ferdinand – Take Me Out
• Green Day – Boulevard of Broken Dreams

Get the early noughties playlist here

Grab our road trip packing list, road trip checklist & road trip planner when you subscribe for our monthly newsletter, cool road trip remixes.

If you fancy listening to something a bit different, check out these fantastic remixes on SoundCloud.

• Moby – Almost Home – Vijay & Sofia Zklatko Remix
• Tracey Chapman – Stand By Me – Fabien Lanciano Remix
• Calvin Harris & Disciples – How Deep is Your Love – Chris Lake Remix
• Chaka Khan – Ain’t Nobody – Laurent Wild & The Discoh Family Edit
• Hall and Oats – I Can’t Go For That – Pomo Remix
• Clean Bandit – Rather Be – JackLNDN Remix
• Chic ft. Sugarhill Gang – Good Times Vs Rappers Delight – Jet Boot Jack Remix
• Dusty Springfield – Son of a Preacher Man – Bergeque Edit
• Sia – Cheap Thrills ft. Sean Paul – Bruno Torres Remix
• The Chainsmokers & Halsey – Closer – R3hab Remix
• Wiz Khalifa Ft. Charlie Puth – See You Again Bauke Top Remix
• Dire Straits – Sultans of Swing – lg Oliver Remix
• Fleetwood Mac – Dreams – Gigamesh Edit
• Sade – Smooth Operator – Dj S Bootleg Dance Remix
• Naz – Old Town Road – B.R.T Official Remix
• Snow Patrol – Mysterious ways
• Parra For Cuva – Wicked Game

Get the cool remixes playlist here

Best 90’s Road Trip Songs

The nineties were one of the most inventive and creative periods for music. The decade saw grunge really take off in the USA and the battle of Brit pop in the UK. These different genres still influence music today. So if you’re going on an American road trip or to drive through Europe, add these songs to create your perfect road trip songs playlist.

• Nirvana – Smells like Teen Spirit
• Red Hot Chilli Peppers – Under the Bridge
• Pearl Jam – Even Flow
• Faithless – Why Go?
• Alanis Morissette – Ironic
• The Cranberries – Linger
• The Verve – Bitter Sweet Symphony
• R.E.M – Losing My Religion
• TLC – Waterfalls
• Blur – Park Life
• Oasis – Don’t Look Back In Anger
• Sheryl Crow – All I Wanna Do
• Natalie Imbruglia – Torn
• Fugees – Killing Me Softly With His Song
• 4 Non Blondes – What’s Up?
• Radiohead – Creep
• No Doubt – Don’t Speak
• The Goo Goo Dolls – Iris
• Sixpence None The Richer – Kiss Me
• Lenny Kravitz – Are you Gonna Go My Way
• Guns N’ Roses – Don’t Cry
• The Cure – Friday I’m in Love
• Weezer – Buddy Holly
• Ace of Base – All That She Wants
• 10,000 Maniacs – These Are Days
• The Commitments – Mustang Sally
• George Michael – Freedom! ’90
• Fatboy Slim – Praise You
• Tom Cochrane – Life is a Highway

Get the 90’s road trip songs playlist here

Best 80s Road Trip Songs

The eighties are one of my favourite eras for music, it was also when MTV started and launched the music video, I’ll never forget the first time I saw the video for Thriller, it was pretty epic! The likes of punk rock, new wave and out and out pop gave us some of the greatest tunes ever. Add these tunes to your song list.

• A-ha – Take on Me
• Culture Club – Karma Chameleon
• Bon Jovi – Livin’ On A Prayer
• Eurythmics – Sweet Dreams
• Madonna – Like A Virgin
• Bryan Adams – Summer Of ’69
• Cyndi Lauper – Girls Just Wanna Fun
• Michael Jackson – Thriller
• Tears for Fears – Shout
• Toto – Africa
• Katrina & The Waves – Walking on Sunshine
• U2 – With or Without You
• Guns N’ Roses – Paradise City
• Soft Cell – Tainted Love
• Tracy Chapman – Fast Car
• Simple Minds – Don’t You
• The Human League – Don’t You Want Me
• Bruce Springsteen – Born in the U.S.A
• Prince – Little Red Corvette
• The Clash – Rock the Casbah
• Men At Work – Down Under
• Frankie Goes To Hollywood – Relax
• Duran Duran – Girls on Film
• Spandau Ballet – Gold
• Chris Isaak – Wicked Game
• Pet Shop Boys – West End Girls
• New Order – True Faith
• Whitney Houston – I Wanna Dance with Somebody
• Pat Benatar – Heartbreaker
• The Boomtown Rats – I Don’t like Mondays
• The Police – Message in A Bottle
• The Bangles – Manic Monday
• The Proclaimers – I’m Gonna Be / 500 miles
• Wham – Club Tropicana
• Phil Collins – In The Air Tonight
• The Communards – Don’t Leave Me This Way
• The B-52’s – Love Shack

Get the 80s road trips songs playlist here

Best Driving Power Ballads

Everyone loves a power ballad! These emotionally charged love songs are just begging you to belt them out at the top of your lungs! Anytime you are going to travel, include these on your road trip songs playlist.

• Foreigner – I Want To Know What Love Is
• Bryan Adams – Everything I Do
• Journey – Don’t Stop Believin
• Cutting Crew – I Just Died In Your Arms Tonight
• Heart – Alone
• Guns N’ Roses – November Rain
• Boston – More Than a Feeling
• Bonnie Tyler – Total Eclipse of the Heart
• Richard Marx – Right Here Waiting
• REO Speedwagon – Can’t Fight This Feeling
• Meatloaf – Paradise By The Dashboard Light
• Foreigner – Waiting for a Girl Like You
• Berlin – Take My Breath Away
• Europe – The Final Countdown
• Crowded House – Don’t Dream It’s Over
• Poison – Every Rose Has Its Thorn
• Survivor – Eye of the Tiger
• Starship – Nothing’s Going to Stop Us Now
• Joe Cocker and Jennifer Warnes – The Time of My Life
• Alannah Myles – Black Velvet

Get the driving power ballads playlist here

Disco Road Trip Songs

Disco disco disco – if these tunes with their rhythmic beats don’t get you singing and moving to the music then nothing will. Keep an eye on that speed limit in case you get carried away! Perfect for those summer road trips.

• Abba – Dancing Queen
• Gloria Gaynor – I Will Survive
• Earth Wind and Fire – Boogie Wonderland
• Bee Gees – Stayin’Alive
• Diana Ross – Upside Down
• The Trammps – Disco Inferno
• Donna Summer – Hot Stuff
• The Pointer Sisters – I’m So Excited
• Earth Wind and Fire – Let’s Groove
• Chic – Le Freak
• Cool and The Gang – Celebration
• Lipps Inc – Funky Town
• Chaka Khan – I’m Every Woman
• Earth Wind and Fire – September
• The Emotions – Best of My Love
• Cheryl Lynn – Got to Be Real
• The Jacksons – Blame it On the Boogie
• Peaches and Herb – Shake Your Groove Thing
• Kylie Minogue – Can’t Get You Out of My Head
• Scissor Sisters – I Don’t Feel Like Dancing
• Barry Manilow – Copacabana

Get the disco road trip songs playlist here

Your Ultimate Driving Playlist

Get every single one of these amazing road trip songs bundled into an ultimate road trip songs playlist to keep you singing along for nearly four hours!

Looking for more road trip tips & resources? Check out these top posts…

Driving to Spain from UK: Best Routes & Driving Tips

Driving to France from UK: Absolutely Everything You Need to Know

Driving from UK to Germany: Best Routes, Costs & Tips

Tips for Stress-Free Holiday Road Trips with Your Family

Driving in Turkey – Absolutely Everything You Need to Know!

Driving in Georgia – Your Ultimate Guide

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100 Best Road Trip Songs: Epic Road Trip Playlist You Need to Download

What are the 100 best road trip songs? That’s a good question. Let the truth be told, no road trip is ever complete without epic tunes to sing along too. Some of my fondest road trip memories consist of singing at the top of my lungs with my best pals beside me. I distinctly remember cruising down the motorway, with my window down, and the sun beaming in, singing ‘Oops I did it again’ as we approach Ireland’s Giant’s Causeway . Or, on my US coast to coast road , jumping out of our van every moment we got to have a dance off in the middle of the street (all safety precautions taken into consideration of course). These are memories that will last a lifetime and it is all thanks to my epic road trip playlist!

Today, I would like to make life a little bit easier for you. Instead of you having to spend hours on end adding songs to your own personal playlist. I have done all the hard work for you. Below is a list of some of the best songs for a road trip, I have even gone as far as providing you with a Spotify link so you can have access to all these killer songs with the touch of a button. I know, I know, you’re looking at a way to thank me, feel free to do so by sharing this post on pinterest 😉

