best road trip songs 2021

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100+ Best Road Trip songs (to sing along with as you drive!)

Looking for good road trip songs? Honestly, the right driving songs in the right playlist can make or break a road trip! Here are 100+ best road trip songs to sing along with as you drive!

And don’t forget to download your FREE road trip planner below , to help you plan your road trip.

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Best Road Trip Songs

Planning a road trip or long drive is tough. There are a million things to think about. And one of the things often overlooked is a road trip playlist!

Whether you’re travelling by car, RV, camper or bike, this list of the 100 best road trip driving songs is guaranteed to make the miles fly past!

We’ve got a mix of great driving songs to sing along too: songs for girly summer road trips, classic rock, all-American, a bit of country and some modern 2020 tunes- all designed to create the PERFECT playlist for your journey. And with over 100 road trip songs to choose from, you’re guaranteed to find something for everyone to sing along with on the road.

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How to create a great road trip playlist with sing-along songs!

The window wound down, the stereo cranked up and some awesome tunes you can sing along to; perfection, right? But if you’re anything like us, your phone/iPod is a random mix of all sorts of music- including a Christmas album or 7.

That’s why a road trip playlist is so important- you don’t have to worry if the next tune will be great, you already know it will be! 

• Make sure the songs are downloaded onto your phone/ ipod. Otherwise, you’re going to use up a lot of data and/ or run the risk of being in an area with bad signal and no music!
• Like listening to things as you drive? Check out Audible – you can get podcasts, audiobooks and more- it’s a perfect way to pass the time on a long drive.

You might be able to get 3 MONTHS FREE music at Amazon. Click HERE to take advantage 

I’ll be honest- there was some…. let’s call it “discussion”… over the best travel songs to include on this list. My husband prefers classic rock for driving songs. I like songs you can sing along with in the car and songs to drive fast too (NEVER above the speed limit though… right?!)

We compromised on creating a road trip playlist with song choices from all of us, so we hope there’s something in here for you!

So, let’s get to the best road trip songs.

(Update: This post started off as 100 of the best road trip songs… it’s growing as we add more in, so no idea how many are here now!! )

20 Rock Classics- the BEST Road trip Rock songs

• Danger Zone – Kenny Loggins
• Nutbush City Limits – Ike & Tina Turner
• Dude Looks like a Lady – Aerosmith
• American Pie – Don Mclean
• Whole Lotta Rosie – AC/ DC
• Don’t Stop Believing – Journey
• Paradise City – Guns N’ Roses
• All Night Long – Rainbow
• Cats in the Cradle – Ugly Kid Joe
• Here I Go Again – Whitesnake
• Jump – Van Halen
• We Built This City – Starship
• Summer of ’69 – Bryan Adams
• Hell ain’t a Bad Place to Be – AC/DC
• The Boys are Back in Town – Thin Lizzy
• Rio – Duran Duran
• Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting – Elton John
• Who are You – The Who
• Go Your Own Way – Fleetwood Mac
• Love Walked In – Thunder

Best Driving Songs- All-American road trip songs

• Born in the USA – Bruce Springsteen
• Sweet Home Alabama – Lynyrd Skynyrd
• Walk This Way – Aerosmith & Run DMC
• My Life – Billy Joel
• Living on a Prayer – Bon Jovi
• Footloose – Kenny Loggins
• One of these Nights – The Eagles
• Born to be Wild – Steppenwolf
• Nothing but a Good Time-  Poison

Planning a road trip? You might find these posts useful:

• How to plan a road trip
• The BEST printable road trip planner (FREE!)
• Most useful road trip apps
• 100 inspiring road trip quotes

25 Modern road trip songs to sing along with (2020 update)

Our favourite modern (ish!) driving songs, all of which are perfect to sing along to in the car and belt it out- especially in a traffic jam with people staring at you!! Add any (or all!) of these to your perfect summer road trip playlist.

• Physical- Dua Lipa
• Stupid Love – Lady Gaga
• Dance Monkey – Tones & I (you know you love it…)
• Take Me Back to London – Ed Sheeran
• All the Good Girls go to Hell – Billie Eilish
• What a Man Gotta Do – Jonas Brothers
• Castle on the Hill – Ed Sheeran
• Uptown Funk – Mark Robson & Bruno Mars
• Rockstar – Nickelback
• Looking for a Good Time – Lady Antebellum
• It’s My Life – Bon Jovi
• Take me to Church – Hozier
• Hold Back the River – James Bay
• Shut Up & Dance – Walk the Moon
• Happy – Pharell Williams
• The Pretender – Foo Fighters
• Hall of Fame – The Script
• Centuries – Fall Out Boy
• Sex on Fire – Kings of Leon
• The Kill – 30 Seconds to Mars
• Mr Brightside – The Killers
• My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark – Fall Out Boy
• Don’t Threaten Me with a Good Time – Panic at the Disco
• Knights of Cydonia – Muse
• If I had you – Adam Lambert
• All the Small Things – Blink 182

The ultimate girl’s road trip playlist- perfect songs to sing along with in the car!

Ah- I LOVE girly road trips, especially in the summer. There’s nothing better than some sunshine, good friends and some GREAT songs on the stereo. Here are some of our favourite road trip songs for girls (although we don’t mind if you boys listen to them too! 😉 )

20 Modern road trip sing-along songs for girls

• Rolling in the Deep – Adele
• Waking Up in Vegas – Katy Perry
• Trouble – Pink
• Everytime We Touch – Cascada
• According to You – Orianthi
• Bang Bang – Jessie J, Ariana Grande & Nicki Menaj
• Black Magic – Little Mix
• Heartbeat Song – Kelly Clarkson
• Sax – Fleur East
• Can’t Be Tame d- Miley Cyrus
• Fight Song – Rachel Platten
• The Best Damn Thing – Avril Lavigne
• Call Me Maybe – Carly Rae Jepsen
• U and Ur Hand – Pink!
• Part of Me – Katy Perry
• Shake it Off – Taylor Swift
• This is Me – Greatest Showman Soundtrack
• Raise Your Glass – Pink
• Living la Vida Loca – Ricky Martin
• Baby one more time – Brittany Spears

20 Classic road trip songs for girls to sing along to in the car!

• Walking on Sunshine – Katrina & the Waves
• Bitch – Meredith Brooks
• Everything I do, I do it for you – Bryan Adams
• Holding Out for a Hero – Bonnie Tyler
• Wake Me up before you Go-Go – Wham
• It’s Raining Men – Weather Girls
• Love Shack – B52s
• I’m so Excited – Pointer Sisters
• Dancing in the Moonlight – Toploader
• 9 to 5 – Dolly Parton
• Uptown Girl – Billy Joel
• Heaven is a Place on Earth – Belinda Carlisle
• Man! I Feel like a woman – Shania Twain
• Girls Just Wanna Have Fun – Cyndi Lauper
• Poker Face – Lady Gaga
• Burning Love – Wynonna (I much prefer this version- sorry Elvis!!)
• Love My Life – Robbie Williams
• Torn – Natalie Imbruglia
• Proud Mary – Tina Turner
• Summer Nights- Grease

14 Driving Songs with ‘road in the title’- perfect for a road trip playlist!

• Hit the Road Jack – Ray Charles
• Every Day is a Winding Road – Sheryl Crow
• Take me Home, Country Roads – John Denver
• The Long and Winding Road – The Beatles
• Bright Side of the Road – Van Morrison
• Long Road To Ruin – Foo Fighters
• Road Trippin’ – Red Hot Chilli Peppers
• Back on the Road Again – REO Speedwagon
• Thunder Road – Bruce Springsteen
• Road to Hell – Chris Rea
• Road to Nowhere – Talking Heads
• Old Town Road – Lil Nas X
• Roadhouse Blues – The Doors
• Road Less Traveled – Lauren Alaina

15 best songs about driving and cars

Some of the best songs about driving (and cars!) – all perfect for a road trip playlist!

• Mustang Sally – The Commitments
• Bat out of Hell – Meatloaf
• I Drove all night – Roy Orbison
• Rhythm Made Me Do It – Shania Twain
• Drive By – Train
• Greased Lightnin’ – Grease Soundtrack
• Paradise by the Dashboard Light – Meatloaf
• Bad Habit – The Offspring
• Car Wash – Rose Royce
• 2,4,6,8 Motorway – Tom Robinson Band
• Little Red Corvette – Prince
• Pink Cadillac – Bruce Springsteen
• Route 66 – Chuck Berry
• Drive – The Cars
• Drive My Car – The Beatles

Planning a long drive? These post might help

• 15 Essential road trip tips you NEED to know
• Things to remember before you leave
• Healthy snacks for road trips

Best Driving songs to drive faster to (and sing along with!!)

Yes, we’ve already had some AMAZING road trip songs for the playlist, but here are some more to crank it up and sing along with (just watch that speed limit!!)

• Don’t Stop Me Now – Queen
• Monkey Wrench – Foo Fighters
• Eye of the Tiger – Survivor
• Beat It – Michael Jackson
• 50 Ways to say Goodbye – Train
• River Deep, Mountain High – Tina Turner
• Cherry Pie – Warrant
• I would do anything for love – Meatloaf
• Addicted to Love – Robert Palmer
• Pour Some Sugar on Me – Def Leppard (one of the best songs about sugar ever 😉 )
• Any Way you Want it – Journey (or the Rock of Ages version!)
• DOA – Foo Fighters
• Lowlife – Theory of a Deadman
• Making it Hard – Hinder
• Oblivion – Terrorvision
• Haven’t Had Enough – Marianas Trench
• Angel with a Shotgun – The Cab
• Silent Majority – Nickelback
• Run to You – Bryan Adams
• Thanks for the Mmrs – Fall Out Boy
• The Anthem – Good Charlotte
• Teenagers – My Chemical Romance
• High School Never Ends – Bowling for Soup
• Seven Nation Army – White Stripes
• Kung Fu Fighting – Carl Douglas
• Build Me up Buttercup – The Foundations
• Johnny B Goode – Chuck Berry
• Come As You Are – Nirvana
• Teenage Dirtbag – Wheatus

20 Quieter Road trip songs- for when the kids are sleeping!

These songs are perfect when you want to turn it down a little bit. Admittedly, we tend to turn them up, but then we don’t have young kids anymore!

(Top tip for parents- these children’s car games won’t drive you crazy. Promise!)

• Livin’ Thing – Electric Light Orchestra
• All I Need is a Miracle – Mike and the Mechanics
• Everybody wants to Rule the World – Tears for Fears
• Money for Nothing – Dire Straits
• In the Air Tonight – Phil Collins  (just remember to air drum quietly!!)
• I don’t want a lover – Texas
• The Chain – Fleetwood Mac
• The Gambler – Kenny Rogers
• Stay with Me – Rod Stewart
• All Night Long- Lionel Richie
• No Son of Mine – Genesis
• Easy Lover – Phil Collins & Philip Bailey
• Every Little Thing She Does – The Police
• It’s a Beautiful Day – Michael Buble
• Jesus, He knows me – Genesis
• The Day We Caught the Train – Ocean Colour Scene
• All Right Now – Free
• Another Brick in the Wall – Pink Floyd
• Mama Told Me not to Come – Tom Jones
• Boys of Summer – Don Henley

Classic road trip driving songs for EVERY trip

These are some of our favourite driving tunes- but they didn’t really fit anywhere else (or they did, but my OCD with the numbers wouldn’t allow it!) Still, don’t forget to put these onto your ultimate driving playlist!!

• Africa – Toto
• Waterloo – Abba
• Like I Roll – Black Stone Cherry
• Sharp Dressed Man – ZZ Top
• I Love Rock n Roll – Joan Jet
• Counting Stars – OneRepublic
• Song 2 – Blur
• Only The Good Die Young – Billy Joel
• Dreadlock Holiday – 10cc
• Englishman in New York – Sting
• Stacy’s Mom – Bowling for Soup or Fountains of Wayne
• The Power of Love – Huey Lewis and The News
• One of Us – Joan Osborne
• Won’t Get Fooled Again – The Who
• When the Going gets tough – Billy Ocean
• I Can’t Dance – Genesis
• Losing My Religion – R.E.M
• We Are Family – Sister Sledge
• Video Killed the Radiostar – The Buggles
• Hit Me with your Best Shot – Pat Benatar
• I Got You (I Feel Good) – James Brown
• Graceland – Paul Simon
• Since You Been Gone – Rainbow
• Total Eclipse of the Heart – Bonnie Tyler
• Are You Gonna Go My Way – Lenny Kravitz
• I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For – U2

Spotify Link for this road trip playlist

If you’d like to download this playlist on Spotify, you can do so here.

And if you found it helpful and like our playlist, feel free to buy us a coffee 😉

Best Road Trip Songs- how did you like our Playlist?

Every single one of these songs makes us turn the volume up and sing along like crazy people- much to the amusement of anyone around us!

These are driving songs to embarrass yourselves to and enjoy every second.  I hope it’s given you some great ideas for your own road trip playlist- let me know what you include on yours!!

How else can I help you today?

• Record your trip in one of these beautiful road trip logbooks
• How to plan an epic RV trip for beginners
• The BEST gifts for road trippers
• Essential road trip kit
• Best Children’s car Games

Kat never planned to buy a motorhome. She also never planned to quit her job as an air traffic controller, go touring around Europe in said motorhome, start one of the UK’s largest motorhome travel websites… or get a cocker spaniel.

Find out how she went from stuck in the rat race to being a digital nomad and inspiring thousands of people to have their own epic adventures here.

If you’d like to connect with Kat, send her an email or follow her adventures on social media.

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15 comments.

Wow that is a great list. You have a few I had forgotten. Very complete list of all music genre. That is the only problem I have with things like Sirrus and XM you have to select only one type. I love Pandora but as you mentioned DATA, DATA, so Ipod it is for roadtrips.

Thank you! We had a lot of fun writing it and listening to old songs 🙂 Yeah, Data is definitely something worth considering- it can get expensive quickly otherwise!

You missed out poison alive Cooper got to be on

thanks for the information

You’re welcome!

What an awesome song list. Thanks for sharing this list. take care…

You are very welcome- glad you enjoyed it. Happy Road trip!

Great lists. I made playlists on Spotify that can be accessed by anybody. Makes it easy if you have Spotify.

How do I access the playlist that you made

Rockin’ down the highway by The Doobie Brothers

Is there a way to automatically click a link or something so my Apple Music will automatically take and start playing the 150 song list

Wow. Now I have something to do while waiting for lockdown to end. I’ve never heard of some of yours! You won’t have heard of some of mine! Each to his own. I will start with Stones, Clapton, John Mayalls Bluesbreakers, Sonny Boy Williams……….Can’t stop, I’ve got to get my iPod.?

This is a really lovely list. I would also recommend Dead American Presidents’ Peaches for trips through farm country.

I miss the golden Earring with Radar love.

Can’t believe you don’t have and Go-Go’s songs listed!! I can think of a few that are awesome road trip songs !!

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From backseat singalongs to nomadic anthems, the best road trip songs capture the feeling of freedom that’s sometimes just a car ride away.

Published on

The requirement for any good road trip is great songs. Whether you’re embarking on a solo trip down the highway or gathering for a vacation 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.

Listen to some of the best road trip songs for your next vacation on Apple Music and Spotify .

25: Youngblood Hawke: We Come Running

With its driving beat and epic build up, this indie-pop song from LA pop-rockers Youngblood Hawke will get you revving down the highway. They spell it out directly, inviting the listener to head “for the open door, tell me what you’re waiting for”.

‘Just Once In My Life’: The Righteous Brothers Keep That Lovin‘ Feelin’

‘the beatles’ second album’: the us takeover continues, 24: blink-182: what’s my age again.

In just under two and a half minutes, blink-182 ’s ‘What My Age Again’ is pop-punk perfection. This song cooks and there’s nary a second wasted, which is exactly what you want in the best road trip songs.