100 Best Road Trip Songs

• American Pie – Don McLean
• A Thousand Miles -Vanessa Carlton
• Sweet Home Alabama – Lynyrd Skynyrd
• Don’t Stop – Believin’ – Journey
• Party in the U.S.A – Miley Cyrus
• All Star – Smash Mouth
• I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) – The Proclaimers
• Brown Eyed Girl – Van Morrison
• Stacey’s Mom – Fountains Of Wayne
• Eye of The Tiger – Survivor
• Ice Ice Baby – Vanilla Ice
• Drops of Jupiter – Train
• Take Me Home, Country Roads – John Denver
• All The Small Things – Blink-182
• Teenage Dirtbag – Wheatus
• I Love Rock ’n’ Roll – The Black Jets
• Hey Jude – The Beatles
• Don’t You Want Me – The Human League
• Cotton Eyed Joe – Circus DJ’s
• Hey There Delilah – Plain White T’s
• S8er Boi – Avril Lavigne
• Take On Me – a-ha
• Build Me Up Buttercup – The Foundations
• Walking On Sunshine – Katrina & The Waves
• Bye Bye Bye – NSYNC
• Before He Cheats – Carrie Underwood
• Since U Been Gone – Kelly Clarkson
• Bad Day – Daniel Potter
• Some Nights – Fun
• It’s A Beautiful Day – Michael Buble
• My Girl – My Temptations
• Shake It – Metro Station
• I’m Yours – Jason Mraz
• Roxanne – The Police
• Girls Just Wanna Have Fun – Cyndi Lauper
• Happy Together – The Turtles
• I’m a Believer – The Monkees
• Somewhere Only We Know – Keane
• Soul Man – Sam & James
• You Make My Dreams – Daryl Hall & John Oates
• Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go – Wham
• Come On Eileen – Dexys Mightnight Runners
• Mambo No.5 (a Little Bit of…) – Lou Bega
• Don’t Go Breaking My Hearth – Elton John and Kiki Dee
• I Want It That Way – Backstreet Boys
• Uptown Girl – Billy Joel
• Hey Ya! – Outcast
• You Make My Dreams Come True – The South Street Band
• Soul Man – Live Version
• Stayin’ Alive – Bee Gees
• Wannabe – Spice Girls
• Everytime We Touch – Cascada
• Sweet Child O’ Mine – Guns N’ Roses
• I Love Rock and Roll – John Foster
• Toxic – Britney Spears
• We Built This City – Starship
• Mamma Mia – ABBA
• I Wanna Dance With Somebody – Whitney Houston
• Twist and Shout – The Beatles
• Year 3000 – Jonas Brothers
• Fireflies – Owl City
• Tik Tok – Kesha
• Any Way You Want – Journey
• Don’t Stop Me Now – Queen
• Hotel California – Eagles
• What I Like About You – AC/DC
• Hit Me With Your Best Shot – Pat Benatar
• Don’ Worry Be Happy – Bobby McFerrin
• Sweet Dream (Are Made of This) – Eurythmics
• Respect – Aretha Franklin
• The Final Countdown – Europe
• Superstition – Stevie Wonder
• Stand By Me – Ben E. King
• Three Little Birds – Bob Marley and The Wailer
• You Sexy Thing – Hot Chocolate
• Billie Jean – Michael Jackson
• Born in the U.S.A – Bruce Springsteen
• Stuck In The Middle With You – Stealers Wheel
• Hound Dog – Elvis Presley
• Do You Believe in Magic? – The LOvin’ Spoonful
• It’s Tricky – Run – D.M.C
• All Summer Long – Kids Rock
• Life Is A Highway – Tom Cochrane
• Every Breath You Take – The Police
• I’ll Be There For You – The Rembrandts
• Down Under – Men At Work
• Walk This Way – Aerosmith
• Man! I Feel Like A Woman – Shania Twain
• Who Let The Dogs Out – Baha Men
• American Girl – Tom Petty and The Hearthbreakers
• U Can’t Touch This – MC Hammer
• American Idiot – Green Day
• The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air – AC/DC
• It Wasn’t Me – Shaggy
• Hips Don’t Lie – Shakira and Wyclef Jean
• Burnin’ Up – Jonas Brother
• Oops!..I Did It Again
• There She Goes – The La’s
• Call Me Maybe – Carly Rae Jepsen
• Yellow – Coldplay
• Mr. Brightside – The Killers

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60 Best Road Trip Songs to Rock the Drive

Written By: The Planet D

Updated On: March 16, 2023

Our list of the best road trip songs from the classics to today. We do a lot of road trips have rounded up the best driving songs to help you pass the time.

Nothing makes driving better than a good road trip playlist. And we’ve compiled the ultimate road trip playlist for your next overland adventure.

Table of Contents

The Best Road Trip Songs

1. sympathy for the devil by the rolling stones.

If you are looking for a song to drive to with a lot of groove, Sympathy for the Devil is just the ticket. We’ve been lucky enough to see the Rolling Stones in concert three times. Dave even met the band way back in 2003 when he shot a media blitz they did in Toronto.

This is by far our favorite Rolling Stones song for a road trip . Even if we have to get out of the car soon, we’ll leave the engine running until the final chord is played!

Get it on Amazon for just $1.29 / Buy the  Rolling Stones Greatest Hits  on Amazon

2. Sweet Home Alabama by Lynyrd Skynyrd

I didn’t know a lot about Lynyrd Skynyrd until I watched the documentary Muscle Shoals . It’s a music biography about one of the most innovative sound studios of the 60s featuring the Rolling Stones and Lynard Skynyrd.

But I have always known the song Sweet Home Alabama, and there is something about this song’s beat that make it the perfect driving song.

In Sweet Home Alabama, there’s a stanza saying: “ Now Muscle Shoals has got the Swampers And they’ve been known to pick a song or two “

Watching Muscle Shoals makes us want to get in the car and drive to Alabama to see the famous studio for ourselves!

Purchase Sweet Home Alabama for $1.29

3. Little Red Corvette By Prince

One of the best driving songs ever is Little Red Corvette by Prince. Who wouldn’t want to be driving a red corvette through the streets. The song is filled with metaphors, but when I sing it, I just think about driving.

It is sad to see another legend lost, but his music lives on. Buy Little Red Corvette $1.29

Pick up a copy of  Prince’s Greatest Hits , you won’t be disappointed. But there are some tributes happening on Spotify now.

4. Another One Bites the Dust by Queen

Queen is my ultimate favourite band. Metallica is Dave’s. I could have just said, “ buy Queen’s greatest hits and you’ll have the perfect Road Trip playlist”.

However, I can only choose one, and if you want a song that picks you up when you’re feeling a little groggy on the road, Another One Bites the Dust does the trick. Man, I love the bass in this song.

If you watch the Queen Documentary on the  BBC , you’ll learn that the Bass Player, John Deacon, actually wrote some of Queen’s biggest anthems, like this one, You’re my Best Friend and I Want to Break Free.

Get Another One Bites the Dust on Amazon just $1.29 / Watch Bohemian Rapsody

• Start Planning our own road trip with  National Geographic’s World Atlas  available on Amazon 

5. Uptown Funk by Mark Ronson Featuring Bruno Mars

While spending a summer in Spain and driving around  Costa Brava this Mark Ronson/Bruno Mars tune was was our go-to road trip song. We called it the song of summer and whenever it came on, we’d jive and jam in the car.

Dave and I love to sing during a road trip and this one makes you want to wail at the top of your lungs. “We’re gonna Uptown Funk you Up!”

Download Up Town Funk on Amazon 

6. Home for a Rest by Spirit of the West

This roadtrip song by Canada’s Spirit of the West always makes me want to go to London, England, and hang out in the pubs. I think about all the travels we have done, and when we do come home, we really do need a rest. 

Travel  is exhausting and when you add pub crawling to the mix, it is doubly exhausting. Spirit of the West captured the spirit of travel beautifully with this perfect driving song.

“ You’ll have to excuse me I’m not at my best, I’ve Been Gone for a Month, I’ve Been Drunk Since I left. These so called vacations will soon be my death, I’m so sick from the Drink, I need home for a rest …”

Download now on Amazon

7. Californication by Red Hot Chili Peppers

How does one choose a favourite Red Hot Chili Pepper’s song? They have so many great albums. But Californication is the perfect tune for a road trip. Heck, even the video is all about driving.

I used to say, “How can anyone not name Red Hot Chili Peppers as one of the greatest bands of all time?” I mean, everything is perfection. Anthony Kiedis is a poet, Flea is a master on the bass, and John Frusciante creates the most memorable and intricate guitar riffs out there today. Plus, how can you forget Chad Smith on drums. He’s quiet and unassuming in real life, just like his music: Subtle and creative. Plus, he looks exactly like Will Ferrel.

You’ve got to read  Scar Tissue  by Anthony Kiedis – this book will blow your mind about everything he and the band have gone through. Buy the album  Californication . The entire disc is perfection.

8. 500 Miles by The Proclaimers

There’s nothing really amazing musically about this song by the  Scottish  Band, the Proclaimers, but when it comes to road trip music, it has the perfect beat. When comes up on the playlist, everyone stops to sing along. This song was made to be a song to drive to!

It’s one of those songs that you can’t help but love. Even if you hate it! I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) must be included on your Road Trips Songs playlist, it would be criminal to leave it out. Check out our guide to the North Coast 500

Buy it on Amazon for $1.29 / Rent  Benny and Joon where the song was featured

9. Take it Easy by The Eagles

Remember when Elaine’s boyfriend refused to speak to anyone when Desperado came on the radio during a classic  Seinfeld episode ? When it comes to the Eagles,  Hotel California  is our song. But when it comes to road trip songs by The Eagles, Take it Easy is Number one. See a great California Road Trip at 17 Mile Drive in Monterey

“ Well I’m a runnin’ down the road trying to loosen my load I’ve got seven women on my mind”

This song was meant for driving. It’s seriously all a bout driving.

If you happen to be going on an Arizona Road Trip, be sure to stop on the corner of Winslow Arizona like in the lyrics “ Well, I’m a standin’ on a corner in Winslow, Arizona . Such a fine sight to see .”

Don’t speak to me, don’t even look at me when Hotel California comes on because I am going to sing along and play air guitar to that classic solo.

Get it now on Amazon / Get the  Hell Freezes Over Tour  where the Eagles come together live.

10. Running on Empty by Jackson Browne

I bet you didn’t know that Jackson Browne played a huge role in making the Eagles famous. He was roommates with Glen Frey and Don Henley at one point.

Heck, for the longest time when I was a kid, I thought Running on Empty was performed by the Eagles. They have similar sounds because Jackson Browne actually co-wrote a lot of the Eagles songs. How do we know all this? We watched the Eagles documentary.

Anyway, back to the song. Running on Empty is a road trip song, period. Come on, the album cover has a road on it!

Buy Running on Empty on Amazon / Rent the movie  The Eagles History  to see the role Jackson Brown played in their success.

11. Paradise by the Dashboard Light by Meatloaf

Who doesn’t love Meatloaf? Paradise by the Dashboard Light was the song of the 70s. There are so many layers to this song and right from that first guitar lick, you can’t help but get ready to start singing along in the car.

Dave and I love it when it breaks into a duet and we sing back and forth. We start screaming until our vocal chords nearly break. After that song, you almost have to pull over for a break. It’s that intense. For us, it’s one of the most fun songs to drive to on our playlist.

Get the album  Bat Out of Hell . Every song is great.

A great one day drive that we highly recommend is the  Hana Highway on Maui.  Make sure you have your road trip songs picked out because radio service in limited. 

12. Take the Money and Run by Steve Miller Band

“T his here’s the story ’bout Billy Joe and Bobby Sue “.