23: The Killers: Mr Brightside

Pomp, bombast, killer riffs and melodies is one way to set you free, even when stuck in traffic. “Mr. Brightside” from The Killers ’ debut album, Hot Fuss , is the rare road trip song that can get you through the traffic blues and out of the “cage” that is the daily grind.

22: Nirvana: Breed

Just like Appetite For Destruction , Nirvana’s Nevermind features an endless array of road trip songs, but there’s one standout track that sounds like burning rubber. With its blast of feedback and machine-gun intensity, “Breed” will get everybody headbanging in the backseat.

21: Sammy Hagar: I Can’t Drive 55

This is a classic highway vacation song. If the Red Rocker can’t you get to go past the speed limit (which we’re not officially condoning), nothing else will. Sammy Hagar’s breakout solo single has been blasting out of every car stereo since 1984, and has never stopped.

20: Katy Perry: Teenage Dream

When there’s a long stretch of road ahead, sometimes you want psychedelic acid rock where you can put cruise control on and zone out, but when you’re traveling on vacation with a crew, singalong pop anthems are the best road trip songs. Katy Perry ’s ode to the endless possibilities of adolescence will have you sticking your head out the sunroof like a drunk teen on prom night.

19: Warren G (featuring Nate Dogg): Regulate

Few songs encapsulate an entire era better than this 1994 G-funk classic. Between Warren G’s storytelling and Nate Dogg’s smooth vocals, this is the song you can blast whether you’re cruising in your drop top or mid-sized sedan.

18: John Mellencamp: Pink Houses

This slice of heartland rock isn’t all that it seems. John Mellencamp seems to paint the perfect picture of the American dream, but if you keep listening, it’s really the indictment of a broken system. On one hand it remains a misunderstood political song but on the other, it’s a great road trip song.

17: The Rolling Stones: (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction

Tapping into that feeling of wanderlust, The Rolling Stones ’ search for satisfaction landed them their first No.1 hit . From Charlie Watts’ propulsive drumming to Mick Jagger’s cracking vocals and Keith Richards’ fuzz-box riff, “Satisfaction” beckons you to the road and the dancefloor.

16: U2: Where The Streets Have No Name

Like the morning’s first light coming over the desert highway, this U2 anthem begins with the sound of heavenly organs that quickly build to a driving rhythm led by The Edge’s arpeggiated guitar lines. Political origins aside, the song conjures images of the American West and the open road. It’s hard not to feel nostalgia when you glide in and out of traffic.

15: Guns N’ Roses: Appetite For Destruction

Forget road trip songs, this is a road trip album. From the menacing “Welcome To The Jungle” to the soaring “Rocket Queen” that closes Guns N’ Roses ’ Appetite For Destruction , you won’t find an album of songs better suited to a road trip vacation than this.

14: Dr. Dre: Let Me Ride

Any G-funk track is made for driving, but this cut from The Chronic is the ultimate road trip song. Between the Parliament-sampling chorus and Dre ’s evocative verses, “Let Me Ride” was tailor-made for summer driving… and is even better if you’re cruising around in a drop top.

13: Bob Seger: Hollywood Nights

While Bob Seger sings about “looking down at the lights of LA” in this 1978 hit, the anticipation of a night on the town is universal. Seger’s frantic vocals and epic storytelling, combined with the uptempo music, is the perfect formula to speed towards the horizon.

12: Cyndi Lauper: I Drove All Night

Some people escape the “sticky and cruel” city by seeking solace in the great outdoors. Not Ms. Lauper. Her vocal calisthenics are just the motivation to drive all night to see your lover.

11: Snoop Dogg: Gin And Juice

Another slice of G-funk heaven. You don’t need hydraulics to roll with the melodic flow of “D-O-double-G.” Released during the heyday of gangsta rap, Snoop took the wild antics of his hometown, Long Beach, and turned them into an idyllic summer jam.

10: Jackson Browne: Running On Empty

Few artists embodied the late 70s Laurel Canyon sound quite like Jackson Browne. “Running On Empty” isn’t a hard road rocker, but Browne could turn the most mundane experiences (like running out of gas) into a metaphor for missing out on the connections in life.

9: The Beatles: Day Tripper

The Beatles have an endless catalogue of travel tunes, from “Ticket To Ride” to “Drive My Car,” but “Day Tripper” is the real road trip song. Featuring one of the best guitar riffs of all time , “Day Tripper” is not so much about a quick getaway but about trying on the hippie lifestyle for a day or two.

8: Stevie Wonder: Master Blaster (Jammin’)

This could be included among the best vacation road trip songs for the intro alone, but the whole thing swings with a swagger that won’t (hopefully) have you swerving from side-to-side. Stevie Wonder ’s tribute to Bob Marley saw Stevie moving away from his typical one-man show and inviting a whole crew to boogie down.

7: Willie Nelson: On The Road Again

Country music is littered with dirt-road anthems, but one of the true classics is Willie Nelson ’s ode to the nomadic life, “On The Road Again.” Nelson was tasked with creating an original song for the aging rocker character he played in the film Honeysuckle Rose . Willie delivered and nabbed an Oscar nomination in the process.

6: Tom Cochrane: Life Is A Highway

Canadian treasure Tom Cochrane is a household name up north, but in rest of the world he’s best known for this highway song anthem that’s become the perfect pep talk for hitting tarmac.

5: Prince: Little Red Corvette

Prince seemingly never suffered from either writer’s block or a shortage of sexual metaphors, as evidenced on his 1983 classic, “Little Red Corvette.” This tale of an ill-fated one-night stand was supposedly inspired by his bandmate Lisa Coleman’s pink Edsel, but “little red Edsel” just isn’t as catchy a refrain.

4: The Beach Boys: Fun, Fun, Fun, I Get Around

Both of these Beach Boys tunes helped define the 60s driving culture, particularly in the winding highways of Southern California. Tight harmonies and terrific rhythms, these songs will transport you to the windswept cliffs of the Pacific Coast Highway, driving along with the top down.

3: Tom Petty: Runnin’ Down A Dream

“Free Fallin’” is a great singalong, but when it comes to essential Tom Petty road trip tunes, “Runnin’ Down A Dream” takes the cake. Thanks to the highway imagery and scuzzy guitar riffs, this hard-charging song is best listened to with the windows down and your foot on the gas.

2: Bruce Springsteen: Born To Run

No survey of the best road trip songs would be complete without The Boss. Bruce Springsteen ’s entire body of work unpacks the experience of small-town living and the feeling that escape is just a car ride away.

1: Steppenwolf: Born To Be Wild

You don’t need a bike or road leather to blare this Steppenwolf classic. Most famously featured in the film Easy Rider , Jon Kay’s invitation to “head out on the highway” is a song that became an American anthem and a call for rebellion.

Honorable Mentions

Looking for more great road trip playlist songs for your next vacation? With compulsively sing-along lyrics, these tunes are perfect for lonely highways where you just want to shout out your open car window.

John Denver – Take Me Home, Country Roads The Proclaimers – I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) Tracy Chapman – Fast Car Lynyrd Skynyrd – Sweet Home Alabama The Eagles – Take It Easy Fleetwood Mac – Go Your Own Way Sheryl Crow – Everyday Is A Winding Road The Grateful Dead – Truckin’ Toto – Africa Arcade Fire – Keep The Car Running Ray Charles – Hit The Road Jack Bon Jovi – Living on a Prayer Ike & Tina Turner – Nutbush City Limits Don McLean – American Pie The Allman Brothers – Midnight Rider Outkast – Hey Ya Rascal Flatts – Life Is A Highway Van Morrison – Bright Side of the Road Sufjan Stevens – Chicago Rihanna – Shut Up And Drive The Eagles – Hotel California The Allman Brothers Band – Ramblin’ Man Elton John – Tiny Dancer Simon & Garfunkel – America Pointer Sisters – I’m So Excited ABBA – Waterloo Dolly Parton – 9 to 5 Billy Joel – Piano Man Paul Simon – Graceland

Looking for more options? Check out our list of the best songs about cars and driving .

11 Comments

June 26, 2019 at 7:37 pm

Golden Earring – Radar Love

June 27, 2019 at 5:16 pm

Mountain Jam, The Allman Brothers Band

August 2, 2019 at 8:34 am

Neil Young : White Line, DriveBy, Albuquerque, Trans Am

September 21, 2019 at 4:00 pm

Joanne Nagen

September 25, 2019 at 5:02 pm

John Hartford Steam Powered Aeroplane; Joe Bonamassa Drive; Govt Mule Travellin Tune; Greatful Dead Truckin;Jerry Reed’s Eastbound and Down …..as Roy Rogers said Happy Trails to you Thanks

September 25, 2019 at 6:29 pm

“It’s a Car!” by Sean Morin is a little-known but extremely fitting, perfect vibe, catchy little road trip song. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3piktwUcP0

Mike Einhorn

May 28, 2020 at 5:24 am

Bruce Springfield?

September 18, 2021 at 7:27 am

Rolling Down the Highway – BTO Rockin’ Down the Highway – DOOBIE BROTHERS Highway Star – DEEP PURPLE

How’s these NOT make the list?

Belvin Sweatt

January 7, 2022 at 1:08 am

You left out the best one— Sniff and The Tears—Drivers Seat.

January 7, 2022 at 12:01 pm

Here is my Road Trip playlist: Windows are Rolled Down – Amos Lee Call Me The Breeze – Lynyrd Skynyrd Florabama – JJ Grey & Mofro Mustang Sally – Buddy Guy f. Jeff Beck Going to California – Led Zeppelin Hotel California – Eagles Road to Nowhere – Talking Heads Tangled Up in Blue – Bob Dylan Me and Bobby McGee – Janis Joplin Joy – Lucinda Williams Breakdown – Jack Johnson Comin’ Home – Lynyrd Skynyrd Take the Long Way Home – Supertramp Till the Sun Comes Up – Jack & Weatherman

June 3, 2023 at 5:42 am

The triffids – Wide Open Road

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50+ BEST Road Trip Songs for the Ultimate Road Trip Playlist

Heading on a road trip soon and looking for the top road trip songs to add to your road trip playlist?  I’ve got you covered with 50+ of the best road trip songs to listen (and sing along to) on long car drives.

Road Trip Songs For Your Road Trip Playlist

I hope you enjoy this list of great road trip songs. I have included a mix of road trip songs from different genres (including rock, pop and country) and different eras (from classic road trip songs to modern road trip songs). Most of these great songs are about road trips and travel or cars, highways and driving in general.

(And if you are planning on taking a road trip soon make sure to check out my essential road trip packing list  to make sure you have all your road trip essentials before you go!)

10 Best Road Trip Songs of All Time

I think these are the 10 best road trips songs of all time (in no particular order).

• “Born to Run” by Bruce Springsteen
• “On the Road Again” by Willie Nelson
• “Take Me Home, Country Roads” by John Denver
• “Life Is a Highway” by Tom Cochrane
• “Little Red Corvette” by Prince
• “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)” by the Proclaimers
• “Take It Easy” by the Eagles
• “Born to Be Wild” by Steppenwolf
• “Sweet Home Alabama” by Lynyrd Skynyrd (This song is perfect for a classic American road trip in the South.)
• “I Can’t Drive 55” by Sammy Hagar

Best Classic Road Trip Songs

Below are the greatest classic road trip songs that need to be on your music playlist:

• “Long Lonely Highway” by Elvis Presley
• “Highway to Hell” by AC/DC
• “American Pie” by Don McLean
• “Hit the Road Jack” by Ray Charles
• “Route 66” by Chuck Berry
• “No Particular Place to Go” by Chuck Berry
• “Truckin’” by The Grateful Dead
• “Running on Empty” by Jackson Browne
• “Tiny Dancer” by Elton John
• “Mustang Sally” by Wilson Pickett
• “Radar Love” by Golden Earring
• “Hotel California” by Eagles
• “America” by Simon & Garfunkel
• “The Passenger” by Iggy Pop

80s Road Trip Songs

Below are best 80s road trip songs to add to your music playlist:

• “Holiday Road” by Lindsey Buckingham
• “Road to Nowhere” by Talking Heads
• “Danger Zone” by Kenny Loggins (from the movie Top Gun)
• “Don’t Stop Believin'” by Journey
• “Love Shack” by the B52s
• “Here I Go Again” by Whitesnake
• “Born in the U.S.A” by Bruce Springsteen
• “Free Fallin’” by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
• “I Drove All Night” by Cyndi Lauper
• “Fast Car” by Tracy Chapman

90s Road Trip Songs

Below are best 90s road trip songs to add to your music playlist:

• “Road Trippin'” by Red Hot Chili Peppers
• “I’ve Been Everywhere” by Johnny Cash
• “The Distance” by Cake
• “Drive” by Incubus
• “The Way” by Fastball
• “Everyday is a Winding Road” by Sheryl Crow

Modern Road Trip Songs

Below are best modern road trip songs to add to your music playlist:

• “Shut Up and Drive” by Rihanna
• “California” by Phantom Planet – this is one of my favorite California road trip songs .)
• “Keep the Car Running” by Arcade Fire
• “A Thousand Miles” by Vanessa Carlton
• “Party in the U.S.A.” by Miley Cyrus
• “California Gurls” by Katy Perry (featuring Snoop Dogg)
• “Maps For The Getaway” by Andrew McMahon
• “Holocene” by Bon Iver
• “I Am The Highway” by Audioslave
• “Wild” by John Legend and Gary Clark Jr.
• “Thousand Miles” by Miley Cyrus (feat. Brandi Carlile)
• “Levitating” by Dua Lipa
• “Home” by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros – this is the perfect song to listen on the way back home after a long trip

Road Trip Playlist on Spotify

To make it easier for you to listen, I have created a spotify playlist of the best road trip songs of all time:

What are your favorite road trip songs?

Need some road trip inspiration?

• Best Road Trips in the USA
• Best Road Trips In Europe For Your Bucket List
• Best Road Trips in Australia
• Best Road Trip Quotes to Inspire You to Go!

Related Posts

savvyglobetrotter

These are all classics for sure when you’re talking about a road trip. My favorite would be Sammy Hagar “I Can’t Drive 55”. Something about that cool flow that makes it perfect for a summer road trip. But I would not follow the advice because I wish not to get pulled over crossing the country LOL.

Thank you so much for putting out this list of road trips and songs!!

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The Ultimate Road Trip Playlist According to Travelers, Editors, and Spotify

This year has been nothing short of a whirlwind. As we wrap up the year, international travel is still a no go, and flying in general seems like a bit of a risky proposition. As a result, the humble road trip has roared back on our collective radar as many of us have been taking to the road as a way to get out of the house and explore our surroundings near and far. 

When we began discussing road trips on zoom calls and in Slack channels, the one thing that everyone could agree on was that music was essential. A good soundtrack can mean the difference between the hours flying by as fast as the scenery out the window or turning around before you reach your destination.

So what makes a great road trip playlist? It starts with the songs, but with so many incredible choices out there, it’s hard to whittle down to something that stands up to the test of time. However, we had an idea.

To make the perfect road trip playlist, we used three components. First, we looked at Spotify data to identify the most popular songs for driving, according to the top 100 road trip playlists. Next, we surveyed our TripSavvy readers to get their take. After that, our editors weighed in on their favorite songs. In the end, we were left with 29 carefully curated high-vibe songs that create the ultimate travel music of 2020.

Here are the top road trip songs. For the best listening experience, try playing them in order. Enjoy!

"Wake Me Up" by Avicii

Released in 2013, “Wake Me Up” made history by becoming the first song on Spotify to accumulate 200 million streams. This song can instantly put you in a good mood and that's why it's up first on our list.

"Night Moves" by Bob Seger

"Night Moves" is an easy-listening, American Rock classic. "Rolling Stone" magazine named it Single of the Year in 1977. This song is sure to get you in the right headspace for hitting the highway.

"Fly Like an Eagle" by Steve Miller Band

As suggested by one of our readers, "Fly Like an Eagle" was a must-have for this playlist. Even though this psychedelic-rock tune was released in 1976, it still feels relevant today.