The Steve Miller Band’s Songs were made to sing along to. Dave and I love to harmonize to their music. It’s just so easy to hear the thirds and fifths. The reason we chose Take the Money and Run is that ” They’re headed down south and they’re still running today .”

We don’t plan on shooting anyone and taking their money, but we do plan on traveling forever. It’s in our blood and even if we do settle down a bit, something tells me we’ll always be on the move. Dave and I moved to  Vancouver  in 1992 and we’re still moving today. Maybe not running, but definitely at a steady pace.

Get Steve Miller’s Take the Money and Run

13. Born to be Wild by Steppenwolf

It’s probably the first and most cliché road trip song that anyone thinks of. Considering the lyrics start with:

“ Get your motor running Head out on the highway .”

So, really any road trip playlist would be remiss by not including it. It’s a good one to get the energy up when hitting the open road.

Add it to the list from Amazon

14. I’ve Been Everywhere by Johnny Cash

I love this song by the Man in Black. If you are looking for a song to drive to that is challenging to learn, this is it! It’s all about the places he has been crisscrossing through North America on his tour bus.

I originally only had this song in our travel songs playlist, but I realize that not everyone checks out both articles, so I had to bring it over here. You can’t ever leave out Johnny Cash man.

Get motivated on Amazon

15. On the Road Again by Willie Nelson

On The Road Again is the quintessential song about road tripping. But, his laid back style of singing will make for a relaxed road trip moment and be sure to keep you within the speed limit. It’s a fitting song for this list because after all “I just can’t wait to get on the road again.”

Buy it now $1.29

16. Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen

Everybody loves Bruce Springsteen and Baby we were born to run, is one of the great songs to drive to. This entire song is about driving and running. It’s about getting out of the small town trap and getting to the place you want to be.

The Boss is a great lyricist using car metaphors to tell his story. This driving beat will make you want to get behind your engine and run too.

Buy it on Amazon

17. Graceland by Paul Simon

When Paul Simon’s Graceland came out I went nuts for the rhythms inspired by his trip to Africa. When I went to Kenya for the first time , I was totally blown away that I stayed at the same lodge that he and Carrie Fisher stayed at during that exact trip. But that’s another story.

Graceland is an awesome song that fits with driving through America’s southern states. Who wouldn’t want to take a road trip to Elvis’s Graceland?

Get it now to see what I’m talking about

18. Life is a Highway by Tom Cochrane

We always love including Canadians. Tom Cochrane’s rock anthem “Life is a Highway” was playing across radio stations throughout the summer that Dave and I met.

We’d drive down the road belting out “ life is a highway, I wanna drive it all night long .” It has a great driving beat and the lyrics are easy to learn. It’s perfect for a road tripping son.

get it on Amazon

19. Love Shack by the B52s

You can’t have a party without The B52s. I’ll never forget seeing them in concert. I had no idea who they were a friend invited me and I’m glad he did.

We arrived at Massey Hall in Toronto where the crowd was filled with people sporting beehive hairdos and wardrobes straight out of Austin Powers.

Once the music started, we rushed the stage and there I stood at the very front listening to the best party tunes I’ve ever heard. When choosing road trip music, be sure to include Love Shack!

Get Love Shack on Amazon

20. Good Vibrations by The Beach Boys

It was after watching  Love and Mercy  and  The Wrecking Crew  that we realised just what a genius Brian Wilson is. We even had the opportunity to see the Beach Boys live (sans Brian Wilson) at a private party in Orlando a few years ago.

They made a lot of good lighthearted songs like California Girls, Surfin’ USA and Kokomo, but it’s Good Vibrations that really shows the depth and musicality of the band’s genius. This song has the vibe that both Dave and I love for a road trip. I’m pickin’ up Good Vibrations.

Listen now on Amazon

21. Back in Black by ACDC

You may be thinking “No way, Highway to Hell is the ACDC song that fits in the road trip play list”. You may be correct, but doesn’t Back in Black have an awesome beat. That guitar at the beginning just rocks.

It’s no wonder Marvel’s Iron Man used it as the song for their opening scene as Robert Downey Jr. was driving with a band of army guys (and gal) from his arms dealing display in  Afghanistan .

Ever since then I’ve associated Back in Black with driving. Sure, he was in a Humvee and I’m usually in a mini compact economy car, but hey, I feel tough when that tune is playing.

Start making your own road tripping playlist for just $1.29 / Buy it on Amazon

22. The Way by Fastball

Don’t you ever want to just hit the road without ever knowing the way. That’s what this song is about. One of my favorite lyrics in the song is “an exit to eternal summer slacking, but where were they going without ever knowing the way.” So let’s. go wander the highway while listening to The Way.

23. Lose Yourself by Eminem

I once sang this song in  Belize  with the local crime lord. I didn’t know it at the time, but after I got off the karaoke stage, where I was joined by a random man who had a big grin on his face, I was told, he was that man. Woah.

The friends you make when you sing Eminem. But this song rocks. Dave and I saw 8 Mile in the theatre and were totally impressed with Mr. Marshall Mathers’ acting ability.

We promptly bought the soundtrack and learned the lyrics to this song.

It’s one of those songs where, once you learn the lyrics, you never forget them because they are so fast and furious, you fall over yourself trying to say them with him!

Listen to Lose Yourself now / Get the Movie  8 Mile on Amazon Prime

24. Go Your Own Way by Fleetwood Mac

A road trip song playlist wouldn’t be complete without Fleetwood Mac and this song has the groove for driving.

“Let’s all sing it together….You can go your own way, Go your own way You can call it another lonely day You can go your own way”

25. See You Again by Wiz Khalifa, Charlie Puth

Why this song wasn’t nominated for an Academy Award was beyond me. Everyone was shocked when actor Paul Walker was killed in a car crash. He died during the filming of Furious 7.

I never did see the film, but this song played during his final scene in the movie, which I read all about. It seemed to be a beautiful send off to him and whenever I hear it, it still brings a little tear to my eye.

This is a great song for a road trip and is fitting since it’s the title theme for a movie about fast cars.

Buy this song on Amazon $1.29 / Watch all the  Fast and the Furious Movies  in this Box Set.

26. Jack & Diane by John Mellencamp

John Cougar was the first musician I ever saw live. My brother and now sister in law brought me to a show at Copps Coliseum in Hamilton and I couldn’t get enough of his music after that.

I loved his rockabilly sound and to this day, the minute those first five chords ring out over the car stereo, I start rockin’. Jack and Diane is probably his best song and is all about two American kids living in the  heartland .

Check it out on Amazon $1.29

27. Drive My Car by The Beatles

Baby you can drive my car, yes I’m gonna be a star. Have you watch Carpool Karaoke with Paul McCartney and James Corden yet? It is awesome and yes, they do sing the quintessential Beatles road tripping song as they drive around Liverpool checking out Paul’s old haunts.

28. You Oughta Know by Alannis Morisette

The feminism anthem of the 1990s was written and performed by a Canadian. We owned the album Jagged Little Pill and there isn’t a bad song in the bunch.

But it’s You Oughta Know that is one of the best road trip songs on the album. The staccato speech at the beginning gets you hooked for the driving beats ahead making it one of the best driving songs out there.

“I – Want – you – to – know. That – I’m – happy for you. I – wish – nothing – but – the – best – for – you both.”

Was this sone about Joey from Full House? We’ll never know. But you oughta know

Buy the  album Jagged Little Pill,  it’s a good one!

29. Sweet Child O’Mine by Guns n’ Roses

Okay, Dave and I are huge Guns n’ Roses fans. When choosing road trip songs, GnR is right at the top.

We know every word, and both of us immediately stop talking and start singing and playing air guitar. (Or if Dave’s driving, air drumming on the steering wheel.) Guns n’ Roses’ music holds up after all these years and they have many songs made for passing the time on long drives.

Download Sweet Child O’ Mine on Amazon

30. Coming to America by Neil Diamond

During our cycling road trip through Africa . I had Neil Diamond’s Greatest Hits on my playlist. Whenever I was feeling exhausted or just overwhelmed with the scope of the day’s ride ahead, I’d put on Neil Diamond’s mix of mellow and fun tunes. It was “Coming to America” that picked me up the most. It’s just so motivating.

The driving beat makes you feel that you can do anything. It’s all about traveling far and coming to America. I’m not even American, and it inspires me. This song captures what America used to be to so many people. Let’s hope they get there again.

Buy on Amazon Now

Enjoy reading about our road trip through the Causeway Coast at  The Best Things to do in Northern Ireland

31. Carry on Wayward Son by Kansas

If you are a fan of  Supernatural , (the TV series) you’ll recognize this song from the recaps they do at the beginning of most seasons. This song by Kansas has stood the test of time, not only because of Supernatural, but it was huge during the Guitar Hero days.

When they belt out their harmonies at the beginning followed by the hard drums and guitar solo, you can’t help but bounce to the beat. It’s no wonder this song is featured on Supernatural, Sam and Dean are always driving from town to town in Dean’s 1967 Chevy Impala

32. Hello by Adele

Who doesn’t love Adele’s velvet voice? Sure, “Hello” isn’t a fast-paced tune, but it is an excellent road trip song. Why? Because you can howl, scream and holler along.

Turn the stereo up to 11 and belt out those notes along with Adele. Don’t worry, everyone in the car will be singing along, so nobody will hear you scream “ Hello from the outside “.

Buy Hello to Add to your Road Trip Songs playlist $1.29

33. The Nights by Avicii

The best road trip songs are upbeat and easy to sing to. If you agree with that definition, The Nights is definitely a perfect tune for your playlist.

It’s easy to learn the lyrics and a lot of fun to sing a long with. The song is by the Swedish DJ Avicii, but it feels more  Celtic  to me. It was an awesome tune on our playlist for our road trip through Ireland last year.

You can buy the single on Amazon

34. The Distance by Cake

Man, Cake has some great road trip songs. They have a super sense of humour and their music is just simply a lot of fun. I could choose a couple of their songs for our road trip playlist, like Short Skirt Long Jacket or the hilarious Sheep go to Heaven, but Going the Distance is the song that was made for a road trip.

Because that’s in essence what you are doing when driving, right? “You’re going the distance, and you’re going for speed.”