Feed the babies Who don't have enough to eat Shoe the children With no shoes on their feet House the people Livin' in the street Oh, oh, there's a solution

"I Feel It Coming" by The Weeknd featuring Daft Punk

As suggested by one of our readers, "I Feel It Coming" is a sensual disco-pop song by The Weeknd and Daft Punk. When you play it, this catchy song will make you instinctively bob along as you're on the road.

"Cruise" by Florida Georgia Line

A song that appears on the Spotify list and was submitted by a reader is "Cruise" by Florida Georgia Line. This upbeat country song will make you wanna roll the windows down and cruise.

"Take It Easy" by the Eagles

After hours of driving, "Don't let the sound of your own wheels drive you crazy," might be the best advice you'll get. Released in 1972, "Take It Easy" by the Eagles is still being played by road trippers, appearing 20 times across the top 100 playlists.

"Riptide" by Vance Joy

"Riptide," the 2013 single by Australian singer-songwriter Vance Joy, appears on 13 of the top 100 road trip Spotify playlists. This cheery folk song won the World Music Award for World’s Best Song.

"Old Town Road (Remix)" by Lil Nas X featuring Billy Ray Cyrus

In 2019 Lil Nas X released "Old Town Road," a country rap remix with Billy Ray Cyrus. It won lots of awards, so it's no wonder that this was a top contender.

"Malibu" by Miley Cyrus

"This song reminds me of a road trip down the west coast from San Francisco to San Diego," says Megan Hartig, Content Marketing Manager. We booked our hotels on the fly with the app Hotel Tonight which was great for spontaneous travel."

"Life in the Fast Lane" by Eagles

You can't listen to "Life in the Fast Lane" without feeling like a badass. This song was on 13 of the top road trip playlists on Spotify. But don't lose your cool as this lyric points out: Life in the fast lane, Surely makes you lose your mind.

Listening to this song can give you a lead foot. Don't get a speeding ticket!

"Hey, Soul Sister" by Train

If you've never sung "Hey, Soul Sister" at the top of your lungs, have you ever been on a road trip? Not according to Spotify listeners. This song appeared 16 times according to Spotify data.

"September" by Earth, Wind & Fire

"I grew up listening to a lot of Earth, Wind & Fire with my parents during road trips," says associate editor Sherri Gardner. "'September' was one of my family’s favorites because it’s fun to sing along to, especially with the windows down."

"Burn The House Down" by AJR

Another great suggestion by one of our readers, "Burn The House Down" written by the pop trio consisting of three brothers, began as a 2018 song about U.S. political climate and became the theme song for the March for Our Lives campaign.

"Carry On Wayward Son" by Kansas

If you're struggling to hang in during your long drive, turn up "Carry On Wayward Son" a little louder for some encouragement. This progressive rock song performed by Kansas in 1976 took the band to the next level.

"Dancing In The Moonlight" by Jubël featuring NEIMY

"Dancing In The Moonlight" was named nine times in the top 100 Spotify road trip playlists. This 2018 feel-good pop cover is sure to lift your spirits with its upbeat rhythm, especially if you are driving after the sun goes down.

"Road Trip (2020 Version)" by Convent Bonfires

This song was suggested by one of our readers, and given the title, we had to include it. This obscure, indie-rock track released this year gives us all the good vibes.

"Don't Stop Believin'" by Journey

With almost one billion streams on Spotify, it's no surprise "Don't Stop Believin'" cracks the top 3, with 24 appearances on Spotify's top road trip playlists. So next time you're in your car, turn up the volume and sing on and on and on and on.

"Circles" by Post Malone

Another song listed on the Spotify charts and our reader survey is "Circles" by Post Malone. This 2019 pop single won Song of the Year at the 2020 MTV Video Music Awards. It sat for a record 39 weeks in the Hot 100's top 10.

"Feel This Good" by Jackopierce

Another reader's choice, "Feel This Good" by musical duo Jackopierce is an easy listening song for the freeway.

Woke up this morning, rolled out of bed My favorite song's playing inside my head I go out on the freeway, windows down Don't know where I'm going, but it's good to move around and Days like this should never end

"Big Yellow Taxi" by Lennon & Maisy

Canadian sisters, Lennon and Maisy Stella, do a beautiful cover of the classic song "Big Yellow Taxi" originally sung by Joni Mitchell.

"Shotgun (The Wild Remix)" by George Ezra & The Wild

Whoever gets to ride shotgun is sure to enjoy this 2018 song by George Ezra featuring The Wild. "Shotgun" was listed on both the Spotify and readers' choice lists.

"Layla" by Eric Clapton

The acoustic rock song "Layla" was suggested by readers and found on six of the top Spotify road trip playlists. Hailed as one of the most iconic classic rock ballads of all time, there is no surprise it belongs here.

"Higher Love" by Kygo & Whitney Houston

This version of "Higher Love" produced by Norwegian DJ Kygo and the late Whitney Houston is a tropical, high-energy song that was number two on the Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart.

"Free Fallin'" by Tom Petty

"I grew up listening to Tom Petty (he was my first concert), and he's still one of my all-time favorite musicians," says senior editor Jamie Hergenrader. "Free Fallin' is worthy of a road trip playlist because it embodies the vibe of the trip—you're out on the open road, free to explore, and the lyrics even mention or hint at several classic L.A. routes, such as Ventura Boulevard, Highway 101, and Mulholland Drive."

"More Than a Feeling" by Boston

Is there a song that reminds you of your secret crush? Apparently someone in the band Boston had one, and that inspired their hit song "More Than a Feeling." Spotify users can relate. The song shows up on 22 road trip playlists, making it the fourth most popular on our Spotify list.

"Hello Darlin'" by Conway Twitty

“In the car, there’s nothing better than classic country," says Astrid Taran, senior audience editor. "There’s something about driving in the middle of nowhere blasting old school country.”

"Fast Car" by Jonas Blue & Dakota

"Fast Car" by Tracy Chapman was listed 10 times on Spotify's list, but we included a remix by Jonas Blue & Dakota to keep things fresh and upbeat to keep things interesting along the ride.

"Sun Models" by ODESZA featuring Madelyn Grant

"This song feels like the perfect soundtrack for a road trip and makes everything feel a little more epic," says visual editor Taylor McIntyre.

"Jack & Diane" by John Mellencamp

Last but certainly not least, here we have a classic rock ballad by John Mellencamp. "Jack & Diane" was released in the summer of 1982 and has been a go-to by road trippers ever sense, appearing 10 times in the Spotify road trip lists.

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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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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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Best 30 road trip songs for your road trip playlist

The best sing-along road trip songs with our favourite country and pop songs for the ultimate road trip vibe, plus other listening tips for the road.

Jeremy Sudibyo

A great roadbound adventure with an RV Rental needs the best road trip songs. Quietude is nice when staring out the car window in a state of holiday-bliss, but will get awkward at the half-hour mark. Singing along to a nice tune together is much more fun, so music it is! 

But what makes great road trip music? In this post, find out what a good tune needs to have to be great road material. 

For your future travels, we’ve recommended 30 of the best songs for a road trip and shared them in a Spotify playlist. We’ve added a downloadable, one-hour broadcast of some of those songs too. Read on to find further listening tips for great audiobooks and podcasts that will keep you entertained while driving.

What are some good road trip songs?

Every great road trip comes with its own soundtrack, but what makes a good road trip song? Different co-travellers, landscapes, seasons, and even times of day, all demand other music genres. On top of that, what defines ‘good music’ is a matter of taste. 

30 road trip songs to drive to and sing along

Now that we’ve shared our two cents on what makes a good playlist for cruising, how about we share our playlist? There’s everything we recommended above: singalongs, upbeat tunes, and good vibes above all. 

We’ve created a playlist on Spotify for you to stream. It’s embedded right here:

Songs on the playlist

1 Willie Nelson – On the Road Again

2. The Beach Boys – Good Vibrations

3. Ms Lauryn Hill – Doo Wop

4. The Modern Lovers – Roadrunner

5. OutKast – Hey Ya!

6. Men At Work – Down Under

7. Red Hot Chilli Peppers – Road Trippin’

8. Queen – Another One Bites The Dust

9. Paul Simon – Graceland

10. Eagles – Take It Easy 

11. A Tribe Called Quest – Can I kick It 

12. Kanye West – Through The Wire

13. Dr. Dre, Snoop Dog – Nuthin’ But A “G” Thang 

14. Dj Jazzy Jeff & Fresh Prince – Summertime

15. Whitney Houston – I Wanna Dance with Somebody

16. A-ha – Take on Me

17. Madonna – Holiday

18. Katrina & The Waves – Walking on Sunshine

19. Tracy Chapman – Give Me One Reason

20. David Bowie – Sound and Vision

21. Van Morrison – Brown Eyed Girl

22. Iggy Pop – The Passenger

23. Carly Simon – You’re so Vain

24. Peter, Pail and Mary – Leaving on a Jet Plane

25. Otis Redding – (Sittin’ On) the Docks of the Bay

26. Don McLean – American Pie

27. Talking Heads – This Must Be the Place

28. Fleetwood Mac – Go Your Own Way

29. Lou Reed – Walk on the Wild Side

30. Toploader – Dancing in the Moonlight

We can’t tell you what the best road trip music is (but we’ll try to!), so how about we give you a few guidelines to create your own road trip music playlist? 

How to create a good music playlist for a road trip?

Sing along road trip songs

Singalong songs make a road trip. There’s no better bonding than singing together and no better way to raise spirits and build momentum. You’ve found a good road trip singalong song when you instantly reach for the volume knob to blast the tune for all to sing (and to mask missing some of those high notes). 

Beware when adding singalongs to your playlist: use them sparingly! Not just because these are your special sauce, your co-driver can handle only so much Backstreet Boys.

A tempo for driving

If you’re driving for hours on end you’ll want to have music to keep you going. Not in a hurried way, just the right upbeat tempo and rhythm to keep feeling good and energetic. Maybe you don’t want to constantly have the same bpm for fear of dozing off. 

Add some variety and change of tempo to your music playlist to keep engaged. 

Music has the magical quality of setting the mood. So what mood does your playlist need to set? We want that holiday-vibe to kick in when on the road. 

Let’s analyze that vibe: it’s a happy feeling, one of excitement and adventure or whatever you chase on the journey you’re on. You want your music to reflect that and send out good vibrations to set the mood for a quality vacation. 

Everyone has their preferred musical genres and it’s up to you to create a playlist that fits your journey—keeping your travel companions in mind, that is. To keep everyone including yourself satisfied and listening, add a fun mix of genres to your playlist, including a combination of rock, country, rap and pop songs. 

Consider choosing a genre to build a theme around. Like adding good ol’ rock and roll for a deserted highway or chansons for the countryside.

Ready to build your own playlist? Whatever type of music you like most, following the above principles will help you have a good time on the road

The best Audiobooks and Podcasts for a Road Trip

Where music can really set the stage for your trip, there’s other listening material that scores as good on the entertainment side. 

Some of the greatest novels and most interesting non-fiction are available as audiobooks. Listening to them is like taking a journey within your journey—if anything, it’s a great way to kill time. 

Podcasts are the modern pirate radio stations. The sheer range of content and the indie feel to them make them excellent sound bytes on the road.

Audiobooks worth listening to on your next trip

A well-narrated audiobook will easily keep you entertained for hours on end. Note that not all books work equally well in audio format. 

We recommend to skip anything with sentences that blot whole pages. They’re meant for reading and making your brain tingle. Memoirs and engaging biographies make for great audiobooks. And novels. Any well told story, really. 

Audiobooks are copyrighted like e-books and therefore available through specific outlets, like Audible and iTunes.  

Barbarian Days: A Surfing Life 

Written and narrated by William Finnegan

Planning a coastal trip? These are the memoirs of a top-notch journalist who spent a life covering weighty topics like apartheid. And also spent a life surfing. Finnegan will transport you to deserted atolls and onto dusty roads in the Outback for the sake of chasing waves. Whether or not you’re a surfer, you’ll appreciate the story of a life well lived. 

Endurance. Shackleton’s Amazing Journey

By Alfred Lansing, narrated by Simon Prebble

Heading to cold territories? Does your campervan expedition lack strong leadership? Enter Shackleton, one of the 20th century’s most celebrated leader of men. Not because he led his expedition to victory. But because, when things went horribly wrong on his 1914 polar expedition, it was Ernest Shackleton who got all of his men home. This (audio)book is the definite retelling of one of the greatest adventures of our times. 

Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly

Written and narrated by Anthony Bourdain

The late Bourdain shows you the shadowy side of gourmet during his time growing up in the culinary world. An honest story by a man who is sorely missed by those he left behind. This is a unique chance to hear Anthony tell his own story and to get ready for your own gourmet adventure, wherever you’re headed on your holidays.

Or go for the classic story The Odyssey by Ian McKellen!

The Jungle Book

By Rudyard Kipling, pick your favourite narrator

This is a great option on a family road trip, because The Jungle Book opens up a world that speaks to all ages. When travelling with younguns, go for the Just So series of Kipling’s kids stories. Our favourite? The Elephant’s Child, narrated by Jack Nicholson (yes, this happened) and with a capella music by Bobby McFerrin (yes, really). 

The Children of Húrin

By J.R.R. Tolkien, narrated by Christopher Lee

Lord of the Rings fans need no convincing here, especially when reading who narrated Tolkien’s posthumously published novel. The late and great Christoper Lee, Saruman himself! This epic tale (also retold briefly in The Silmarillion) is set in the First Age of Middle Earth and is filled with tragedy and glory. For anyone who has no idea what all of that was just now, 

By Homer, narrated by Ian McKellen 

The mother of all journeys, Odyssey needs no introduction. If you’ve always wanted to but never read the epic(est, can we do that?) poem yourself, fear not—many have failed to commit. Perhaps Odysseus’ heroic tale will grip you when it’s told by Ian McKellen (that is Gandalf for you). Fun fact: in ancient times and before the greek alphabet, the Odyssey was an oral tradition, so maybe listening to it as an audiobook is coming full circle.  

6 of the best podcasts for a road trip

Listening to podcasts while on the road works wonderfully, too. They’re often engaging, current, and presented in a shorter format than audiobooks. It’s like listening to news radio but with your favourite hosts and full of interesting information. 

These online broadcasts air per episode and cover the whole spectrum of topics, making them an appealing and non-committal option for travellers. Here are some of the best podcasts for a road trip.

Zero to Travel

A must for aspiring travel nomads, this podcast covers the wondrous ways of alternative travelling: budget travels, digital nomads, and the stories of people who made travelling their life’s work.  

Economist Radio

Host David Palmer throws a weekly light on current topic in the way you’ve come to expect from The Economist. This is opinionated news on a level you won’t likely find on the FM band. Get opinionated here .

Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard

If to you a road trip adventure is about meeting new people, maybe you want to tune into this podcast. As an armchair expert, the host interviews people from all walks of life to hear stories, challenges, and life lessons. 

Condé Nast Traveler: Women who Travel

This isn’t the early 20th century and you’re not staying home just because you’re a woman. This Apple Podcast series is a celebration of travelling women pooled from the huge community Condé Nast mobilized around the topic. 

Dan Carlin’s Hardcore History

This podcast is for those with, one, a deep-rooted interest in history (often the gorey type) and , two, a lot of distance to cover on their road trip. Called the king of long-form podcasts, host Dan Carlin will research an event or topic for months to build a compelling historical storyline that can last for hours, nay days. Trans-Euro drive, anyone? 

Everything is Alive

A comical and informative podcast where objects from a lamppost to a soap bar are given a voice so that they discuss their life with the podcast host. An absurd premise that manages to reveal as much about ourselves as it does about the hidden life of your daily items.

About the Autor

Seasonal vanlifer on a permanent holiday. Does occasional creative work to sustain his diet of beachside margaritas and paperback thrills.