Add Going the Distance to your Road Trip Playlist

35. More Than a Feeling by Boston

Lead Singer Brad Delp had one of the best voices in Rock n’ Roll. Dave and I love great vocalists and Boston’s songs were meant to wail to. He could reach the high notes with such clarity and there’s nothing more satisfying when out for a long day on the road than reaching those notes in the car and pretending to be a rock star. This is the song to do that to.

Buy More than a Feeling on Amazon

36. American Pie by Don McLean

When on a long road trip, there’s nothing better than a really long anthem-like song to come on. The miles seem to just fall away on the road. American Pie is one of those songs. A song that cuts nearly 10 minutes out of your road trip, as you sing along with each verse.

There’s something about knowing all the lyrics of American Pie that makes you feel like you are smart or something. When you know every word, it’s impressive to others. Well, at least Dave and I impress ourselves and that’s all that matters since we’re usually the only two in the car!

Download the ultimate road trip song on Amazon

37. American Woman by The Guess Who

Let’s stay with the American theme and go with this American classic, written by Canadians! When Dave and I got free tickets to see The Guess Who from his friend who ran their lighting, we weren’t sure what to expect. Weren’t these some old guys that sang songs we’ve never heard of? Boy were we wrong.

Burton Cummings’ voice is outstanding and Randy Bachman can make his guitar sing. But you’d also be surprised how many songs you know by the Guess Who. They had hit after hit.

American Woman has been deemed an American Anthem, but what’s funny about it is that the entire song disses on America.

“ I don’t need your war machines, I don’t need your ghetto scenes”. Colored lights may hypnotize Sparkle someone else’s eyes”

Listen closely and you’ll see that they’re telling America to stay away from them!

Get American Woman on Amazon 1.29

38. All About the Bass by Meghan Trainor

When I first heard Meghan Trainor’s voice I was hooked. It’s so clear and fun. Have you seen her sing on Jimmy Fallon with the Roots playing kids school instruments as back up? It’s amazing. That’s how you know someone can sing: When they’ve got nothing backing them up but a kazoo and they sound awesome.

This tune is so much fun. We’re also fans of Your Lips Are Movin’ by her as well. Meghan Trainor’s tunes were made for road tripping.

Get this road trip song on Amazon

39. Africa by Toto

Let’s slow This Road Trip Songs Playlist down a little now. Africa by Toto didn’t mean a lot to me until I went to Africa. They capture it beautifully in the song and it’s so soothing to listen to.

Wild dogs really do cry out in the night and yes,  Kilimanjaro  does rise like Olympus above the Serengeti. When Africa comes on, it makes me want to book a flight to Tanzania or Kenya.

These countries are two of our favorite places in the world and we could go back again and again. But until we do, there’s always Toto there to remind us of how much we love it.

Download on Amazon

• One of our favorite road trips where we had the tunes cranked was definitely a drive along the  Cowboy Route in Southern Alberta. 

40. Don’t Stop Believin’ by Journey

Journey may have had a resurgence thanks to Glee, but we have always loved them. Open Arms is actually my favourite by them, but it doesn’t exactly fit the bill as one of the best road trip songs of all time. It’s more of a love ballad. We were both huge fans of Separate Ways, but perhaps the synthesizer is a little dated.

Don’t Stop Belivin’ is definitely the Journey song that was made for driving. Heck it’s even about taking a journey. “Just a city boy, born and raised in South Detroit . He took the midnight train going anywhere”.

Buy the song on Amazon / Rent the movie  Don’t Stop Believin ‘, it’s so inspiring!

41. I Bet My Life by Imagine Dragons

Imagine Dragons are quickly becoming one of our favourite bands of the 2000s. They are so versatile, with so many hits you don’t even realise they are the same band. They are the same guys that sing Radioactive, Demons and It’s Time. All songs are so different.

But it’s I Bet My Life that makes us want to bop our heads to the beat. We drove a lot through  Europe  last year and this was one of the big road trip songs for us to listen to.

Buy I Bet My Life for just $1.29

42. Dream On by Aerosmith

This song starts off slow and builds to a screeching point with Steven Tyler wailing “ Dream On, Dream On, Dream On, Dream Until Your Dreams Come True! “

You don’t want to be in the car with Dave and I when this song is on. Both of us are yelling at the top of our lungs and banging our heads to the beat. When Dream on comes on the radio, there’s no talking to either of us until the song is over.

Buy  AeroSmith’s Greatest Hits

• You don’t have to be in a car to appreciate good music. We had our playlist going like made in our Bluetooth helmets during our  tour around Lake Superior  on motorcycles. 

43. Rock Star by Nickelback

Hey, don’t hate on Nickelback okay? Everyone loves to hate this band, and yet they still have tons of top hits and sold out shows. Yes, Chad Kroeger’s hair sucks with his long bleach blond locks and dark roots and his goatee does not fit his face, but Nickleback has some pretty memorable tunes.

I remember listening to them sing live from “The Edge Studios” in Toronto for the first time when they belted out How you Remind Me. That song was their breakout hit, but you gotta listen to Rock Star. The lyrics of this song are hilarious and it was made for singing along to in the car.

Give Rock Star a chance now

44. Hey Ya by Outkast

I love the positive beat of this song. Sure it may or may not be a break up song, I can’t be sure about the lyrics – is it about breaking up or staying together? Who cares, it’s gone a cool vibe.

The video is so much fun and when this tune comes on, you instantly feel good. Andre3000 was named one of the best rappers of all time, and yet it’s this little ditty that we love for a road trip. My Baby don’t mess around.

Hey Ya on Amazon

45. Edge of Seventeen by Stevie Nicks

The ultimate female rock voice is Stevie Nicks. This has been one of my favourite songs for years. I could only wish that I had a Rock n Roll voice. Mine was stuck in the pop world, but that didn’t mean that I didn’t daydream about rocking it like Stevie on the big stage one day.

This rock song is great for anyone.  Even Dave rocks out to it when I turn it on. It may have never made it to the top 10 when it was released in 1981, but this is the most memorable of all her songs and over time has gained more fame and glory than it had during its original release.

Give it a shot and listen to it!

46. I Wanna Be Sedated by The Ramones

This is the easiest song to sing along to. It repeats and repeats but the beat keeps on going. When we’re on a super long road trip, we agree, Twenty, Twenty, Twenty-Fours hours to go! I wanna be sedated. Get the Ramones on your road trip playlist now. They’ll have you Ba ba baba, baba ba baba along all night long!

Purchase I Wanna Be Sedated

One of our latest road trip adventures took us to  Fraser Island in Australia . We spent 3 days driving through the sand dunes and scenery of this amazing destination. 

47. Redemption Song by Bob Marley

Bob Marley is another artist where we could just put on his greatest hits and make that a road trip playlist. But the self imposed rules of this article was to choose only one song per artist.

Yes, he has more up-tempo songs that could fit the genre better, but we feel that sometimes you gotta slow down when choosing a road trip song and let the mellow feeling takeover as you drive the open road.

Redemption Song is the perfect song for that occasion. It’s one of those songs where you can put your vocal skills to the test and sing with feeling.

Download Redemption Song for 1.29 on Amazon

48. Follow You Into the Dark by Death Cab for Cutie

Sticking with slow songs, Dave and I love this one by Death Cab for Cutie. It’s a love song and we love a good love song. Hey, we’re both romantics at heart. One of my favourite lines is:

“You and me have seen everything to see From Bangkok to Calgary The soles of your shoes are all worn down “ That’s how Dave and I feel, we’ve seen it all together and we love doing so.

Download this now  for your Road Trip Song Playlist on Amazon

49. Life’s Been Good by Joe Walsh

Another very long tune. Life’s Been Good is a great road trip sing-a-long song. It goes on for a whopping 8 minutes. Do you know how many km you can cover when driving at 100km (or if you’re like most people, 120km) per hour?

That’s right, 15km will fly right by! How does Life’s Been Good fit with a road trip? Well, he does sing, “ My  Maserati  does 185, I lost my license, now I don’t drive. ” Best lyrics ever!

50. Shelter from the Storm by Bob Dylan

Well, since we’re in the vein of 1960s music icons. We must include a little Bob Dylan. You see, you want your road trip playlist to be versatile. You can’t stick with one genre or one decade. It needs to span many years and cover all music types.

That way you never get bored. Shelter from the Storm is one of Bob’s greatest hits and he’s had many.

You may choose one of his more famous songs like Blowin’ in the Wind, Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door or Mr. Tambourine Man, But listen to Shelter from the Storm. This is a great song.

Purchase Shelter From the Storm Now

51. Piano Man by Billy Joel

I’ll never forget locking up Sherry Ott’s phone (of  Ottsworld’s ) during the  Mongol Rally.  She and Rick had to listen to our playlist the rest of the 10,000 km and she mentioned, if only we had some Billy Joel. I love Billy Joel, so I felt the same way!

We didn’t have Spotify then, so we couldn’t just magically download Billy Joel in the Gobi desert, but I do agree, he makes for some great road trip music. Yes, he has a lot of hits, but Dave and I both love Piano Man.

It’s another long anthem type song that lets you sing along forever. With verse after verse our voices grow stronger and more powerful in the car until we’re both belting out “Sing us a Song You’re the Piano Man!” no you’re the piano man!

Get it on Amazon

52. Old Man by Neil Young

From Piano Man to Old Man. Niel Young is another iconic Canadian in our list. I could do a Canadian version of Road Trip Songs, but I am afraid half of you wouldn’t know the songs I am talking about.

Anyone else out there know of The Tragically Hip’s  Fireworks ? Our Lady Peace’s  Starseed  or Blue Rodeo’s  Bad Timing ? Didn’t think so.

But we the world knows Neil Young. Even the younger generation knows him thanks to Jimmy Fallon. Old Man is our favourite. What’s yours?

Listen to Old Man Now

Watch Jimmy Fallon and Neil Young on YouTube

53. Lust for Life by Iggy Pop

In the 1990s, I didn’t know a lot about punk rock. Dave and I were into Grunge at the time. But when we went to go see Trainspotters at the theatre, we were introduced to Lust for Life by Iggy Pop.

If this doesn’t get you rocking in the car, nothing will. It is the perfect way to end our road trip songs playlist with an upbeat tune that was made for road tripping.

Lust for Life is on Amazon for just $1.29

54. Radar Love by Golden Earring

Whenever the popular rock and roll radio station in Toronto does a traffic update, they play this song. They also play “I’m a highway star” but Radar Love has the much better groove. I love adding grooving songs to drive to on my playlist.

55. Route 66 by Nat King Cole

It’s a classic and an oldie but goodie. All kinds of people have covered Route 66 but nothing compares to the velvet voice of Nat King Cole. So add this classic road song to your playlist and get your kicks on Route 66.

56. Mustang Sally in the Commitments

When I was younger I was in a band that had the feel of the movie The Commitments. I loved singing back up vocals to Mustang Sally, “Ride Sally Ride. This song has a cool groove that gets you in the mood to drive. (Among other things)

57. The Air Tonight by Phil Collins

Who doesn’t love that drum solo by Phil Collins in the Air Tonight. I’ll never forget hearing it for the first tim eon Miami Vice when Crocket and Tubs were driving down the strip of Miami. Man, this is the best grooving driving song out there.

58. Castle on the Hill by Ed Sheeran

Ed Sheeran is awesome. There isn’t a song of his I don’t like. But when it comes to songs about driving, this is it. I love the lyrics:

“I’m on my way Driving at ninety down those country lanes Singing to “Tiny Dancer” And I miss the way you make me feel, and it’s real We watched the sunset over the castle on the hill.”

Dave and I totally sing to Tiny Dancer when driving and we always think about driving those back roads in Ireland. How can the locals possibly go 90 on narrow winding roads, and yet they do. they really do! Get Castle on a Hill now

59. Boys of Summer by Don Henley

I admit, I bought a pair of RayBans just because of these lyrics… “Driving in your car with those Wayfarers on baby.”

When I listen to the Boys of Summer, I envision beautiful people driving up and down the sunset strip in Los Angeles. I always have and still do. Check out our guide to the Ultimate California Road Trip

60. Where the Streets have No Name by U2

And let’s end with a song that actually has a street in the name. Well, the Streets have no name here. U2s anthem is the perfect ending to our road tripping song. From the Joshua Tree, that takes us through the California desert, the Streets Have No Name, is a song that will hypnotize you as you get lost in Bono’s dreamy vocals. Just make sure to keep your eyes on the road!

So there you have it. This is our list of our favorite road trip songs. So are you ready to hit the road with the best playlist ever?

We have this on our playlist, what’s on yours? Have you ever taken a road trip going anywhere?

Do you have a song that needs to be included when you go traveling? We’d love to hear in the comments below.

• Best Travel Songs Playlist – It’s different from this!
• Best Travel Movies
• Best Travel Books to Inspire the Wanderer in you
• Best Travel Tips from 20 Years of Traveling

Travel Planning Resources

Looking to book your next trip? Why not use these resources that are tried and tested by yours truly.

Flights: Start planning your trip by finding the best flight deals on Skyscanner

Book your Hotel: Find the best prices on hotels with these two providers. If you are located in Europe use Booking.com and if you are anywhere else use TripAdvisor

Find Apartment Rentals: You will find the cheapest prices on apartment rentals with VRBO . 

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About The Planet D

Dave Bouskill and Debra Corbeil are the owners and founders of The Planet D. After traveling to 115 countries, on all 7 continents over the past 13 years they have become one of the foremost experts in travel. Being recognized as top travel bloggers and influencers by the likes of Forbes Magazine , the Society of American Travel Writers and USA Today has allowed them to become leaders in their field.

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81 thoughts on “60 Best Road Trip Songs to Rock the Drive”

Where Chris Rea? There should be at least one song if not 3

Interesting list you have here. I have some recommendations here if you don’t mind.

Raspberries – Go All the Way Jason Isbell – Super 8 Big Star – In the Street Crack the Sky, the best band to come out of Baltimore – Nuclear Apathy Wishbone Ash – (In All My Dreams) You Rescue Me The Bottle Rockets – Radar Gun Danny O’Keefe – Good Time Charlie’s Got the Blues Cross Canadian Ragweed – Fightin’ For

Thanks for the nice collection, will definitely try this!!

Thank you so much for sharing this playlist. I really loved it.

Very nice collection thanks for sharing!!

Blatantly missing: “Roll on Down the Highway” – Bachman-Turner Overdrive

Great selection. Along with ‘Go Your own Way’ and ‘Life is a Highway’, I’d add ‘Peaches’ by Justin Bieber

Nice One! Amazing Playlist! Really love This, thank you for sharing this lovely playlist.

Awesome Playlist !! Love It

Thanks for the song list now it will be very easy for me to go on a road trip.

thanks for the list of songs. I loved the ‘boys of summer’ song so much. Every time when I drive I always play this song.

Superb Collection..i definitely tryy all songs..i am planning to go out . i hope it helps for me. Thank you

Thank you very much for this playlist. I really loved it.

Superb Collection.. Thanks for the lovely post

fantastic article thanks for sharing, I appereciate your work

Thanks so much! Do you have a favourite song to add?

Most of these songs and genres that aren’t rock should be left off the list completely. The best road songs are real rock hands down. The best road song ever is Judas Priest’s “Heading Out To The Highway”. The live version of the Priest Live album from 1987.

You reminded me of songs that I love but forgot about. Thanks for making this playlist, I will definitely be listening to some old favorites as well as some ones you’ve recommended…Old is gold

Thanks for this article but there are many tracks apart from these to make the highway journey a perfect experience.

You reminded me some of the songs that I love but forgotten about it. Thanks for reminding me again, I will definitely be listening to some old favorites as well as someones you’ve recommended. 🙂

Great collections thank you so much for sharing this article.

Really a great collection of songs thanks for sharing hopefully it will help me next time i go out.

Thank you for this wonderful list. It really helped me a lot during my road trip.

Amazing article I really loved it. Thanks for sharing this amazing content.

Hey there Thanks for the Wonderful Playlist.

This is an excellent list. I have a trip to plan here shortly. Hopefully everyone can agree on this playlist.

Yes.. This is an excellent list of songs for road trip

Superb Collection. Thanks for sharing it.

Superb Collection..i definitely tryy all songs..i am planning to go out . i hope it helps for me.

You reminded me of songs that I love but forgot about. Thanks for making this playlist, I will definitely be listening to some old favorites as well as some ones you’ve recommended…Old is gold

Awesome and ‘d add Big Sugar’s “Please Let Me Sleep In Late or My Heart Refuses To Pound”.

The requirement for any good road trip is, as everyone knows, a killer soundtrack. And summer is the optimal time to hit the road and go on an adventure. Whether you’re embarking on a solo trip or gathering with friends and family, you’re going to need some tunes to keep you company along the way. We’ve collated classic driving songs from throughout the eras and assembled the best road trip songs to fire up as you head out on the open road.

Hey, nice post loved it.

You reminded me of songs that I love but forgot about! Thanks for making this playlist, I will definitely be listening to some old favorites as well as some ones you’ve recommended!

Awesome playlist! Added some of these for my next road trip, thankyou so much sir ??

Awesome playlist! Added some of these for my next road trip 🙂 Thanks for the post!

really nyc playlist

awesome..amazing man..!!

Thank you so much!! You don’t know how you helped me. But you helped me a lot. Usually, I get bored while going for a long ride but now it is gonna Amazing. Thank you again.

Hi, You have put together a great collection of songs. It’s true music and travel if combined together can make any trip a great one. I have although written a similar article on my blog but being an Indian I love Bollywood songs. Lately, I have added some modern International songs too on my playlist and I am loving those. I have noticed that you have added many classic old songs, I have listened to a few of them on YouTube and I found them pretty great. Thanks for sharing your list of songs with us. You can check out mine too. It’s a bit different from yours.

Great collection. There is so much good music out there, old and new, the challenge always seems to be keeping the list to a manageable number. Quite a few caught me by surprise. I was a long haul truck driver for many years, and a big music fan, but you learn something new every day. A running joke in my house is that I have been more places with Melissa Etheridge than I have with my wife of 36 years. Submitted for your consideration: You can sleep while I drive-Melissa Etheridge. Radar Love-Golden Earring Roll Me Away- Bob Seger In The Air Tonight- Phil Collins Uneasy Rider-Charlie Daniels Here I go Again-Whitesnake Eastbound and Down-Jerry Reeves This Flight Tonight-Nazareth Fly At Night-Chilliwack The Load Out-Jackson Browne Several dozen more than you will have space for.

Superb Collection..i definitely try all songs..i am planning to go out . i hope it helps for me.

Thank You So Much For The Playlist. Now I Am Gonna Rock The Long Drive.

What an Amazing Wonderful Collection Realy I Love IT 🙂

Great collection man..Enjoy

Nice playlist. I’d include America’s Ventura Highway.

was going to put I’ve Been Everywhere Man on the list and then I decided against it because I have it on another music list on this site. I linked to it in this article and I thought, uh oh, I can’t repeat songs too muc

wonderful collection

Thank you so much for the playlist. I loved all of them. Now am ready to hit the long roads.

I can’t argue with most of the selections on the list, but there are a few blatant omissions:

Born To Be Wild Radar Love Twilight Zone

I don’t know how any music list (regardless of theme) can be complete without a single song by Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Rush, or the Boss, let alone missing all of them???

I love music so much.this is the best article ever about road trip songs playlists. Thank you for nice article.

Excellent collection of songs! I truly needed to recommend this to these amazing people who have done great road trips I’m in touch with and will do in future. One of their trips was 20,000 Kms. Will share it ahead!

Thank you for the great road trip list. It was great.

Thanks Dev & Deb !! You made my day…!! By reading your article I found so much happiness because in coming days I’ll go on long tour with my new car & these road trip songs will rock it all the way … !! 🙂

– Jenny Diana

Jessica by the Allman Brothers is one of the best for me. In the movie of my life, it’s the music that would playduring the scenewhen I take a long road trip or move cross-country. 😛

Great addition, I’ll have to add it to my Spotify.

Ooooooh, so many. Led Zep’s Dazed and Confused (26 minute version), Hendrix’ Voodoo Chile, a lot of Buddy Guy. Yesterday I heard B-52s “Planet Claire”–that is a serious jam.