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Entertainment And News

The Best Road Trip Songs To Sing (& Rock Out To) While Driving

Road trip we'll need a soundtrack to jam out to and sing along with..

By Dan O'Reilly — Written on Oct 09, 2021

I’ll be honest, I’ve got this love-hate relationship with driving, and one of the things that make or break a trip for me is the soundtrack.

I need a powerful playlist of road trip songs to fend off the highway hypnosis , chronic clock checking, and especially sleepiness.

The other make-or-break factor on a long road trip is whether or not I have passengers, if I’m sharing the road with good company great, but if not then that playlist has to pull even more weight.

Good Road Trip Songs Will Help Keep You Sane And Alert On Long Empty Roads

I used to take the same quiet 3-hour drive from campus a few times each semester when I was in school and let me tell you, good, singable music is critical when you have 130 miles until your next turn. Oddly enough, I’m planning another trip up there soon to see some old friends. So, here’s what I’ll be listening to.

After years of driving and a healthy familiarity with long, empty roads, here’s my list of the best road trip songs that will keep you actively engaged and singing along the whole way. Check out the end of our list for the Ultimate Road Trip playlist!

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Pop Songs For Road Trips:

Memories — adam levine.

Am I the only one that can’t believe that this song only came out in 2019? No? Because I really feel like this song has existed in my subconscious for at least the last 5 years. Anyway, it’s a great opener for our playlist as a good throwback, maybe not to a time that was literally that long ago, but one that sure feels like it was.

Just the Way You Are — Bruno Mars

This 2010 gem is peak Bruno Mars, between the expeditious pace and an oddly old-world feeling, this pop ballad is perfect for a long, introspective drive. You can guarantee that everyone in the car is going to instantly recognize and sing along to this one.

Talking to the Moon — Bruno Mars

Bruno Mars makes our list again here with another 2010 song, but we’re slowing it down a bit with this entry. I can’t have every song on my car ride playlist be high-energy and fast-paced. That would just get exhausting. This piece is a great palette cleanser coming off of some faster-paced pieces.

Night Changes — One Direction

Full disclosure, I’m not super into One Direction but I’d be remiss not to include some of their music on this list. The folkish feeling of this song is perfect for sharing with your fellow travelers or to enjoy with nothing but the road to keep you company. This is another one of those songs that feels like it’s from a totally different age.

Good as Hell — Lizzo

Alright, after a few slower songs, it’s time to speed things up. Energizing and upbeat are great things to have in a song once you’re hours in with hours to go, right around when your lower back starts rebelling against that horrible car seat. A must-have for any car ride when you need a quick wake-up to get you through the next leg of the journey. And if you have passengers? The whole car will be dancing and singing along.

Send My Love (To Your New Lover) — Adele

This 2015 song by Adele was an instant classic when it came out and it's only gotten better with time. Adele is the kind of singer whose voice transports you and anything that takes you away from the highway hypnosis is an asset on a long car ride. And you can bet that this isn’t going to be the only entry from Adele on this list.

Someone Like You — Adele

This one’s a real throwback to simpler times. Back when crazies were screaming from the rooftops that the world was going to end all because the Mayans didn’t write their calendar to last a thousand years after they were wiped out. This one takes me back to car rides from a decade ago and that nostalgia will help you get through this one too.

Hello — Adele

This song’s another familiar emotional ride from Adele. Hello has achieved legendary status since its release in 2015 and with good reason. Frankly, if you aren’t compelled to sing along with the chorus on this one then you have more restraint than me. This one’s a great addition to any long car ride. 

When We Were Young — Adele

Ok, so I said that there were going to be a few songs from Adele but I promise that this is the last one from her album “25”. It’s kind of crazy to look back on 25 today, it was powerful when it was released but so many of the songs in it have achieved iconic status since then. When We Were Young still resonates today with its highly memorable lyrics that are sure to evoke some strong nostalgia on that long open road.

Say You Won’t Let Go — James Arthur

Ok, so we’re done with Adele, but we’re not done with mid-2010s iconic songs. James Arthur’s Say You Won’t Let Go is another one of those songs that only came out a few years ago but has somehow infiltrated some of the deepest recesses of memory. Both recent and classic, James Arthurs 2016 song is singable, emotional and memorable.

Before You Go — Lewis Capaldi

There’s something really strange about listening to Lewis Capaldi’s Before You Go these days. It only came out in the last two years, but having released in the middle of  November 2019, this song gives me this strange sense of otherworldliness. It’s like this one came from a recent, but much different age. It’s a good feeling, let pre-Covid Lewis Capaldi’s voice carry you and your traveling companions back to a different world that wasn’t from too long ago.

Story of My Life — One Direction

Returning to the early 2010s, Story of My Life is another energetic entry in our road trip sing-along playlist. The marching beat, punctuated by slower moments is perfect for pushing you forward and maintaining the energy in the car when everyone’s starting to wane.

Steal My Girl — One Direction

We’re not quite done with the early 2010s defining boyband quite yet, with this upbeat single from their album “Four”. Steady but high energy, this one strikes a nice balance by being upbeat but not beating you over the head with it. Steal My Girl fits nicely into our playlist anywhere, but it’s especially nice during low points in the trip when you’ve come a long way with a long way yet to go. Also, the music video has Danny Devito in it… I don’t know what else to do with this information so there you go.

We Are Young — Fun

Who doesn’t love this song? I can’t remember if We Are Young is one of those songs that felt really overplayed after it initially came out but frankly, I don’t care. I’m two hours into this five-hour drive and I desperately need someone to carry me right now.

Golden — Harry Styles

Ok, so remember when I implied that we were done with One Direction? Well here’s Hary Styles with his song from the Fine Line album, to take you away from whatever dark and dreary highway we’re currently and transport us to a spacious coastal road with our top-down, sunglasses on, cool breeze blowing through our hair, the works.

Adore You — Harry Styles

Here’s one from Harry that I was more familiar with before doing research for this list. This one is vibrant and animated and perfect for any point in the ride, but especially when you need a break from some of the slower, more emotional pieces. Perfect for lightening the mood, Adore You is sure to be a hit with the entire car.

Perfect — Ed Sheeran

You and all of your passengers are sure to instantly recognize this 2017 song from Ed Sheeran’s third album when it comes on. Perfect is an excellent choice for when you feel the need to just belt out some heartfelt lyrics. As a mid-ride emotional sing-along, the British singer-songwriter delivers.

Castle on the Hill — Ed Sheeran

Ok, after a few of the slower entries on this list we’re starting to risk a high-speed nap so this next one from Ed Sheeran is designed to wake everyone back up. Play it loud and this high tempo beat is perfect to turn any road into memory lane.

Dive — Ed Sheeran

We’re still here with the endearing British singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran. “So don’t call me baby” was meant to be sung loud and proud by a gaggle of friends crammed into an old beater cruising down the road.

Photograph — Ed Sheeran

Out there on the open road when you’ve got nothing but time, Photograph is a great, slow rise sort of song to help ease the monotony of a long drive. While it’s certainly slower than a lot of the entries on this list, this one's great to get lost in the lyrics on. Please note, NOT the Nickleback song of the same name.

Greedy — Ariana Grande

Alright so Ed’s great and all but those eyelids are getting heavy and the road lines are starting to merge together. What we need right now is a loud, energetic piece and Ariana Grande is here to deliver with her 2016 piece, Greedy. The punchy percussion and brass will bring the car back to life after hours of staring out of windows and when all of the conversation options have been exhausted.

Into You — Ariana Grande

Grande maintains that high tempo on this trip with her next song Into You. Into You received critical acclaim when it came out in the Dangerous Woman album in 2016 and it has certainly help up. Into You is quite different from the previous song on our list, but it’s certainly another great addition to our car ride sing-along playlist.

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The Best Taylor Swift Songs To Sing To On A Road Trip:

You belong with me — taylor swift.

This list would certainly not be complete without a healthy serving of Taylor Swift. Starting with her 2009 song, the lyrics come easily and the pace is quick. Although we may have all been tired of it once, You Belong With Me has held up well over time and, if you ask me, belongs in this ride’s soundtrack.

All Too Well — Taylor Swift

After that high energy entry onto our list, we’re slowing thing’s down a bit with Swift’s next song, All Too Well. Emotional, full of rises and falls and with a distinctly homey feel to it, All Too Well is classic Taylor Swift. This song’s five and a half minute length is sure to make every second fly by.

Dear John — Taylor Swift

In the same vein as our previous entry is Dear John. Over the course of three songs, the entire will experience some of Swift’s development as an artist and the development of her perspectives on love and romance. As with the last song, this is among one, coming in at nearly seven minutes long and, as always, Taylor makes good company for every minute.

Style — Taylor Swift

Our next song is somewhat of a funkier entry onto our list. Style is one that everyone in the car is sure to remember from 2015 when it was released. There’s something about a bunch of good friends belting out “Cause we never go out of style” that is just perfect for a long road trip.

Our Song — Taylor Swift

If you were looking for a way to transport the whole car back to a time when smartphones were only a couple of years old and Barack Obama’s presidency was in its infancy, Our Song is the ticket. Country songs don’t normally really do it for me but everyone has a soft spot for the early days of Taylor Swift.

We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together — Taylor Swift

I feel like this was the only song on the radio in 2012. And, listening to the punchy beat and the impactful lyrics today, I get it. Everyone in the car is sure to recognize this one and it's perfect for this list.

Dancing With Our Hands Tied — Taylor Swift

Jumping forward into the future with our next entry, Dancing With Our Hands Tied is a more modern song from Swift. This time Swift has a refreshing synth/electro sound to her song. This one didn’t seem quite as popular when it came out as a lot of Swift’s songs so it’ll make for a good break from Swift’s big chart-toppers.

cardigan — Taylor Swift

Folklore was a total departure from the Taylor Swift pop that we’re familiar with. In cardigan, as in the whole album, Swift embraces a mellow, soft folk feeling and I love it. I talk a lot about how important it is to have high-energy music and to keep the mood light on a long car ride but that can’t be the whole playlist. Sometimes you need a break to keep the high tempo stuff from losing its charm and cardigan is really great for that.

betty — Taylor Swift

A return to country for Swift while maintaining the folk feeling of the rest of the Folklore album, Betty is great to sing along to when the hours and minutes start blending together in the same way that it blends some old Swift with new.

...Ready For It? — Taylor Swift

Can you say range? This 2017 song from Swift’s Reputation album is a massive departure from her normal style. And it’s great on this car ride, particularly as a change of pace from the rest of Swift’s comparatively mellow style. ...Ready For It? is sure to wake up anybody who has started to fall asleep on you a few hours into the ride.

Love Story — Taylor Swift

When you saw Taylor Swift on this list, you had to know that this song was going to be on here somewhere. As the final Swift song on our playlist, it’s only fitting that it was one of her biggest hits. This Romeo and Juliet-inspired melody has been burned into all of our brains since its release in 2008 and do you know what? It holds up.

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2000s Throwback Road Trip Songs:

Payphone  —  maroon 5.

Come on, everyone in the vehicle knows this one. Payphone dropped in 2012 and has been ringing around in all of our heads ever since. When We Are Never Getting Back Together wasn’t playing on the radio, this was the other song on the airwaves. Maroon 5 is eternal, I swear they’ve been releasing music forever and are a highly reliable source of great music to sing along to.

Riptide — Vance Joy

Riptide is another one of those songs that feels like it was released a really long time ago when, in reality, it was only released in 2013. The song has a floaty, summery feeling to it thanks to the ukulele that is perfect for summer drives or when you just want to feel like it’s summer again.

I’m Yours — Jason Mraz

This next entry is the perfect follow-up to the previous song on our list. I’m Yours maintains that bubbly, light-hearted summer feeling. I’m Yours will surely keep the air on our long ride light and fun as everyone syncs up for the chorus, or you just give you belt it out solo.

Sex on Fire — Kings of Leon

This 2008 single haunts me because I don’t really know why I like it. I don’t have a lot to say about it. Sex on Fire is just good, and everyone's sure to know it and sing along.

Bad Romance — Lady Gaga

Speaking of everyone singing along, the car is going to reverberate with everyone (or just the driver on a solo trip) singing along to “I want your love, and I want your revenge”. This song is perfect to revitalize a car full of weary travelers and bring a little life to the vast, open road.

Dynamite — Taio Cruz

We’re getting there but we still have a long way to go. Thankfully Taio Cruz’s Dynamite is exactly what we need to give us the energy to keep going and to transport us away from this endless, dreary road and directly to the dance floor at the nightclub.

Hey, Soul Sister — Train

Ok, so you may have gathered that I like the ukulele. Frankly, if you were going to have a car concert that would probably be the featured instrument given that it’s the only one that could fit. Hey, Soul Sister is sure to keep things light and easy and to bring everyone together. This late 2000s throwback is truly timeless.

Stereo Hearts — Gym Class Heroes

A staple of every car ride for years in the early 2010s. Gym Class Heroes’ Stereo Hearts will instantly worm its way back into everyone’s heads, just like it did a decade ago. This one might warrant a few replays if it's been a while since, after all, “good music can be so hard to find”.

Umbrella — Rihanna

Our throwbacks section for road trip jams wouldn’t be complete without this late 2000s track. Solo or as a group, yell “Um-br-ella ella ella” like it’s 2008 all over again. One of the advantages of long empty stretches of road is no judgment. So sing like it.

Sugar, We’re Going Down — Fall Out Boy

Only about a year before their hiatus, Fall Out Boy’s Sugar, We’re Going Down is both iconic and extremely singable. The fast tempo and memorable lyrics are sure to make this one a hit on any road trip.

Dirty Little Secrets — The All-American Rejects

As long as we’re in the 2000s we have to get some All-American Rejects. With fast-paced and memorable lyrics, Dirty Little Secrets screams 2000s pop-rock.

Mr. Brightside — The Killers

This one is a certifiable car ride classic. It didn’t matter if you were on a 15-minute ride to grandma’s house or a cross country trip, if you were in a car during this song’s heyday, you were guaranteed to be treated to this classic from The Killers. The tumbling pace is a ride in and of itself and is sure to be a memorable hit with driver and passengers alike.

Somebody Told Me — The Killers

This one has a special place in my heart and I’d hazard a guess that it does for a log of other people too given the 185 million views on its 2009 music video. This one’s an easy one to sing along to and its pace is fast enough to breathe some life into weary travelers. An easy pick for any road trip sing-along playlist.

Gives You Hell — The All-American Rejects

Gives You Hell, the kind of song that I never really think of until I hear it. And when I do? I get taken right back to its release in 2008. No matter how long it’s been, whenever this one comes on I find myself singing along just like I did all those years ago.

Party In The U.S.A. — Miley Cyrus

Another one from a simpler time that everyone is guaranteed to know. Close your eyes, put your hands up and rock out to these classic lyrics (unless you’re driving).

Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me) — Train

You’ve gotta love Train. We’re traveling all the way back to 2001, it’s hard to believe that was two decades ago now. Drops of Jupiter is a great musical palette cleanser, slowing things right down and giving everyone a break from the nonstop tempo of the previous songs on our playlist.

Since U Been Gone — Kelly Clarkson

There are plenty of songs from 2004 that feel dated and out of touch with today. Kelly Clarkson’s Since you Been Gone is not one of them. The whole car is sure to enjoy singing along to this timeless piece.

Stacy’s Mom — Fountains Of Wayne

Rounding out our 2000s Throwbacks is Stacy’s Mom. Fountains Of Wayne comes through with another timeless song. I have this theory that it might be impossible to not sing along to this song when that chorus hits and it just pulls you right in.

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Classic Road Trip Songs (pre-2000):

Livin’ on a prayer — bon jovi.

Now that we’re pre-2000 I’d call all of the remaining songs on our playlist classics, but this one from Bon Jovi deserves that moniker more than most. The whole messaging of this song is perfect for a road trip. Bonus points if played at the midpoint of the whole ride.