I am so happy to spend my time here, i am always search exactly like this blog. Thanks for sharing us.

Great choices and I love that you included a Canadian. Life is a Highway. Woot!

Awesome and ‘d add Big Sugar’s “Please Let Me Sleep In Late or My Heart Refuses To Pound”.

Great selection. Along with ‘Go Your own Way’ and ‘Life is a Highway’, I’d add ‘Dance the Night Away’ by Van Halen

Superb!! Never gonna to forget this one!!

I Wanna Be Sedated BY The Ramones

Amazing this post, thanks for share it.

Amazing this one thanks for share it.

Fantastic list, thank you! One addition comes to mind right away: “Life is a Highway” by Tom Cochrane. I mean, it actually has the word highway in it. Classic.

That’s a great addition. I was actually thinking about that song. I love him because he’s also Canadian and I like adding Canadians to the list. But I then decided to leave him out because for me, he was oversaturated (in our neck of the woods anyway) and that song was totally overplayed and now I just can’t listen to it anymore. But most people love it!

I would add “Go Your Own Way” by Fleetwood Mac.

Great choice! How could I forget that one!

thank you! One addition comes to mind right away: “Life is a Highway” by Tom Cochrane.

LOVE THESE!! Couldn’t agree more about Paradise by the Dashboard Light. I love Meat Loaf, LOL. He was my first concert at age 8 😀 and we played “I Would Do Anything For Love” at our wedding hahaha. Great pics. I love any Bob Dylan or Johnny Cash as well—perfect for an All-American road trip. Also 80’s rock.

Road trips are the best!!

I loved that I would do Anything for Love. It was a great comeback song for him. So what wouldn’t you do? Haha, He says, I would do anything for love, but I won’t do that. HAha. I always think about what is that? 🙂 I was going to put I’ve Been Everywhere Man on the list and then I decided against it because I have it on another music list on this site. I linked to it in this article and I thought, uh oh, I can’t repeat songs too much.

Very good article…this is a very unique article for me. I have never seen this kinda article on any sites… REALLY VERY NICE..CHEERS

Thanks Jessica. We love music so much we decided that we had to put together a list of our playlists. So there you go!

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The best road trip songs of all time

These road trip songs will make your next excursion a memorable one, whether you’re driving for few hours or a few days

Don’t get us wrong—we really love city life. But sometimes day-tripping to a nearby summer music festival doesn’t quite satiate our need for escape, and that’s where these classic road trip songs come in. When the urge strikes, it’s time to hit the highway/motorway/ whatever for a good, old-fashioned road trip. Of course, you can’t drive in complete silence—well, you can, but the very thought is giving us a flat tyre—so we’ve compiled our list of the best road trip songs to get your motors running and propel your journey into fifth gear. Crank up classics from the Boss, the Dead and Prince, and even some Whitesnake, as you cruise along the open road, forgetting every care in the world.

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Best road trip songs, ranked

1.  ‘Born to Run’ by Bruce Springsteen

Like Bruce Springsteen’s ‘Born in the U.S.A.,’ ‘Born to Run’ is darker than it may seem. Embedded in the scuffed poetry of the lyrics is a potent combination of rebellion, sex, disgust and determination—brought to life by the throaty passion of Springsteen’s voice, the liberating wail of Clarence Clemons’s sax and the sheer propulsive force of the E Street Band’s backup. “Someday girl, I don’t know when/We’re gonna get to that place where we really wanna go,” Springsteen promises. ‘Born to Run’, for all its spikes, takes you there. It’s a love song, an urban-jungle cry and a perfect anthem of pedal-to-the-metal escape.

2.  ‘Little Red Corvette’ by Prince

It doesn’t take a B.A. in poetry to figure this ditty’s got nothing to do with cars. In the world of Prince, coupés are women, horsepower is a pack of Trojan condoms, and gas is stamina in the sheets. The beat takes its time, synthetic drums echoing into the distance, just as the Purple One implores his one-night stand to take it slow, to make it two, three or more nights. Dez Dickerson peels out in the guitar solo, but she’s the one driving here. Perfect choice of car model—elusive, American, curvy, risky. It wouldn’t work as a Ferrari or Rolls.

3.  ‘Here I Go Again’ by Whitesnake

Been dumped recently? You need to go for a drive (preferably in a Jaguar XJ). You’ve made up your mind. You ain’t wasting no more time. So tease your hair, don your pleather, and crank up the volume on this 1982 hit—just try not to get stuck in traffic. This power ballad works better on the open road (with no adjacent drivers to judge your Coverdale cover moves).

4.  ‘Where the Streets Have No Name’ by U2

This anthemic opening track from U2’s landmark 1987 LP, The Joshua Tree, is an ideal kick-starter for any road trip (particularly if you're wandering about the California desert where the titular yucca plant is commonly found). From a whisper, the sound of an organ builds up like a spiritual beacon being unveiled. It’s well over a minute before the Edge’s churning guitar and Adam Clayton’s propulsive bassline kick in, and another 40 seconds before Bono’s vocals touch down. By then, you’re ready to hit top gear and wail along: ‘I want to run/I want to hide/I want to tear down the walls that hold me inside.’ Though this road trip song is about Bono’s vision of an Ireland free from class boundaries, it has inspired countless highway warriors to venture out to those places that maybe aren’t on the map.

5.  ‘Love Shack’ by the B-52s

‘Hop in my Chrysler! It’s as big as a whale, and it’s about to set sail!’ booms Fred Schneider on this all-time great party song . Admittedly, it’s hard to dance like no one’s watching when you’re behind the wheel of a Chrysler (or a Fiat Punto, for that matter), but ‘Love Shack’ will liven up any road trip. If your bum’s getting numb, just whack it on and have yourself a little front or backseat disco. 

6.  ‘Sweet Home Alabama’ by Lynyrd Skynyrd

American football possibly killed off Southern boogie rock. Hear us out. Because of college pigskin rivalries, this song could not be made today. College football is a matter of life and death down there, literally. Iconic trees and people have been murdered over games. Skynyrd was born deep in SEC country: The boogie-rock brothers were from Jacksonville, not Alabama, and cut the track in Georgia. Could you imagine a bunch of Gators fans cutting a tune that could in any way be construed as ‘Roll Tide’? Yankees and rivals love to mock and loathe the Crimson Tide, but when this ditty plays, every human in the room, no matter the allegiance, becomes a temporary, gen-u-wine Mobile redneck.

7.  ‘I Drove All Night’ by Cyndi Lauper

The irreverent thrift-shop spunk that defined Cyndi Lauper’s persona in the 1980s sometimes overshadowed her killer range and sensitivity as a vocalist, but ‘I Drove All Night’—from her third album, 1989’s ‘A Time to Remember’—finds her in a different mode. Driven by a feverish desire, she takes the wheel and makes her own way to her lover’s bed. (She may coyly ask, ‘Is that all right?’ but by that time she’s already done it.) And Lauper’s impressively sustained last note is a perfect expression of the song’s sense of undeterrable yearning.

8.  ‘Fast Car’ by Tracy Chapman

Tracy Chapman’s beautifully direct 1988 hit, from her eponymous debut album, gives escapism an especially poignant twist. The speeding car and its romantic freedom (‘City lights stretched out before us/Your arm felt nice wrapped 'round my shoulder’) can’t be separated from what it’s speeding from: a life of urban poverty, trapped taking care of deadbeats—first a drunk father and then, at the end, the very driver that she had dreamed might carry her to rescue.

9.  ‘Keep the Car Running’ by Arcade Fire

If there’s one quality that characterizes Arcade Fire’s sound, it’s urgency—and nowhere is that more evident than on ‘Keep the Car Running’ from the band’s super noir, grandiose 2007 ‘Neon Bible’ album. Based on singer Win Butler’s childhood nightmares (‘Men are coming to take me away!’ he pines), ‘Keep the Car Running’ expands these fears into a sense of global anxiety, and the certainty that there must be something better down the road (‘Don’t know why, but I know I can’t stay’). On its release, the song was likened to prime-era Bruce Springsteen; imagine fans’ joy when Butler and Régine Chassagne made a surprise showing at the Boss’s stadium gig to bust out the song with him. Warning: You will need to be super-careful not to break the speed limit if you play this song while driving.

10.  ‘Truckin’’ by Grateful Dead

Let us pause, and acknowledge the fact that this road trip song has been recognised by the U.S. Library of Congress as a national treasure. Mmmm. Written and performed communally by Jerry Garcia, Phil Lesh, Bob Weir and lyricist Robert Hunter, the catchy, bluesy shuffle turns the band’s misfortunes on the road into a metaphor for getting through life’s constant changes. And really, what’s a good trip—or a good life—if you can’t exclaim at the end, ‘What a long, strange trip it’s been’?

11.  ‘Road to Nowhere’ by Talking Heads

The gospel-choir intro to this upbeat single, off 1985’s ‘Little Creatures’ LP , makes for a great start to any road-trip mix. The song celebrates the journey over the destination—as frontman David Byrne puts it, ‘I wanted to write a song that presented a resigned, even joyful look at doom.’ (Typical of him.) Not every end point is a good one, but we’ll be damned if this march doesn’t have us enjoying the ride.

12.  ‘Graceland’ by Paul Simon

Road trips are a time for contemplation, whether we expect it (or like it) or not. Paul Simon’s 1986 single is a perfect, toe-tapping example—we’re treated to what’s basically his stream of consciousness on a drive to Graceland with his son after the failure of his marriage to the late, great Carrie Fisher. At turns both nostalgic and hopeful, it runs the gamut of emotions we always seem to experience a little more profoundly on the road.

13.  ‘Take It Easy’ by the Eagles

The Eagles took flight in 1972 with their debut single: a quick but mellow paean to the romance of the road, where a world of troubles—romantic and otherwise—can be shucked at the mere sight of a girl (my lord!) in a flatbed Ford. Cowritten by frontman Glenn Frey and his friend Jackson Browne, the song’s rejection of worry and release into insouciant adventure are perfect for relieving tension on a drive. As the lyrics gently urge: ‘Don’t let the sound of your own wheels drive you crazy.’

14.  ‘America’ by Simon and Garfunkel

Add this one to your bucket list: Everyone should be required (at least once) to listen to their restless side, hitchhike, board a bus and go to another city/state/country to find something better—as described in Simon and Garfunkel’s 1968 classic, which follows two young lovers on a Greyhound in search for America. Take your sweetie along for the ride, smoke cigarettes on the side of the road, chat with the weirdos you meet on your journey, and by all means, indulge in a few slices of all-American pie.

15.  ‘Route 66’ by Chuck Berry

This R&B standard, written in 1946 by Bobby Troup, has been covered by everyone from the Rolling Stones to John Mayer and Depeche Mode. We’re partial to Chuck Berry’s 1961 rendition, which matches the 2,400-mile pilgrimage on the L.A.–Chicago-connecting titular highway to a T. Who better than the father of rock & roll to accompany a trip past greasy-spoon diners, tiny towns frozen in time and striking Americana landscapes?

16.  ‘Home’ by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros

First and foremost a love song, the L.A. troupe’s jingly-jangly 2010 smash single is also, obviously, about coming home – making it the perfect road trip song. Naturally, the feel-good tune should be played at the end of your voyage, when you’re speeding a bit because you just can’t wait to get home to your significant other/parents/puppy/comfy bed.

17.  ‘Going Up the Country’ by Canned Heat

Released in 1968 and adapted from a 1920s blues song, Canned Heat’s highest-charting single was the unofficial anthem of Woodstock—and even after all this time, it’s the perfect track to kick off a road trip, a steering-wheel-tapping, grin-inducing song that makes you immediately pine for sun-drenched fields: “I’m going where the water tastes like wine, we can jump in the water, stay drunk all the time.” Those dudes had their priorities straight…just so long as they had a designated driver.

18.  ‘I’ve Been Everywhere’ by Johnny Cash

Music has always had the power to educate. Billy Joel’s ‘We Didn’t Start the Fire’ taught us more 20th-century American history than a year’s worth of school hisoty lessons. For a CliffsNotes anatomy lesson, we turned to Professor Sir Mix-a-Lot. And when it comes to geography, there is no better musical resource than this name-dropping country ditty, first released with North American locales in 1962 by Canadian crooner Hank Snow. In four verses, 91 places are rattled off in rapid-fire succession—destinations both big (Chicago and Nashville) and small (Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, and Haverstraw, New York). This road trip song has been covered many times and adapted for different regions of the globe, but we’re partial to the Man in Black’s 1996 rendition, simply because his weathered, gravelly bass-baritone suggests a man who has indeed been everywhere.

19.  ‘Hit the Road Jack’ by Ray Charles

Fiendishly simple with its descending piano chords, ‘Hit the Road Jack’ is sung from the perspective of a philanderer being ejected by his lady. By all rights this 1961 R&B classic should win a prize for being impossible not to sing along to: ‘What you say?!’ screams soul hero Charles to his velvet-voiced Raelettes. Later he complains, ‘You can’t mean that,’ about as convincingly as a cat picking bird feathers from between its teeth. The track's most memorable use in a road trip appears in the 1989 comedy movie The Dream Team .

20.  ‘Holiday Road’ by Lindsey Buckingham

Hard to hear this seemingly happy little sock hop without thinking of the Griswold family station wagon zooming to Walley World. As its dark video helps to underline, the lyrics speak more of feeling trapped than free. The Fleetwood Mac man was an ace at hiding his boyish ache behind melodic smiles. Which is why this road trip song is such simple genius: It works the same whether you’re chained to a desk and longing for a vacation or finally on the highway, shooting to God knows where with no deadlines.

21.  ‘Mr. Blue Sky’ by Electric Light Orchestra

The sweet spot is 176 beats per minute. That’s a giddy run, the pace of your footsteps hitting the pavement as you jog home after a first kiss. Though we haven’t tested this, we theorise it is the precise cadence of fence posts whipping past your window as you motor down a highway just above the speed limit. ‘Mr. Blue Sky’ is 176 beats per minute, which is why, whenever it plays, you have the urge to run like a big dumb puppy dog to a boyfriend/girlfriend, or let the wind blow through your hair at 76mph, as you croon along to the vocoder like a robot. Warning: When ‘Mr. Blue Sky’ is used without such outlets, it can cause deep wanderlust.

22.  ‘I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)’ by the Proclaimers

If there’s one road trip song that can unite everyone in the car in the simple act of thumping whatever surface is near them in time with a ludicrously catchy tune, it’s this one—a hit in 1988 for Scottish twins the Proclaimers. Fun fact: The ‘havering’ referred to in the first verse (‘And if I haver, I know I’m gonna be the man who’s havering to you’) is Scots slang for babbling foolishly. So now you know.

23.  ‘Ride Like the Wind‘ by Christopher Cross

Take your EGOT and stuff it. Chris Cross has the transportation trifecta—mega-hits for the sea (‘Sailing’), sky (‘Arthur’s Theme’) and road (‘Ride Like the Wind’). People condescendingly pigeonhole the guy as yacht rock (the pink flamingo on his smash album doesn’t help), but he’s truly yacht-jet-and-rental-car rock. Despite its lily-white reputation, ‘Ride‘ is cool and dangerous. It’s possibly—no, probably—about drug smuggling. Racing away to Mexico with Michael McDonald as the devil on your shoulder. Hearing those percolating bongos, wind effects, electric piano and oily guitar licks, it could fit right on Daft Punk’s ‘Random Access Memories’ album . It remains DJ gold. Call it ‘Get Unlucky’.

24.  ‘Ramblin’ Man’ by the Allman Brothers Band

We may not have been born in the backseat of a Greyhound bus (thanks, mum!), but for whatever reason, the idea of being a ramblin’ man (or woman) is endlessly appealing. And when we play this 1973 hit—based on Hank Williams’s 1951 song of the same name—on the open road, that’s exactly who we are. At least until Monday.

25.  ‘On the Road Again’ by Willie Nelson

Nothing beats hitting the open road, where you can escape the stress of work, family, bills, city life and just be free, man. Just ask tireless road dog Willie Nelson. The Red Headed Stranger penned this 1980 country hit—the ultimate get-the-hell-out-of-town anthem—not in the back of a tour bus but rather, of all places, on a barf bag midflight.

26.  ‘Runnin’ Down a Dream’ by Tom Petty

Some would argue that we could have built this entire list solely out of Petty tunes—but we had to make a choice, and we picked this 1989 single from the song man’s first solo record, ‘Full Moon Fever’. Not only does it take place in a car, but the tune’s reference to Del Shannon’s ‘Runaway’ and killer guitar solo make it a perfect fit for blasting out of your speakers while cruising down the interstate in pursuit of the American dream, your future destination or simply that next roadside burger.

27.  ‘Let Me Ride’ by Dr. Dre

Dr. Dre’s ‘The Chronic’ album arrived on the heels of the 1992 South Central riots. Folks in Compton were looking to escape and could not—and not just because of the traffic on the 110 and 405. This was a cry for cruising with the bucket seats dropped back, slow rolling on a resting-heart-rate rhythm and those G-funk dog-whistle keyboards. ‘Swing down, sweet chariot, stop, let me ride,’ goes the chorus lifted from Parliament’s ‘Mothership Connection,’ itself based on a slave spiritual. But just because the song hides a deeper political meaning the way lowriders hide a subwoofer in the trunk, there’s no reason Dre can’t roll in style. Specifically, in a 1964 Chevy Impala shoed with Dayton rims (a.k.a. ‘Ds,’ as in ‘Throw some Ds on that bitch’).

28.  ‘Born to Be Wild’ by Steppenwolf

The riff, like the rev of a motorcycle throttle, has become so terribly commonplace, it’s hard to imagine what it must have been like to hear its ‘heavy-metal thunder’ with virgin ears during the opening credits of Easy Rider . Today, Steppenwolf’s monster hit is a movie-trailer cliché on par with ‘Bad to the Bone’ and ‘I Got You (I Feel Good).’ What was once-tough biker rock is now Viagra-ad fodder. Still, if you can wash out the soundtrack memories of Problem Child, Dr. Dolittle 2, Rugrats Go Wild, et al., the dirty little number still rips, along with a deep huff of exhaust fumes and jazz cigarettes.

29.  ‘Don’t Stop Believin’’ by Journey

A thousand terrible karaoke performances have somewhat dulled the lustre of this once-gleaming classic ’80s song , but once it comes on in the car, you’ll be in love with it all over again within seconds. Just don’t use it as a road map—there is no such place as South Detroit. Okay, there is, but it’s in Ontario, Canada, so you might need your passport. 

30.  ‘Interstate Love Song’ by Stone Temple Pilots

The underrated STP (hey, that’s a fuel additive) was never truly a grunge band. The ‘Core’ album was a trend-surfing foot in the door, the American equivalent to Blur’s baggy-riding ‘Leisure’. Really, the bands have more melodic ambitions. Scott Weiland, as his solo albums and pink fur coat proved, had far more Bowie in him than his peers. ‘Interstate Love Song’  was the lifting of the veil, when the Pilots announced, Hey, we actually listen to the Beatles , not the Melvins. It chugs along with drop-top bliss, even if the chorus is oddly about trains, not driving.

31.  ‘Radar Love’ by Golden Earring

Appropriately for a song about driving, this 1973 cut from Dutch rockers Golden Earring is one of the best road trip songs ever written. ‘The road has got me hypnotised, I’m speeding into a new sunrise!’ wails singer Barry Hay, as that bassline gets your head nodding and your foot instinctively pressing down on the gas. ‘Radar Love’ also has the best breakdown of any rock song ever. This is an indisputable scientific fact.

32.  ‘Life Is a Highway’ by Tom Cochrane

Okay. We know how heavy-handed these metaphors are. And how forced the rhymes are. We never said every song on this list was a masterpiece. But we dare you not to sing along with the chorus of this 1991 cheesefest— especially on a highway. Maybe no one ever listens to the song in its entirety (sorry Tom), but one or two ‘life is a highway’s are pretty much mandatory. Give in.

33.  ‘The Way’ by Fastball

Alt-rock band Fastball had a breakout 1998 hit with this fast-driving tale of a married pair that ditches its conventional home and family, in favour of a dream life on the highway with no destination. The feel-good, sing-along optimism of the chorus—‘They’ll never get hungry, they’ll never get old and grey’—has a dark undercurrent: Weeks after their disappearance, the bodies of the real-life Texas couple who inspired the song were discovered in an Arkansas ravine. But all of life’s roads hit a dead-end eventually: Better, maybe, at least to leave the driveway.