Jessie’s Girl — Rick Springfield

Jessie’s Girl by Rick Springfield isn’t the kind of song that comes to me on a daily basis, but instead, one that I’m always happy to hear even if it’s not something I normally think to seek out. Whenever anyone puts this song on in the car, you can bet that I’ll be singing right along.

Build Me Up Buttercup — The Foundations

Well, we’re on the last leg of our trip now and wow are we tired. Thankfully we have The Foundations here to build us back up strong enough to make it through the rest of this trip. Yet again we have a song that is both classic and infectiously singable.

Come On Eileen — Dexys Midnight Runners

No matter how many times I hear this song, I never recognize it until a few notes in. And then when that chorus hits? You can bet that I’m instantly singing right along.

Life is a Highway — Rascal Flatts

Did you think that we forgot this one? No, we were just saving it for later, during the final push, when we were going to need it the most. We all know it, we all love it. Life is a Highway is a true classic of road trips and driving and frankly, I don’t know if any road trip playlist would be complete without it.

Hey Jude — The Beatles

One of my best friends is a music nut and she would probably kill me if I didn’t have The Beatles on this list somewhere. So here is our representative from The Beatles on this long and lonely road. I can’t lie, I do get goosebumps every time at “Na na na nananana, nannana, hey Jude…”

Piano Man — Billy Joel

Come on, it’s Piano Man, this song is literal sing-along gold, dug up straight out of the 70s. Who would have ever thought that a harmonica could be the best part of such a jam? So sing us a song, you’re the piano man, and we’re almost there.

She’s Always a Woman — Billy Joel

Billy Joel provides us with this tumbling beat just as we’re putting that blinker on and taking our exit. That’s it, we’re cruising on back roads now and Billy Joel is just what we need to get us through the last few minutes.

Landslide — Fleetwood Mac

The last song on our list is a classic from Fleetwood Mac. As our destination is coming into view and we can already feel the relief in our weary backs of being able to get up and stretch, Fleetwood Mac will bring our trip to a close. That’s it, we have arrived and the slow cathartic final moments of this trip play out to the plucking strings of this 2002 country classic.

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Dan O'Reilly is a writer who covers news, politics and social justice. Follow him on twitter.

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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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 . 

Travel Insurance: Don't leave home without it. Here is what we recommend:

• Allianz - Occasional Travelers.
• Medjet - Global air medical transport and travel security.

Need more help planning your trip? Make sure to check out our Resources Page where we highlight all the great companies that we trust when we are traveling.

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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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100 Oldies But Goodies Songs For Your Next Road Trip

You pack the snacks and we'll bring the tunes.

Mood Boosters

Nice-and-easy drive, rock songs that you can scream-sing, classic love songs, golden sing-alongs.

• Feeling Moody and Blue
• For the Country Music Lovers

Old cassette tapes and CDs are out, but you can still jam to those oldies but goodies with a well-curated playlist. Road trips can get rather boring when your eyes are glued to the endless pavement ahead. Why not ditch the "I Spy" game and spice up your drive with a tribute to the greatest old-school hits?

Legends like Bruce Springsteen, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and Billy Joel are sure to entertain you on your long expedition. These loveable, sing-along classics will instantly put your whole car in a great mood. Roll your windows down, drum your fingers on the steering wheel, and queue up your playlist with the best oldies songs. Whether you're taking a long trip up the coast or just driving up the road, make sure to have these songs on hand for a memorable time.

Play any one of these songs for an instant mood boost on your road trip! From the "bum bum bum" of Sweet Caroline to the catchy melody of Come On Eileen , you can't go wrong with any one of these happy, finger-tapping tunes! Just press play and you're set for a delightful drive!

• "Sweet Caroline" - Neil Diamond
• "Jack & Diane" - John Mellencamp
• "Brown Eyed Girl" - Van Morrison
• "Sweet Home Alabama" - Lynyrd Skynyrd
• "Dancing in the Moonlight" - King Harvest
• "Brandy (You're a Fine Girl)" - Looking Glass
• "Come On Eileen" - Dexys Midnight Runners
• "Mr. Blue Sky" - Electric Light Orchestra
• "Rich Girl" - Daryl Hall & John Oates
• "Jessie's Girl" - Rick Springfield
• "Here Comes The Sun" - The Beatles
• "Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I'm Yours)" - Stevie Wonder
• "American Pie" - Don McLean
• "Jump" - Van Halen
• "I'm in a Hurry (And Don't Know Why)" - Alabama
• "Only the Good Die Young" - Billy Joel
• "Ramblin' Man" - The Allman Brothers Band
• "Send Me on My Way" - Rusted Root
• "Going Up The Country" - Canned Heat
• "Life in the Fast Lane" - Eagles
• "Born in the U.S.A." - Bruce Springsteen
• "Oogum Boogum Song" - Brenton Wood
• "Baba O'Riley" - The Who
• "Everybody Wants To Rule The World" - Tears For Fears
• "The Joker" - Steve Miller Band
• "Ooh La La" - Faces

Maybe you want something a little more chill while wheeling through the mountains at daybreak or joyriding past the coastline at sunset? These melodies are perfect for that laid-back, no rush, easy-going drive.

• "Into The Mystic" - Van Morrison
• "Never Going Back Again" - Fleetwood Mac
• "Have You Ever Seen The Rain?" - Creedence Clearwater Revival
• "Take It Easy" - Eagles
• "Sunrise" - Norah Jones
• "Fire and Rain" - James Taylor
• "Let It Be" - The Beatles
• "Helplessly Hoping" - Crosby, Stills & Nash
• "Blues Run The Game" - Simon & Garfunkel
• "For What It's Worth" - Buffalo Springfield
• "Sundown" - Gordon Lightfoot
• "Son Of A Preacher Man" - Dusty Springfield
• "Sister Golden Hair" - America
• "Angel From Montgomery" - Bonnie Raitt, John Prine
• "If I Ever Needed Someone" - Van Morrison, Mavis Staples
• "The Weight" - The Band
• "Midnight Train to Georgia" - Gladys Knight & The Pips
• "The Boxer" - Simon & Garfunkel
• "If You Want To Sing Out, Sing Out" - Yusuf / Cat Stevens

Are you ready to rock and roll down the windows? Let your hair down, and sing your guts out with these scream-along rock songs.

• "Edge of Seventeen" - Stevie Nicks
• "Carry on Wayward Son" - Kansas
• "Summer of '69" - Bryan Adams
• "Dream On" - Aerosmith
• "What I Like About You" - The Romantics
• "Breakdown" - Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
• "Don't Stop Me Now" - Queen
• "Dancing in the Dark" - Bruce Springsteen

Going on a road trip with your sweetheart? These classics will add a little extra love in the air.

• "More Than a Feeling" - Boston
• "Your Song" - Elton John
• "You Make My Dreams" - Daryl Hall & John Oates
• "Make You Feel My Love" - Bob Dylan
• "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)" - Jr. Walker & The All Stars
• "My Girl" - The Temptations
• "Wouldn't It Be Nice" - The Beach Boys
• "Real Love Baby" - Father John Misty
• "Sugar, Sugar" - The Archies
• "You're My Best Friend" - Queen
• "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)" - Four Tops
• "Be My Baby" - The Ronettes
• "Harvest Moon" - Neil Young
• "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" - Marvin Gaye, Tammi Terrell

No matter if you're on the road with your family or friends, these songs will surely get the whole car singing along. Turn on one of these classic belt-worthy tunes, and get to harmonizing!

• "On the Road Again" - Willie Nelson
• "Take Me Home, Country Roads" - John Denver
• "Piano Man" - Billy Joel
• "Stand by Me" - Otis Redding
• "You're so Vain" - Carly Simon
• "Tiny Dancer" - Elton John
• "Stuck In The Middle With You" - Stealers Wheel
• "Stacy's Mom" - Fountains Of Wayne
• "Free Fallin'" - Tom Petty
• "Mrs. Robinson" - Simon & Garfunkel
• "Hey Jude" - The Beatles
• "Go Your Own Way" - Fleetwood Mac

Feeling Moody And Blue

Take your main character moment to the next level with any one of these melancholy melodies. Just look out the window, pretend you are in a music video, and voila—you're set for a drive that might just have you romanticizing your life.

• "Vienna" - Billy Joel
• "Fade Into You" - Mazzy Star
• "Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want" - The Smiths
• "Landslide" - Fleetwood Mac
• "Danny's Song" - Loggins & Messina
• "The Chain" - Fleetwood Mac
• "Simple Twist of Fate" - Bob Dylan
• "She's Always a Woman" - Billy Joel
• "Yesterday" - The Beatles
• "Girl from the North Country" - Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash
• "Down By The River" - Neil Young
• "Ruby" - Dave Rawlings Machine
• "Space Oddity" - David Bowie
• "Friends, Lovers, Ex-Lovers: or Whatever" - Susto
• "Simple Man" - Lynyrd Skynyrd
• "My My, Hey Hey (Out Of The Blue)" - Neil Young

For The Country Music Lovers

Because no road trip is complete without a little bit of Willie and Dolly, we made sure to add a few of our favorite country road trip songs to this playlist.

• "Jolene" - Dolly Parton
• "Georgia On My Mind" - Willie Nelson
• "9 to 5" - Dolly Parton
• "A Thing Called Love" - Johnny Cash
• "Mammas, Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys" - Willie Nelson
• "Here You Come Again" - Dolly Parton

What songs are a must for your road trip playlist? What songs do you think we should add? Let us know!

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All Of Spotify's Most Popular Travel-Inspired Playlists, For Your Road Tripping Adventures

When it comes to road trip playlists, no other music streaming service does it quite as Spotify does.

For many of us, the single most important app on our phones (besides the text message app) is Spotify. Music has become ingrained as much in our daily lives as things such as eating or sleeping and, much of the time, it's almost rarer that a person isn't listening to music while doing daily tasks and chores. Music is there for us when we're cleaning the house, in our headphones while we're working, blasting in the gym when we're working out, blaring out in restaurants or at home while we're eating - and also coming out of our own speakers while we're in the car . After all, if you're not listening to music, are you really even driving?

Travel has taken a bit of a nosedive and a wild twist since 2019 and with it, the idea of what a normal vacation implies. With the uprooting of getaways as we knew them, road trips have swiftly and, almost seamlessly, taken the place of exotic destinations and ten-hour-long plane rides to other countries. The playlists that we would have created for the plane ride have now turned into playlists that we've curated for a long car ride, and that's not necessarily a bad thing. Music streaming apps such as Spotify have made it incredibly easy for us to do this and they even offer their own user-curated and data-based playlists that help pass the time on the open road .

Spotify Will Actually Create A Playlist For You

Through a generator called 'Soundtrack your Ride,' Spotify will take users through a series of questions based on their personal preferences and curate a soundtrack that's specifically suited to their personal tastes. This is a huge deal for those who appreciate not only good tunes during a long car ride - but good tunes that reflect who they are personally and what they love to listen to.

This simple tool is as good as gold for upcoming road trips and will allow drivers (and passengers, if they're given the right of a DJ) to create their own playlists for the ride with practically zero song-searching involved. The process even takes all the guesswork out of a playlist as Spotify's artificial intelligence goes as far as what type of car you're driving and who's going with you. Creepy? Yes, but also pretty awesome.

Spotify's Own Playlists To Put You In The Traveling Mood

Spotify also curates playlists based on practically anything you could possibly be looking for. These playlists are categorized by moods, activities, genres, and even sub-genres and interests. It's a wide world of music out there and the only thing to do when getting ready for a road trip is to dive right in and discover what sounds good to you. Whatever music sets your soul on fire and makes your heart sing (or your vocal cords, whichever) is bound to be a great playlist to start off a road trip. According to Spotify, there's one playlist to rule them all: ' The Best Driving Songs 2021 .'

Related:  It's Been Proven That Outdoor Road Trips Boost Moods, And Here Are The Stats

This playlist contains hits dating all the way back to the oldies of the big band and swing era to modern-day music that will make you dance in your seat (not you, drivers) and it's pretty wide-ranging and scattered... which also happens to make for the best road trip music. Starting off, the first song on the playlist is 'Return of the Mac' by Mark Morrison to get you into the grove of things with some smooth, catchy RnB/hip hop. Following that are songs by REO Speedwagon, Bruce Springsteen, R. Kelly, The Cars (pun probably intended), and even the Vengaboys for a little 90s earworm. The playlist dances around so many decades that it's bound to provide one hit after another and for those who have Spotify accounts, if you don't like a song, you're able to skip it with unlimited skips. If nothing else, this playlist starts as a great jumping-off point to generate ideas for your own personal playlist.

Other popular user-recommend (and regular traveler) playlists include those which have also been created by the streaming app. A playlist called 'Good Vibes' provides, well, all the good vibes you could possibly want while on the road. This is your classic good mood playlist and one that will have everyone humming along while they settle into those long hours on the open road. For a chill playlist, 'Hanging Out and Relaxing' is another popular choice with just over six hours of music for your listening pleasure. For shorter road trips with just under three hours of music, 'Roadtrip with Friends' is a fun option and includes everyone's car ride favorites. When a playlist ends, Spotify does this cool thing where it will continue to play music based on the playlist you'd been listening to - so don't let the length of a playlist keep you from choosing it.

Next:  Everything To Know About Summer Road Trips Starting From Reykjavik, Iceland

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Home > Tips > 275 Best Road Trip Songs For Your Road Trip Playlist

275 Best Road Trip Songs For Your Road Trip Playlist

By Dymphe / February 9, 2023

Road trip songs are amazing when you're on the road! If you're looking for the perfect road trip playlist, I'm sure you'll love this one.

Going on a vacation soon? Then music will make it a lot of fun. For example, when I'm going on a beach vacation, I love listening to my beach playlist .

I always love listening to songs when traveling. And especially when I'm on the road, music is also very important.

For that reason, I made this road trip playlist. Even though this playlist is perfect for traveling, I always love listening to it.

The playlist consists of 275 songs. The genres on the list are pop, rock, dance, indie, and hip-hop. Furthermore, I've included a category of other genres as well. All the songs are perfect for your next road trip.

Depending on what music you want to listen to, you can choose one of the genres. But I'd recommend listening to all and adding them to your Spotify account.

Here are the 275 best road trip songs!

Table of Contents

Pop: Amazing Road Trip Songs With Great Melodies

One of the best genres for your road trip is the popular music genre or pop for short.

The road trip songs that belong to this category are a lot of fun. And they will make your trip much better for sure.

You likely recognize a lot of songs on this list, which is great. It is always fun to sing along songs you know very well. These songs are great while you are driving the road for that reason.

Also, pop songs are great to listen to when you are going on a road trip with other people. The other people in the car will likely also know the songs on this list! This makes these songs even better for your road trip playlist.

What's great about pop music as well is that the songs have a lot of great melodies.

Furthermore, pop songs almost always have parts that repeat.

Also, many of the parts of the song are easy to sing. This makes them even better as a road trip song.

All these aspects make that you should definitely add pop songs to your road trip playlist.

Besides that, what's great is that pop music exists for a long time. Because of this, there were a lot of songs to choose from.

To make creating your playlist with pop road trip songs easier I divided these songs by when they came out.

For example, I have a category with songs from 2015 till 2019. Also, this list contains new songs from the year 2021 till the present. These songs will likely be more familiar to you when you often listen to the radio or look at the charts. Besides that, you find older songs on this list as well.

Music From 2021 Till Now

1. It'll Be Okay - Shawn Mendes

2. Oh My God - Adele

3. Sunshine - OneRepublic

4. Shivers - Ed Sheeran

5. Cold Heart - PNAU Remix - Elton John, Dua Lipa, PNAU

6. GHOST TOWN - Benson Boone

7. Easy On Me - Adele

8. Pepas - Farruko

9. Better Days (NEIKED x Mae Muller x Polo G) - NEIKED, Mae Muller, Polo G

10. THATS WHAT I WANT - Lil Nas X

11. abcdefu - GAYLE

12. INDUSTRY BABY (feat. Jack Harlow) - Lil Nas X, Jack Harlow

13. STAY (with Justin Bieber) - The Kid LAROI, Justin Bieber

14. Woman - Doja Cat

15. Need to Know - Doja Cat

16. Bad Habits - Ed Sheeran

17. Life Goes On - Oliver Tree

18. good 4 u - Olivia Rodrigo

19. Heartbreak Anthem (with David Guetta & Little Mix) - Galantis, David Guetta, Little Mix

20. Freaks - Surf Curse

21. Build a Bitch - Bella Poarch

22. Run - OneRepublic

23. Save Your Tears (with Ariana Grande) (Remix) - The Weeknd, Ariana Grande

24. Kiss Me More (feat. SZA) - Doja Cat, SZA

25. MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name) - Lil Nas X

26. Mood (feat. iann dior) - 24kGoldn, iann dior

27. Peaches (feat. Daniel Caesar & Giveon) - Justin Bieber, Daniel Caesar, Giveon

28. Rasputin - Majestic, Boney M.

29. Cover Me In Sunshine - P!nk, Willow Sage Hart

Songs in 2020

30. Good Days - SZA

31. WITHOUT YOU - The Kid LAROI

32. positions - Ariana Grande

33. Lonely (with benny blanco) - Justin Bieber, benny blanco

34. Sweet but Psycho - Ava Max

35. Heat Waves - Glass Animals

36. Take You Dancing - Jason Derulo

37. Savage Love (Laxed - Siren Beat) - Jawsh 685, Jason Derulo

38. Put Your Records On - Ritt Momney

39. Levitating (feat. DaBaby) - Dua Lipa, DaBaby

40. Don't Start Now - Dua Lipa

41. Break My Heart - Dua Lipa

42. In Your Eyes - The Weeknd

43. Blinding Lights - The Weeknd

44. Control - Zoe Wees

45. Boss Bitch - Doja Cat

Music from 2015 Till 2019

46. Watermelon Sugar - Harry Styles

47. If the World Was Ending (feat. Julia Michaels) - JP Saxe, Julia Michaels

48. I Don't Care (with Justin Bieber) - Ed Sheeran, Justin Bieber

49. 7 rings - Ariana Grande

50. Don't Call Me Up - Mabel

51. No Lie - Sean Paul, Dua Lipa

52. Attention - Charlie Puth

53. One Kiss (with Dua Lipa) - Calvin Harris, Dua Lipa

54. The Middle - Zedd, Maren Morris, Grey

55. New Rules - Dua Lipa

56. Perfect - Ed Sheeran

57. Shape of You - Ed Sheeran

58. Happier - Ed Sheeran

59. Castle on the Hill - Ed Sheeran

60. Hold On - Chord Overstreet

61. Starboy - The Weeknd, Daft Punk

62. Cake By The Ocean - DNCE

63. Say You Won't Let Go - James Arthur

64. 7 Years - Lukas Graham

65. We Don't Talk Anymore (feat. Selena Gomez) - Charlie Puth, Selena Gomez

66. Love On The Brain - Rihanna

67. Love Yourself - Justin Bieber

68. Sorry - Justin Bieber

69. Stitches - Shawn Mendes

70. Uptown Funk (feat. Bruno Mars) - Mark Ronson, Bruno Mars

Songs From 2010 till 2014

71. Time of Our Lives - Pitbull, Ne-Yo

72. Summer - Calvin Harris

73. Maps - Maroon 5

74. Sugar - Maroon 5

75. Animals - Maroon 5

76. Rude - MAGIC!

77. Thinking out Loud - Ed Sheeran

78. Photograph - Ed Sheeran

79. Like I Can - Sam Smith

80. Story of My Life - One Direction

81. Royals - Lorde

82. Mirrors - Justin Timberlake

83. Counting Stars - OneRepublic

84. Heart Attack - Demi Lovato

85. When I Was Your Man - Bruno Mars

86. Die Young - Kesha

87. Just Give Me a Reason (feat. Nate Ruess) - P!nk, Nate Ruess

88. What Makes You Beautiful - One Direction

89. Payphone - Maroon 5, Wiz Khalifa

90. Call Me Maybe - Carly Rae Jepsen

91. Love You Like A Love Song - Selena Gomez & The Scene

92. Somebody That I Used To Know - Gotye, Kimbra

93. On The Floor - Jennifer Lopez, Pitbull

94. Hey, Soul Sister - Train

95. Grenade - Bruno Mars

96. Just the Way You Are - Bruno Mars

97. DJ Got Us Fallin' In Love (feat. Pitbull) - Usher, Pitbull

98. TiK ToK - Kesha

99. Dynamite - Taio Cruz

100. Baby - Justin Bieber, Ludacris

Music before 2010: Perfect Road Trip Songs If You Like Older Pop Songs

101. See You Again (feat. Charlie Puth) - Wiz Khalifa, Charlie Puth

102. Classic - MKTO

103. Hey Ya! - Outkast

104. Bad Romance - Lady Gaga

105. I Gotta Feeling - Black Eyed Peas

106. Party In The U.S.A. - Miley Cyrus

107. Umbrella - Rihanna, JAY-Z

108. Viva La Vida - Coldplay

109. I'm Yours - Jason Mraz

110. Gimme More - Britney Spears

111. SexyBack (feat. Timbaland) - Justin Timberlake, Timbaland

112. Hips Don't Lie (feat. Wyclef Jean) - Shakira, Wyclef Jean

113. Toxic - Britney Spears

114. I Want It That Way - Backstreet Boys

115. Careless Whisper - George Michael

116. Wannabe - Spice Girls

117. Take on Me - a-ha

118. Everybody Wants To Rule The World - Tears For Fears

119. Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go - Wham!

120. Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) - Remastered - Eurythmics, Annie Lennox, Dave Stewart

121. Billie Jean - Michael Jackson

122. Beat It - Michael Jackson

123. Africa - TOTO

124. Let's Groove - Earth\, Wind & Fire

125. Let It Be - Remastered 2009 - The Beatles

126. Ain't No Mountain High Enough - Marvin Gaye, Tammi Terrell

127. Dancing Queen - ABBA

Songs of the dance music genre are also great to add to your road trip playlist.

These road trip songs are great for dancing, but also great while you are driving.

This genre has a lot of rhythm and great beats that I'm sure you'll enjoy and will make your trip better!

128. Where Are You Now - Lost Frequencies, Calum Scott

129. Panga (Ft. Idd Aziz) - LevyM

130. Love Tonight - David Guetta Remix Edit - Shouse, David Guetta

131. Sweet Dreams - Alan Walker, Imanbek

132. Never Going Home - Kungs

133. BED - Joel Corry, RAYE, David Guetta

134. Friday (feat. Mufasa & Hypeman) - Dopamine Re-Edit - Riton, Nightcrawlers, Mufasa, Hypeman, Dopamine

135. The Business - Tiësto

136. uNcuthu Ft. Sekiwe - LevyM

137. ily (i love you baby) (feat. Emilee) - Surf Mesa, Emilee

138. Lose Control - MEDUZA, Becky Hill, Goodboys

139. Ride It - Regard

140. Love Tonight - Edit - Shouse

141. Something Just Like This - The Chainsmokers, Coldplay

142. Closer - The Chainsmokers, Halsey

143. This Is What You Came For (feat. Rihanna) - Calvin Harris, Rihanna

144. Don't Let Me Down - The Chainsmokers, Daya

145. Waiting For Love - Avicii

146. The Nights - Avicii

147. Get Lucky (feat. Pharrell Williams & Nile Rodgers) - Radio Edit - Daft Punk, Pharrell Williams, Nile Rodgers

148. Wake Me Up - Avicii

149. Titanium (feat. Sia) - David Guetta, Sia

150. Feel So Close - Radio Edit - Calvin Harris

151. Give Me Everything (feat. Ne-Yo, Afrojack & Nayer) - Pitbull, Ne-Yo, Afrojack, Nayer

152. Fireflies - Owl City

153. Timber (feat. Ke$ha) - Pitbull, Kesha

154. Remember - Becky Hill, David Guetta

155. Head & Heart (feat. MNEK) - Joel Corry, MNEK

156. Someone To You - BANNERS

Rock: Nice Road Trip Songs With Great Beats

Here's yet another genre that is great to add to your playlist.

Rock music often features acoustic or electric guitars. These instruments add a great sound to the song.

Furthermore, there is a lot of difference in the songs that belong to this genre.

For example, there are road trip songs of this genre that are very fast, while there are also very slow ones.

Furthermore, there are songs with heavy vocals, while there are also ones with soft vocals.

These differences exist because there are a lot of subgenres of rock.

Depending on what type of song you like most, you can choose certain songs from this road trip playlist.

Also, what's great is that rock songs often feature great stories. Taking in these stories while listening to these songs will make your road trip much more fun for sure!

For example, many songs are about love, but some are also about political or social themes.

These stories make the songs much more interesting!

Like pop music, there are a lot of different songs to choose from. That's because the genre exists for more than 75 years. This makes this genre amazing if you're looking for road trip songs.

To make choosing a song for your road trip playlist easier, I divided this list of songs too.

For this list, I chose to use the year 2000 as the dividing year.

Moreover, this list contains some new songs, such as Circles by Post Malone from 2019. But this list also has older songs. For example, it also includes Sweet Child O' Mine by Guns N' Roses, which is a more classic rock song that I'm sure you know!

Music From 2000 Till Now

157. Circles - Post Malone

158. Sucker - Jonas Brothers

159. Natural - Imagine Dragons

160. High Hopes - Panic! At The Disco

161. Beggin' - Måneskin

162. Believer - Imagine Dragons

163. Thunder - Imagine Dragons

164. High Enough - K.Flay

165. Heathens - Twenty One Pilots

166. Stressed Out - Twenty One Pilots

167. Ride - Twenty One Pilots

168. Friends - Chase Atlantic

169. Centuries - Fall Out Boy

170. Locked out of Heaven - Bruno Mars

171. Hall of Fame (feat. will.i.am) - The Script, will.i.am

172. Everybody Talks - Neon Trees

173. Paradise - Coldplay

174. Animal - Neon Trees

175. Sex on Fire - Kings of Leon

176. Snow (Hey Oh) - Red Hot Chili Peppers

177. How to Save a Life - The Fray

178. Fix You - Coldplay

179. The Scientist - Coldplay

180. Clocks - Coldplay

181. Kryptonite - 3 Doors Down

182. Yellow - Coldplay

Songs Before 2000

183. Californication - Red Hot Chili Peppers

184. Bitter Sweet Symphony - The Verve

185. Basket Case - Green Day

186. What's Up? - 4 Non Blondes

187. Under the Bridge - Red Hot Chili Peppers

188. Losing My Religion - R.E.M.

189. Sweet Child O' Mine - Guns N' Roses

190. Paradise City - Guns N' Roses

191. You Give Love A Bad Name - Bon Jovi

192. Dancing In the Dark - Bruce Springsteen

193. Under Pressure - Remastered 2011 - Queen, David Bowie

194. Don't Stop Believin' - Journey

195. Back In Black - AC/DC

196. You Shook Me All Night Long - AC/DC

197. Another One Bites The Dust - Remastered 2011 - Queen

198. Mr. Blue Sky - Electric Light Orchestra

199. Highway to Hell - AC/DC

200. Don't Stop Me Now - Remastered 2011 - Queen

201. Dreams - 2004 Remaster - Fleetwood Mac

202. Hotel California - 2013 Remaster - Eagles

203. Bohemian Rhapsody - Remastered 2011 - Queen

204. Sweet Home Alabama - Lynyrd Skynyrd

205. Dream On - Aerosmith

206. Rocket Man (I Think It's Going To Be A Long, Long Time) - Elton John

207. Stairway to Heaven - Remaster - Led Zeppelin

208. Have You Ever Seen The Rain - Creedence Clearwater Revival

209. Fortunate Son - Creedence Clearwater Revival

210. Here Comes The Sun - Remastered 2009 - The Beatles

211. Brown Eyed Girl - Van Morrison

Indie: Great Road Trip Songs If You Like Alternative Music

Ready for some alternative road trip songs during your trip?

If you like songs that are lesser-known, you should choose some of the songs on this list.

Also, the songs are great to add to your road trip playlist if you want to listen to more unusual instruments.

Indie music often combines a lot of different aspects of other genres. This makes the songs unique!

Also, what's great is that if you choose to add a lot of these songs to your playlist, you have a very diverse list of music! And that's great if you want to have a nice list of road trip songs. I'm sure you'll love these songs!

212. my ex's best friend (with blackbear) - Machine Gun Kelly, blackbear

213. Can I Call You Tonight? - Dayglow

214. Someone You Loved - Lewis Capaldi

215. Bruises - Lewis Capaldi

216. when the party's over - Billie Eilish

217. Are You Bored Yet? (feat. Clairo) - Wallows, Clairo

218. Into It - Chase Atlantic

219. Infinity - Jaymes Young

220. Ophelia - The Lumineers

221. Hymn for the Weekend - Coldplay

222. Electric Love - BØRNS

223. Wait a Minute! - WILLOW

224. Shut Up and Dance - WALK THE MOON

225. Riptide - Vance Joy

226. Take Me To Church - Hozier

227. Best Day Of My Life - American Authors

228. Still into You - Paramore

229. Little Talks - Of Monsters and Men

230. Stereo Hearts (feat. Adam Levine) - Gym Class Heroes, Adam Levine

231. Tongue Tied - Grouplove

232. Pumped Up Kicks - Foster The People

233. Feel Good Inc. - Gorillaz

234. Hey There Delilah - Plain White T's

235. Numb - Linkin Park

236. Bring Me To Life - Evanescence

237. In the End - Linkin Park

238. Safe And Sound - Capital Cities

239. Best Friend (feat. Doja Cat) - Saweetie, Doja Cat

Hip-Hop music is great music to listen to during your road trip. That's why I added also added perfect road trip songs of this genre to the list.

This is a music genre that often includes rap, but there are also songs without rap. Also, there are lots of songs of this genre with both rap and other types of vocals. This combination makes these songs great too!

Besides that, these songs often have very rhythmic melodies. Also, there is sometimes beatboxing that accompanies rap.

What's great is that there is a lot of variety in these songs.

For example, there are hip-hop songs that combine with pop. Also, there are songs that feature both rap and rock.

Besides that, what's great is that these songs differ in their tempo. There are very fast songs, but also very slow songs.

The rhythm of this music genre is what makes many of these songs proper road trip songs. It is great to ride on the road while listening to a rhythm at the same time.

Also, many of these hip-hop songs contain stories that you can listen to while driving on the road. This makes these songs even better for your trip.

To make this list of songs more comprehensible I divided this list as well. Below, you can find songs from 2015 till now, and songs from before 2015.

Songs From 2015 Till Now

240. Laugh Now Cry Later (feat. Lil Durk) - Drake, Lil Durk

241. WAP (feat. Megan Thee Stallion) - Cardi B, Megan Thee Stallion

242. What You Know Bout Love - Pop Smoke

243. ROCKSTAR (feat. Roddy Ricch) - DaBaby, Roddy Ricch

244. Godzilla (feat. Juice WRLD) - Eminem, Juice WRLD

245. Bandit (with YoungBoy Never Broke Again) - Juice WRLD, YoungBoy Never Broke Again

246. Robbery - Juice WRLD

247. SICKO MODE - Travis Scott

248. rockstar (feat. 21 Savage) - Post Malone, 21 Savage

249. Ric Flair Drip (with Metro Boomin) - Offset, Metro Boomin

250. Let You Down - NF

251. goosebumps - Travis Scott

Music Before 2015

252. No Role Modelz - J. Cole

253. Can't Hold Us - feat. Ray Dalton - Macklemore & Ryan Lewis

254. Work Out - J. Cole

255. Love The Way You Lie - Eminem, Rihanna

256. Empire State Of Mind - JAY-Z, Alicia Keys

257. Low (feat. T-Pain) - Flo Rida, T-Pain

258. Yeah! (feat. Lil Jon & Ludacris) - Usher, Lil Jon, Ludacris

259. Ms. Jackson - Outkast

Other Genres: Additional Road Trip Songs That Are Perfect For Your Playlist

In the lists above I covered the genres pop, dance, rock, indie, and hip-hop.