34.  ‘California’ by Phantom Planet

Contrary to popular belief, the hair-metal power ballad did not die by grunge’s bullet. The hair just got shorter and the trousers got looser. Case in point: this 2002 theme from The O.C. It is emo made only from the emotion of uncut nostalgia. It is basically Motley Crüe’s ‘Home Sweet Home’ for mollycoddled millennials, right down to the video compiled from sentimental tour footage. And it is oddly reminiscent of Al Jolson’s ‘California, Here I Come.’ That’s some feat, finding the common ground between Jolson and the Crüe. Man, remember when Ryan became a cage fighter after Marissa died?

35.  ‘Shut Up and Drive’ by Rihanna

This electro bop from 2007 isn’t a top-tier Rihanna tune, but it still kinda rips. Driven – pun definitely intended – by a crafty sample from New Order’s club classic ‘Blue Monday’, it’s an unashamedly fluffy new wave pastiche that’s as much about sex as hitting the open highway. Don’t even pretend you can resist it – especially when the chance of RiRi releasing new music any time soon seems to get slimmer with each passing year. 

36.  ‘Running on Empty’ by Jackson Browne

There’s a reason this song soundtracks the Forrest Gump  protagonist’s famous transcontinental jog: Few pop tunes capture the rush of earthbound travel—by foot, by car or, in Jackson Browne’s case, by tour bus—better than this autobiographical FM-radio staple. But what makes it a classic is the ambiguity in Browne’s message. ‘I don’t know where I’m running now; I’m just running on,’ he sings, perfectly summing up how the desire for escape can be its own kind of trap.

37.  ‘Two of Us’ by the Beatles

The Fab Four’s back catalogue is replete with songs about travelling around: ‘Drive My Car,’ ‘Day Tripper,’ ‘Ticket to Ride,’ ‘Yellow Submarine’—the list goes on and on like a long and winding road. No Beatles track, though, captures the feeling of setting off into uncharted territory with someone special better than ‘Two of Us,’ penned by Paul McCartney in 1969. There is debate as to whether McCartney’s partner in crime in this song is future wife Linda Eastman, as he claims, or John Lennon, which some of the nostalgia-infused lyrics would suggest. No matter—an impromptu road trip is a good time whether your passenger-seat companion is your new flame or your counterpart in the greatest songwriting tandem of all time.

38.  ‘Chicago’ by Sufjan Stevens

Some songs make your heart beat faster from the get-go, and 2005 road-trip song ‘Chicago’ is just such a gem, announcing its entrance in a whirlwind of strings and a rush of percussion. The backing cuts suddenly to Stevens’s voice, whispering that most universal human sentiment: ‘I fell in love again—all things go, all things go,’ and then later, another familiar feeling: ‘I made a lot of mistakes, I made a lot of mistakes.’ It’s this acknowledgement of our frailty, coupled with our irrepressible capacity for hope and excitement that gives  ‘Chicago’ its electrifying, driving charge. That and the fact it features in the ridiculously touching road movie Little Miss Sunshine .

39.  ‘Fade Into You’ by Mazzy Star

Night driving found a shimmering musical complement in this ethereal 1994 track from dream popsters Mazzy Star. In a rare bit of sonic magic, it seems that no matter how fast you’re driving, the low beats per minute on ‘Fade Into You’ always manage to sync up perfectly with the passing dividing lines visible from your car’s two headlights. And a night drive, preferably undertaken as you’re pining for an unrequited love, wouldn’t be complete without Hope Sandoval’s dusk, haunting vocals echoing throughout your ride. Two-lane highway bliss, by moonlight.

40.  ‘The Golden Age’ by Beck

This 2002 road trip song, off Beck’s desolate, heartbreaking ‘Sea Change’ , is one of the most perfect and profound illustrations of driving as a means of escape. It’s best played at night, in the desert if you’ve got one handy, when you feel like crap but have pretty much come to terms with it. And when, as Beck says, ‘You've gotta drive all night just to feel like you’re okay.’ Go forth, drive and wallow. Maybe you’ll feel better in the morning.

41.  ‘Scar Tissue’ by Red Hot Chili Peppers

The L.A.-bred Peppers clearly know a thing or two about hitting the highways, as evidenced by a song catalogue riddled with Cali-inspired, crank-up-the-dial tunes. For a journey out on the open road, we like this lead track off the band’s 1999 album, ‘Californication’, due to its lilting desert-by-twilight vibe. The song’s main attraction is John Frusciante’s wailing guitar solos, which achingly embody Anthony Kiedis’s lyrics about isolation and the twisted, drug-fuelled paths he’s traversed (‘With the birds I’ll share this lonely view’). Enter tumbleweed, stage right.

42.  ‘Every Day Is a Winding Road’ by Sheryl Crow

The little sister to Tom Cochrane’s ‘Life Is a Highway,’ Sheryl Crow’s 1996 hit unabashedly co-opts the use of automotive byways as metaphors for life’s ups and downs. (Billy ‘the world is a vampire’ Corgan apparently misread the memo.) The ‘wacky’ characters in Crow’s songs are often a bit too precious for our liking—in this case, a vending-machine repairman with a daughter he calls ‘Easter’ (what?)—but the chorus always gets us fired up for some hairpin turns, even when we’re cruising down a seemingly endless straightaway. This road trip song works perfectly when your destination is San Francisco’s iconic Lombard Street, whose residents probably have this tune swirling in their heads 24/7.

43.  ‘Jack & Diane’ by John Cougar Mellencamp

Inevitably, your road trip is going to hit some lulls: You’re fighting off the yawns, your passengers have passed out, and it's 57 miles to the next pit stop. When this happens, there’s one sure-fire way to get your journey back on course: Unleash the Cougar. Indiana’s favourite son specialiaes in songs about the heartland, and his crowning jewel is this 1982 chart topper about two high-school sweethearts and the twists and turns of their American Dream. Despite the jaunty beat and an epic drum breakdown rivaling the one in Phil Collins’s ‘In the Air Tonight,’ the tale is cautionary, urging us to savour those thrilling, carefree teenage years. Oh, to be young, in love and suckin’ on chilli dogs outside the Tastee Freez.…

44.  ‘King of the Road’ by Roger Miller

Did our dads play this 1964 ditty on long car rides when we were little? You betcha. Do we think they contemplated the potential consequences of making penniless vagabonds sound super cool? Doubtful. Regardless, it’s a timeless everyman’s anthem, and darn if it isn’t catchy. We really like listening to it in our van down by the river.

45.  ‘Green Onions’ by Booker T. & the M.G.’s

This R&B instrumental, recorded in 1962, is the perfect soundtrack for an unhurried drive, when you’re sick of singing along and ready to just cruise. It’s repetitive, much like the open road, but with a steady beat and some soulful Hammond organ to keep things interesting. Widely considered to be one of the greatest songs of all time, it’s received accolades from Rolling Stone , Acclaimed Music, the Grammy Hall of Fame and the Library of Congress. If AAA had a greatest songs list, we’re sure ‘Green Onions’ would be on that, too.

46.  ‘Mustang Sally’ by Wilson Pickett

You can probably blame censorship for our automobile sex fetishes. Early rock & rollers couldn’t sing about sex, so they sang about their cars…with not-so-subtle undertones. ‘Mustang Sally,’ the grandmother of ‘Little Red Corvette’ only wants to ‘ride around,’ and Pickett howls with his thumb out, looking to hitch. Don’t let this song’s karaoke staple status let you forget what it’s really about. 

47.  ‘Going Back to Cali’ by LL Cool J

From Al Jolson to Led Zeppelin and Phantom Planet, dozens of artists have tapped into the westward dream of the Golden State. Heck, the tradition stretches back to Gold Rush ditties of the mid 19th century, Smithsonian Folkways fodder like ‘Life in California.’ But only one man made the trip wrapped in precious metals, not seeking them. Cool J cruises to the coast, as he proclaims in verse, in a Corvette with a Laurents chrome chain steering wheel, Dayton wire rims and a gold-leaf convertible top. Rick Rubin’s stark 808 beats thunder under the extremely relaxed rhymes of Mr. Ladies Love. ‘I’m going back to Cali,’ he nearly whispers before shrugging it off. ‘Hmm, I don't think so’ He might go, he might not. With his riches, he is a walking California. That’s cool. Cool enough to pull off one of the few sax solos in hip-hop history.

48.  ‘The Distance’ by Cake

With the band’s signature horns and a self-serious melody that practically requires head-bobbing and Speed Racer–esque intensity (you may even want to invest in racing gloves), this single off of 1996’s ‘Fashion Nugget’ album is irresistible. The album is filled with more on-the-nose driving songs than this one (‘Race Car Ya-Yas,’ ‘Stickshifts and Safetybelts’), but this is the money single—and got the album platinum status. Throw it on repeat and hit the open road. Just take an occasional break for track No. 7, the band’s excellent cover of Gloria Gaynor’s ‘I Will Survive.’

49.  ‘Roadrunner’ by the Modern Lovers

Talk about a brilliant juxtaposition: Jonathan Richman’s 1972 cut, written when he was 19, beautifully contrasts the Velvet Underground’s bare-bones, dirty-as-hell chugalug sound with a subject matter so suburban that Richman’s heroes Lou Reed & Co. wouldn’t dare touch it: The thrill of being young, driving in a car and blasting the radio. The song’s repetitive two-chord propulsion is a perfect late-night road-trip pick-me-up. And there’s a bangin’ cover by Joan Jett & the Blackhearts to check out, too.

50.  ‘Have Love, Will Travel’ by the Sonics

At some stage in your life—at any point between getting your driver’s licence and getting married, really—you’ll drive from ‘Maine to Mexico’ for a piece of ass, as Gerry Roslie does in this proto-punk classic. The high-tension twang of the guitar sounds like the strings are about to snap, the perfect sonic emulation of sexual frustration. A recent ad for Mexican beer claims you need an ‘encyclopedic knowledge of garage rock’ to pull up this song, as if from some lost, dusty volume. Nah, this is Rock & Roll 101.

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