Of course, there are more genres of road trip songs. That's why I included some songs that didn't fit the categories above in this section.

For example, there are songs of the R&B genre in this part of the list. Also, there are soul and country songs on this list.

Don't forget to add these songs to your road trip playlist, as they are great as well! Also, many of the songs are very popular songs, so you likely know them.

For example, if you want to add a great and slow song to your playlist, choose All of Me by John Legend!

Besides that, the songs of this section by Bruno Mars are great to listen to while driving as well!

260. I GUESS I'M IN LOVE - Clinton Kane

261. Leave The Door Open - Bruno Mars, Anderson .Paak, Silk Sonic

262. DÁKITI - Bad Bunny, Jhay Cortez

263. You Got It - Vedo

264. 10,000 Hours (with Justin Bieber) - Dan + Shay, Justin Bieber

265. No Guidance (feat. Drake) - Chris Brown, Drake

266. Shallow - Lady Gaga, Bradley Cooper

267. All The Stars (with SZA) - Kendrick Lamar, SZA

268. Redbone - Childish Gambino

269. That's What I Like - Bruno Mars

270. The Hills - The Weeknd

271. idfc - blackbear

272. Like I'm Gonna Lose You (feat. John Legend) - Meghan Trainor, John Legend

273. All of Me - John Legend

274. Sure Thing - Miguel

275. Temperature - Sean Paul

This was my playlist of amazing road trip songs. If you're going to travel soon, have a lot of fun! I'm sure you'll have a great time listening to these lovely songs.

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New study reveals america's road trip favorites: from the best food to the best music.

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Summer is here, and for many people, that means it’s vacation time. While there are plenty of ways people get to their vacations, nothing compares to the good old-fashioned road trip. Even before the pandemic, road trips were increasing in popularity among American vacationers. This trend continued last year when COVID-19 hampered many other forms of travel and looks to continue through this summer season.

If you’re one of the many looking forward to a road trip this summer, our team has some advice on how to prepare. Before you hit the road, there are a few essential things to take care of: check your car insurance , fill up on gas (hopefully with one of the  best credit cards for gas ), and of course, create your road trip playlist.

On that last point, no road trip is complete without some killer tunes. The right playlist can help make the hours fly by while also becoming an indelible part of memories formed on the road with family or friends. But what exactly makes a good road trip playlist? And which songs, artists, and genres are best suited for the kind of long-haul driving a road trip requires?

Our analysis

To find the answers to those questions and help inspire any travelers out there putting together their own road trip playlists, the FinanceBuzz team pulled data on 100 popular road trip playlists on Spotify. We broke down things like the average number of songs in a playlist; how often different songs, artists, and albums appear on popular playlists; and more.

Read on to see the results of our analysis and get a link to the ultimate road trip playlist that we created based on our research!

Most popular road trip songs

Most popular road trip song genres, beyond the music: road trip habits, on the road again, how we identified these top road trip jams.

After collecting and organizing the data from 100 playlists, we were able to determine which songs were most popular overall. Above, you can see the 25 songs (26 including ties) that appeared on the highest percentage of playlists. Lynyrd Skynyrd's all-time Southern rock classic “Sweet Home Alabama” takes the top spot, appearing on one out of every four playlists we evaluated.

Skynyrd taking the top spot sets a precedent that follows throughout much of this list, as 19 of 26 songs on this list fall under the “classic rock” genre. Further solidifying the dominance of classic rock artists, the only bands with tunes that land on this list twice are all-time classic rock greats — The Eagles and Queen.

After “Sweet Home Alabama,” only three other songs appeared on even 20% of playlists — Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’,” “Mr. Brightside” by The Killers, and Oasis’ “Wonderwall.”

Finally, while these are the most popular songs in our analysis, they represent just a fraction of the music included across all the playlists we evaluated. If you total up each individual inclusion on all the playlists, there are a total of 16,954 slots for songs. The top 25 songs represent just 437 of these nearly 17,000 slots. That means our top 25 songs amount to just 2.58% of the songs across all playlists.

Most popular artists to listen to on road trips

Outside of specific songs, we also looked into which artists appeared most often. We did this by finding how often songs from each artist’s catalog showed up on our road trip playlists. The top 25 artists (29 including ties) can be seen above.

The top overall artist is The Rolling Stones, with their songs appearing 125 different times across the 100 playlists, meaning they average 1.25 songs per playlist. Despite having the highest number of total songs appearing on the playlists, the Rolling Stones do not have a single song in the top 25. “Paint It, Black” was the closest, as it appeared on 12 playlists, while “(I Can’t Get Get No) Satisfaction” and “Start Me Up” both appear on 10. All told, 40 different Stones songs appear on at least one playlist.

Beyond the Stones, only three other artists had songs appear on playlists more than 100 times. Creedence Clearwater Revival was second with 112 appearances, Rihanna ranked third with 108, and The Beatles were right behind her with 107. After those artists, there is a big drop-off. Queen is next on the list with 91 song appearances, then a similarly-sized gap to Taylor Swift and Fleetwood Mac with 77 songs each.

While the Rolling Stones took the top spot without having a single track make our list of the 25 most popular songs, nine artists on the list above do have a top 25 road trip song. Those artists are Creedence Clearwater Revival, Queen, Fleetwood Mac, AC/DC, Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Eagles, Guns N’ Roses, Tom Petty, and Avicii.

Most popular road trip albums

We also wanted to see which albums were the best at producing road trip-quality songs. To do this we counted how many times songs from specific albums appeared on the playlists, including when the same song appeared on multiple playlists. We compiled the above list of the 25 albums (26 including ties) that had the highest number of road trip-ready songs.

The Fleetwood Mac album “Rumours” proved to be well ahead of the competition in this regard. Songs from that album appeared on the playlists we analyzed 47 different times. That is 13 more songs than the second-place finisher, “Appetite for Destruction” from Guns N’ Roses. It is also more than twice as many songs as each album from the fourteenth spot on the list down.

“Rumours” is also one of two albums on this list that are among the 10 best-selling of all time, the other being “Back in Black” by AC/DC. Both of those albums sold over 25 million copies.

Finally, only one band has multiple albums on our top 25 list. That band is Creedence Clearwater Revival. Both “Willy and the Poor Boys” and “Cosmo’s Factory” land not only in the top 25 but in the top 10, finishing in fifth and sixth place respectively.

When breaking down the different genres represented on these playlists, our team found that classic rock is the genre that road trippers like to listen to most. 19% of all songs fall into the classic rock category.

Pop is close behind, with 18% of road trip songs coming from the world of pop. Only two other genres make up more than 10% of songs on these playlists, with both hip-hop and alternative rock topping that mark.

We wanted to get a sense of how the general public feels about some travel-related topics beyond the data we could glean by evaluating playlists. We surveyed a representative sample of 1,200 U.S. adults to learn more about their approach to road trips.

As anyone who has been on a road trip knows, not everyone always agrees on what to listen to. We asked survey respondents to tell us who should get to make the ultimate decision.

The most popular answer was that the driver should have the final say, with 45% of people selecting that option. Nearly as many people feel it should be a compromise between driver and passengers, though, with 41.5% of people saying that’s how the choice should be made, while only 13% of people think passengers should get to choose.

We also asked which restaurants people like to stop at while on a road trip, with the top 10 answers shown above. Unsurprisingly, McDonald’s took the top spot by a mile, with 22.73% of people selecting the Golden Arches. That number is nearly triple the percentage of people who chose the second-place finisher, Chick-fil-A.

Finally, we decided to use everything we learned while performing this analysis to create the Ultimate Road Trip Playlist, featuring the 170 most popular songs (plus ties) from the 100 playlists we evaluated. You can find a link to that playlist here or check out the embedded version below.

Even if you don’t want to listen to the playlist we put together, we hope this study has potentially inspired the playlists of anyone preparing to take off on their own road trip this summer. For those looking for even more road trip inspo, our team has a few tips for where to go and how to get there:

• Make sure you have the essentials covered. There are lots of things to pack for a successful road trip, and it can be easy for important things to fall through the cracks. Be sure to check our list of  road trip essentials to ensure you have everything you need in the vehicle before you start driving.
• Figure out where to go and what to see. There are so many amazing destinations that are accessible by car, so it can be hard to figure out exactly where to go. To help you plot your course, our team has compiled a number of resources, including a list of  amazing state parks in every state , a list of  unusual roadside attractions that are worth checking out, and a guide to destinations to avoid because they are overrun with tourists (including better alternatives to visit).
• Earn rewards while you travel. Part of the appeal of road trips is that they tend to be less expensive than other forms of travel. Savvy vacationers can get even more financial benefits out of their road trip by using one of the best travel credit cards to pay for their expenses while on the road.

For this analysis, we looked at 100 different, publicly available Spotify playlists that mention road trips, cars, or driving in the title or description. To be included, a playlist needed to have at least 4,000 likes. Eighteen of the included playlists were made by Spotify itself. Fourteen were made by verified users on the site. The remaining 68 were compiled by average users.

We pulled data on each song, artist, and album on every playlist, and we collected the length of each song. We also looked up the genre of every song and tracked the number of songs in each playlist.

Across the 100 playlists we evaluated, we discovered that the average road trip playlist is 170 songs long, with the average song length coming in at 3 minutes and 47 seconds. That means the average road trip playlist lasts for just under 10 hours and 45 minutes, which is about the amount of time it takes to drive from Chicago to Atlanta.

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The Greatest Road Trip Songs, Ever

50 road trip songs to make the miles fly by..

F inding the right song in the car can be as frustrating as trying to find the right movie on Netflix on a Friday night. As we head out on a weekend trip or a bucket list vacation, we find ourselves mindlessly scrolling through radio stations or hitting ‘pass’ on “Suggested For You” playlists. You need the right soundtrack for your time in the car .

This story contains affiliate links; A Girls Guide to Cars may earn a commission from sales generated by links in this story.

To help you navigate this slight roadblock, these are some of the best tunes to listen to when it’s just you, your family, and the open road. Let’s just start here:

The McIntosh premium sound system speakers in the Jeep Grand Cherokee L might be the ultimate for listening to a great playlist. Photo: Scotty Reiss

1. Bohemian Rhapsody – Queen

During long road trips, one can never go wrong when listening to songs by Queen. Freddie Mercury, the true lyrical genius he was, wrote this nearly six-minute track for the release of Queen’s album A Night at the Opera which took the music industry by storm in 1975. Arguably the most well-known song from the band, “Bohemian Rhapsody” is perfect for jamming out in the car because of its energetic tempo and stimulating verse. 

Best car for singing to Queen: Range Rover

2. soak up the sun – sheryl crow.

Looking for a light-hearted and upbeat melody befitting a summer song? Sheryl Crow’s “Soak Up The Sun” has got you covered. It’s the type of tune that one would listen to when they want to drive with the windows down in a cool breeze and bathe in the warmth of the sun. It came out in 2002 alongside Crow’s other single “Steve McQueen.” “Soak Up The Sun” is proof that the early 2000s knew how to make music that will last forever. 

Best car for singing along with Cheryl: Toyota Sequoia

3. ophelia – the lumineers.

In 2016, The Lumineers became even more popular after their release of “Ophelia,” inspired by William Shakespeare’s play, Hamlet . Through it, the alternative band demonstrated their ability to produce yet another hit song (the former being “Ho Hey” in 2012). In the two minutes and forty seconds that “Ophelia” has been recorded, its lyrics will no doubt be stuck in your head for the rest of your drive. 

Best car for singing along with The Lumineers: Rivian R1S

Lincoln’s Revel sound system has 28 speakers, all displayed here; this is the perfect sound system for a road trip. Photo: Scotty Reiss

4. Mr. Brightside – The Killers

Yet another throwback to the early 2000s, The Killers’ “Mr. Brightside” is a song to scream to in the car when the road dwindles down to nothing but desert or treelines. If you thought that you heard it everywhere you went in the United States ten years ago then you might be shocked to learn just how much more traction it gained in the United Kingdom. Not only has it gone down in music history as one of the most streamed songs there, it was also selected as the “Song of the Decade” by several U.K. radio stations. 

Best car for singing along with The Killers: Dodge Durango SRT

5. cruel summer – taylor swift.

This one is for all of the Swifties out there (especially since her recent embark through the U.S. on her Eras Tour). Based on the brilliance of her lyrics, Taylor has proven herself to be the mastermind of the current music industry. “Cruel Summer” was originally released in her 2019 album, Lover , but is set to be re-released on June 20th as a single. Its exuberant energy is sure to set you basking in the afterglow of the summer sun when cruising down the highway in the fast lane. 

Best car for singing along with Taylor Swift: Infiniti QX60

We love this details: The Fiat has Beats by Dre speakers! Photo: A Girls Guide to Cars

6.  Party In The U.S.A. – Miley Cyrus

This one makes everyone sing along, and makes everyone feel like a teenager (again). Party in the U.S.A. shares emotions we can all identify with – the nerves of being somewhere new, among people we don’t know, looking different, feeling homesick. And then, it gives us the confidence we can find our way, make new friends, find ourselves in this new place. This song is fun and contagious, and none more perfect for a road trip and the destination at the end of the ride.

Best car for singing along with Miley Cyrus: Cadillac Escalade 

7. daylight – david kushner.

Perhaps a lesser-known song than the others, David Kushner’s “Daylight” has also dominated the internet with its calming ambiance and powerful vocals. The most recent release on this list (as it came out in April), it has secured Kushner his position in becoming a rising star, one that you should look out for as he grows even more prominent in the industry. Behind the lyrics, Kushner has stated that “Daylight” was inspired by the Bible, specifically that of Paul’s Epistles in the New Testament. 

Best car for singing along with David Kushner: Acura MDX

8. beautiful boy (darling boy) – john lennon.

Although “Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy)” was made public in 1981, there is a 2010 remastered version available across streaming platforms (like Spotify and Apple Music). With such a mesmerizing and soothing melody, it’s not a surprise that John Lennon wrote it as a sort of lullaby for his son, Sean. The boy is even named at the end of the recording as Lennon bids him good night. As a member of The Beatles, Lennon continued to prove his ability to stand alone as an influential and compelling lyricist through “Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy).”

Best car for singing along with John Lennon: VW ID Buzz

9. little talks – of monsters and men.

Of Monsters and Men released their song, “Little Talks,” in 2011 and received a generous reaction from both its American and European audiences. While the track already provides us with something worth listening to, its lyrics go deeper than you might think. Switching between two perspectives, “Little Talks” portrays two lovers being trapped in the same house they lived in after one of them has passed away. The feminine voice is talking to either her deceased soulmate or herself as she slowly loses her sanity (this is up to the listener’s interpretation). In contrast, the masculine voice responds to her from the other side of the afterlife or, perhaps, it’s not really there at all. Telling a tragic story, the song is beautifully and yet hauntingly written. 

Best car for singing along with Of Monsters and Men: Kia Telluride

Bring your music on a USB drive, which will make it sound even better, as this selection from ELS Studio premium sound system showed us. Photo: Scotty Reiss

10. Life is a Highway – Rascal Flatts

Although “Life is a Highway” was originally recorded by Tom Cochrane in 1991, the Rascal Flatts made a cover of the song fifteen years later in 2006. As an exhilarating country rock track, this version is definitely worth the listen. Unfortunately, the group itself is no longer in production as it officially disbanded in 2021 but after nearly twenty years together, they made enough music for you to sing along to in the car for the rest of your drive. 

Best car for listening to Rascal Flats: Ford F-150

Inspired make your own playlist of road trip songs.

Ten songs are not enough for a playlist for the road, so I added forty more for your entertainment. You can build on this playlist, or make custom playlists with these songs as inspiration. We like Amazon Music’s unlimited to 100 million songs… you’ll never run out of something great to listen to! 

Our Favorite Top 40 Songs For a Road Trip Playlist

• As It Was – Harry Styles
• Golden – Harry Styles
• Dancing Queen – ABBA
• Highway to Hell – AC/DC
• American Pie – Don McLean
• Walking on Sunshine – Katrina And The Waves
• Seven Nation Army – The White Stripes
• Tongue Tied – GROUPLOVE
• Hit the Road Jack – Ray Charles
• Malibu – Miley Cyrus
• Flowers – Miley Cyrus
• California Gurls – Katy Perry, Snoop Dogg
• Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.) – Katy Perry
• Hey There Delilah – Plain White T’s
• Summertime Sadness – Lana Del Rey
• All The Stars (with SZA) – Kendrick Lamar, SZA
• Electric Love – BØRNS
• Are You Bored Yet? (feat. Clairo) – Wallows, Clairo
• Can I Call You Tonight? – Dayglow
• Steal My Girl – One Direction
• Perfect – One Direction
• Cruise – Florida Georgia Line
• 22 (Taylor’s Version) – Taylor Swift
• Blank Space – Taylor Swift
• Style – Taylor Swift
• Someone To You – BANNERS
• broken – lovelytheband
• Midnight City – M83
• Wonder – Shawn Mendes
• Yellow – Coldplay
• Heat Waves – Glass Animals
• Cloud 9 – Beach Bunny
• Thunder – Imagine Dragons
• Maniac – Conan Gray
• Sunroof – Nicky You’re, dazy
• I Ain’t Worried – OneRepublic
• Coastline – Hollow Coves
• Before He Cheats – Carrie Underwood
• Daddy Issues – The Neighbourhood
• The Night We Met – Lord Huron

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70 Best Car Songs to Blast While You're Driving

Get ready to queue up "Vroom Vroom" by Charli XCX.

So, make sure your gas tank is full and that you have all your essential road snacks ready because we've got you covered with the best car songs to listen to, regardless of your destination.

Harry Styles - "Golden"

Harry said himself that this song is meant for driving down the coast. "It feels so Malibu to me," he said in an interview with Zane Lowe for Apple Music. Whether you're in Malibu or Montana, this is a banger perfect for driving down the highway.

Ice Spice - "In Ha Mood"

You're a baddie with your baddie friends in the car, so blast Ice Spice on full volume.

Taylor Swift - "Cruel Summer"

Although Taylor's Versions have since taken over the world, Taylor Swift's "Cruel Summer" is a whole vibe. This bridge was made to be sung at the top of your lungs.

Charli XCX - "Vroom Vroom"

Not only has this song become a staple in Charli XCX 's discography, but it is literally about driving. Once you hear that "Let's ride" in the intro, you know it's time to go hard.

Miley Cyrus - "Jaded"

This track off of Endless Summer Vacation is begging to be belted in the backseat.

NewJeans - "OMG"

This K-Pop tune will get stuck in your head immediately.

Britney Spears - "Toxic"

When it doubt, always Britney it out.

Chloe x Halle - "Do It"

The sisters never miss when it comes to feel-good bops. This one will definitely make you dance in the passenger seat.

Dua Lipa - "Levitating"

When I tell you that everyone loves this song... I mean it. Sing this with your sugar boos for an extra good time.

The Killers - "Mr. Brightside"

If you haven't belted out to this song in a car full of your BFFs, then this is the perfect time to finally cross it off your bucket list. Trust me, whoever stops next to you on the next red light will also join in and sing-along too.

The Aces - "Girls Make Me Wanna Die"

The indie-pop quartet switches gears toward pop-punk with this track inspired by frustrations they've faced with crushes throughout their lives, and we must say the vibes are immaculate.

BTS - "Dynamite"

If you don't dance whenever you hear this song, I don't think I can trust you. The award-winning banger by BTS has deserved a road trip scream-sing all this time.

Olivia Rodrigo - Deja Vu

Olivia is driving down the coast in this video, so *I* want to drive down the coast and sing about how I'm annoying when I watch reruns of Glee .

Tate McRae - "She's All I Wanna Be"

Why wouldn't you want to scream "Stupid boy" at the top of your lungs?

Aly & AJ - "Potential Breakup Song"

Everybody say "thank you" to Aly & AJ for this masterpiece of a pop song that's still going strong 15+ years later.

MUNA ft. Phoebe Bridgers - "Silk Chiffon"

Odds are this track hit your TikTok FYP and is already stuck in your head, so you might as well play it with the top down.

Katy Perry - "Teenage Dream"

Not only is this song one of the greatest pop anthems of all time, it's also just an all-around favorite to play especially in the summer time.

Doja Cat - "Get Into It (Yuh)"

Trust us: skip the Starbucks run and play this instead. That second verse will give you the same amount of energy as a Venti cold brew.

Taylor Swift - "All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor's Version) (From The Vault)"

This was a cultural reset, and the new lyrics are worth every moment.

Conan Gray - "Maniac"

Because how can you not yell "Tell all of your friends that I'm crazy and drive you mad"?

Sam is an assistant news editor at Cosmo, covering all things pop culture, entertainment, and celebrity news. She previously covered those same topics along with health, lifestyle, and beauty at Seventeen. When she isn't draping her cheeks in blush, you can probably find her live-tweeting awards shows or making SwiftToks.  

Tamara Fuentes is the current Entertainment Editor at Cosmopolitan , where she covers TV, movies, books, celebrities, and more. She can often be found in front of a screen fangirling about something new. Before joining Cosmopolitan , she was the entertainment editor over at Seventeen . She is also a member of the Television Critics Association and the Latino Entertainment Journalists Association. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram . 

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• Thursday, April 4, 2024
• Buyer's Guide

The Best road trip songs 2021 List: A Comprehensive Top 10 Comparison

Curious about the universe of unparalleled road trip songs 2021 options? Us too. That’s why we’re here to provide guidance. Our comprehensive research has paved the path for you. By subjecting products from reputable brands to rigorous testing, we’ve distilled excellence into our meticulously chosen top 10 revelations.

The journey to discovering the perfect product can be likened to navigating a labyrinth amidst the multitude of options. A profound understanding of your specific needs, coupled with considerations like cost, quality, and performance, is pivotal.

Equipped with these insights, you can confidently navigate the intricate web of choices before you. The marketplace offers a myriad of alternatives, demanding thorough scrutiny.

In our relentless pursuit of uncovering the ultimate road trip songs 2021, our journey directs us to Vintage Music for Road Trips . This exceptional choice embodies quintessential benchmarks: materials, quality, durability, longevity, and performance.

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Hasbro Gaming Trivial Pursuit Mini Packs Multipack, Fun Trivia Questions for Adults and Teens Ages 16+, Includes 4 Game Featuring 4 Decades

• TRIVIA THROUGH THE DECADES: This Trivial Pursuit Game Mini Packs Multipack includes 4 different game packs, giving you 4 decades of trivia questions from the 80s, 90s, 2000s, and 2010s
• TAKE IT TO GO: Because each pack includes cards only, they're great games for parties, road trips, and camping — you don't need a table or a lot of space to play. Each game is for 2 or more players
• QUICK AND EASY GAMES: With each of these fun trivia games, if a player answers the question correctly, they keep the trivia card — it just takes 5 cards to win
• FUN TRIVIA QUESTIONS: Do you remember events, trends, fads, entertainment, and more from years past. Each pack includes 80 cards, and features 240 engaging and fun questions about a different decade
• TRIVIA GAMES FOR ADULTS AND TEENS: The Trivial Pursuit Mini Pack Multipack includes 4 games are great for teens and adults ages 16 and up who love trivia and quiz games about pop culture

At the Closing Stage

In conclusion, before you make a purchase, take a moment to reflect on its true necessity. While shopping can be enjoyable, it’s crucial to consider whether the item genuinely enhances your life. To avoid unnecessary expenses, evaluate the product’s value against its cost.

Remember, you’re not obligated to buy something simply because it’s on sale or highly rated. However, equipped with a clear understanding of the optimal road trip songs 2021, you now possess the most effective strategies to acquire it.

Therefore, set your sights on obtaining the finest product available in the market and strike a favorable deal that resonates seamlessly with your needs.

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The best things to do this weekend in San Diego: April 12-14

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Here are some of the best things to do this weekend in San Diego from Friday, April 12 to Sunday, April 14.

Disney On Ice presents Mickey’s Search Party: Disney characters such as Tinker Bell, Captain Hook, Elsa, Miguel and Buzz Lightyear will take to the ice for a magic quest with Mickey Mouse. 7 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m.; 3 and 7 p.m. Saturday; 1 and 5 p.m. Sunday. Pechanga Arena San Diego, 3500 Sports Arena Blvd., San Diego. Tickets start at $20. disneyonice.com/mickeys-search-party/san-diego-ca-pechanga-arena-san-diego

“Brat”: Bocón theater company presents a new play by Wendy Maples inspired by the true stories of children who grow up in military families, who are known as “military brats.” The show will be presented in multiple locations, including at schools and on-base at Camp Pendleton. 7 p.m. tonight and Saturday at Light Box Theater, 2590 Truxtun Road, No. 205, Liberty Station. 7 p.m. April 26 at Trinity Theatre Co., Mission Valley mall, 1640 Camino Del Rio North, Suite 129, San Diego. Admission is free but reservations requested at tickettailor.com/events/bocon .

“Stew”: Scripps Ranch Theatre & Common Ground Theatre present Zora Howard’s 2021 Pulitzer Prize finalist play about three generations of Black women sharing stories, hopes and sorrows as they prepare stew for a church event. 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; 2 p.m. Sundays. plus 2 p.m. April 20. Through April 21. Legler-Benbough Theatre, Alliant International University, 9783 Avenue of Nations, San Diego. $29-$49. (858) 578-7728, scrippsranchtheatre.org

“The Harvest”: OnStage Playhouse opens its 40th season with Samuel D. Hunter’s drama about a group of evangelical missionaries facing questions of faith, family and the future on the eve of a missionary trip to the Middle East. 8 p.m. today and Saturday; 5 p.m. Sunday. 291 Third Ave., Chula Vista. $15-$25. (619) 422-7787, onstageplayhouse.org

“Artistic Alchemy: Abstract Innovations”: Studio Door Gallery presents a group show of work by eight San Diego artists. Opening reception: 6-9 p.m. tonight. Runs through April 27. 3867 Fourth Ave., Hillcrest. thestudiodoor.com

Rose Muralikrishnan and the Muralikrishnans Carnatic Quartet: Center for World Music will present a concert of South Indian classical music. 7:30 p.m. tonight. La Jolla Community Center, 6811 La Jolla Blvd. $40-$55 . (619) 363-3007, centerforworldmusic.org

SDSU baseball white out game: The Aztecs will play UNLV and the first 500 fans will receive free rally towels. 6 p.m. Saturday. Tony Gwnn Stadium, Plaza Deportes, San Diego. ticketmaster.com/sdsu-aztec-baseball-tickets/artist/1548893?list_view=1&brand=sdathletics

Taste of Hillcrest: More than 25 Hillcrest restaurants will offer samples of food or drinks along a self-guided walking tour of the neighborhood. Participants can check in on the east side at the Hillcrest Business Association (1601 University Ave.) or on the west side at the US Bank building at Fifth and University avenues. Follow the orange and white balloons to find participating locations. Noon to 4 p.m. Saturday. Hillcrest. $40. fabuloushillcrest.com/taste-of-hillcrest

South Bay Earth Day: Ahead of Earth Day, this South Bay celebration features environmentally friendly, interactive activities. Bring small electronics that need repair to a fix-it clinic, participate in a tie-dye workshop and learn about composting. There will be an artist alley, food trucks, green vendors and a kids zone. 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. Chula Vista Bayfront Park, 980 Marina Way, Chula Vista. Free. southbayearthday.com

Spring Art & Wine Walk: Art lovers can take a stroll among artistic displays in media such as ceramics, photography and painting. A wine garden will feature charcuterie, wine tasting and live acoustic music. 3 to 6 p.m. Saturday. The Forum Carlsbad, 1923 Calle Barcelona, Carlsbad. Free. theforumcarlsbad.com

Living with coyotes: Batiquitos Lagoon will put on a presentation on the natural history of coyotes led by Project Wildlife rehabilitation specialist Kelly Wallace. The talk will cover how coyotes are rehabilitated, their interaction with other predators and how best to coexist with them. The family event is geared to adults and kids, age 12 and older. Registration is required. 10 a.m. Saturday. Nature Center, 7380 Gabbiano Lane, Carlsbad. Free. batiquitoslagoon.org

Barrio Art Crawl: On the second Saturday of every month, the Barrio Logan community hosts an art crawl with special exhibits, food, shopping, live music and other activities celebrating Chicano art and culture. Noon to 8 p.m. Saturday. 2113 Logan Ave., San Diego. instagram.com/barrioartcrawl

Vegan festival: More than 80 vendors will be at the second annual San Diego Vegan Festival on Saturday This free-entry event will have close to 50 of those vendors selling various food, drinks and desserts at Waterfront Park. Some of the plant-based options will include burgers, cookies, cinnamon rolls, dumplings, lumpia, pizza, sushi and tacos. There will also be about 30 vendors selling artwork, clothing, hygiene products, jewelry and more. Other offerings for the day: panel discussions talking about vegan business ownership, vegan recipes and impact of animal rescues. 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday. 1600 Pacific Highway, San Diego. veganinsandiego.com/sdveganfest

Rolando Street Fair: This event celebrates the community of Rolando with live music, a kids zone, a beer garden and over 100 artists, local businesses and other vendors. Visitors can also enjoy food trucks. Bands will play throughout the day with the headliner Western Standard Time Ska Orchestra starting at 4:45 p.m. 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. Rolando Boulevard. Free. $5 for all-day play in the kids zone. rolandocc.org/rolando-street-fair

Culinary festival: The 21st annual Celebrate the Craft returns to the Lodge at Torrey Pines on Sunday. This event showcases chefs, brewers, farmers, wineries and more, offering samples of various food and drinks. Chefs scheduled to attend include Roberto Alcocer, Aly Lyng and JoJo Ruiz. Some of the farmers and food producers at the event will be El Faro Seafood, Golden Door Farms and J.R. Organics Farm. 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday. 11480 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla. $250. lodgetorreypines.com/celebrate-the-craft

Bulls of Sant’Agata Charge Little Italy: This annual car show displays rare and classic Lamborghinis in the heart of Little Italy. Visitors can also enjoy live music while they check out the cars. 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. Sunday. India Street between West Fir and West Grape streets. littleitalysd.com/events/the-bulls-of-santagata-charge-little-italy

San Diego College Band Day: Bands from local colleges and universities will perform with interludes by Raul Prieto Ramirez on the organ. 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Spreckels Organ Pavilion, 2125 Pan American E. Road, San Diego. Free. sdwinds.org/about-4

Duke Windsor ‘Reflections’ in the Gaslamp: Sparks Gallery is exhibiting a 30-year retrospective by San Diego painter Duke Windsor. The works in this show focus on Windsor’s local street scenes. Artist’s reception: 5-8 p.m. Sunday (RSVP required). Runs through April 30. 530 Sixth Ave., Gaslamp Quarter. sparksgallery.com

“Sirocco”: Cellist Abel Selaocoe & Manchester Collective present a diverse mix of African music, Danish folk songs and classical works. 7 p.m. Sunday. Baker-Baum Concert Hall, Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center, 7600 Fay Ave., La Jolla. $43-$78. theconrad.org

Tifereth Israel Community Orchestra: TICO presents Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5 and Beethoven’s Fifth Piano Concerto “The Emperor.” 3 p.m. Sunday; 7:30 p.m. Tuesday. Tifereth Israel Synagogue, 6660 Cowles Mountain Blvd., San Diego. $10-$25. tissd.org

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