Windows down, sunglasses on, tank (or battery) full, and no real time constraints or ETA. Sounds like a tempting invitation for an impromptu road trip.
If only you had a killer soundtrack that could make that stretch of highway feel like a spiritual experience …
Well, if you continue scrolling down, you’ll get just that. I’ve consulted the crack scientists who work behind the scenes at this newsletter, and they’ve come up with this list of 17 songs that make every road trip better.
Just joking. Not about the songs making your next road trip better, but about the scientists. I don’t have the money to retain a staff that wears lab coats. I wish I did, but today isn’t that day.
Anyway, when I say songs that add a certain something to your next driving session, I’m talking about tracks that earn their stripes by how they move. Driving is, to some degree, all about rhythm, and every song on this list delivers that full-tilt energy and that unexplainable “hell yes” that happens when you hit play and see nothing but the blacktop in front of you.
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In no particular order, let’s begin:
1. “Born to Run” by Bruce Springsteen
You could make a compelling case that “Born to Run” is the road trip rock anthem. From that operatic opening rush of drums and horns, you’re instantly thrust into the mindset of an aural jailbreak. Of chasing someone or something better, in a sense. The lyrics, obsessed with the romance of escapism, give you hope that whatever freedom you’re after is just a few more miles up the road.
Even if you never quite get to that horizon point, this song will make you feel like you’re picking up speed on the way there.
2. “Go Your Own Way” by Fleetwood Mac
Another song about escaping, but under entirely different circumstances, “Go Your Own Way” establishes tension and emotional unpredictability out of the gate. The buoyancy of the central rhythm and Lindsey Buckingham’s guitar work in particular give this track a ton of energy in spite of how bitter and agonizing the lyrics are. It’s among the most invigorating breakup ballads ever written, if that makes any sense.
You could do a lot worse than throwing all of Rumors on for a long-haul drive, but if there’s one song off its tracklist that merits consideration for this list, it’s this one.
3. “Radar Love” by Golden Earring
“Radar Love” is a song about driving (to answer a potentially unspoken booty call, essentially), but what makes it brilliant is that it sounds like the Dutch band is burning up a stretch of highway as they play it. The rhythm locks you in from the first few notes, while the breakdown and build-up in the middle section channel the pulse and pace of late-night cruise control like few others can.
Fun fact: “Radar Love” was also named the No. 1 driving song of all time in Australia, beating out not one but two AC/DC songs along the way. If that’s not a sign of greatness, I don’t know what is.
4. “Sausalito Summernight” by Diesel
A relatively obscure track from Diesel, “Sausalito Summernight,” was a staple of night shift rock radio when I was a teen growing up in Canada (not coincidentally, it went to No. 1 there in September 1981). I’ve always had a soft spot for that looping, dreamy guitar riff and sun-soaked harmonies, which make up for the songwriting not making much sense.
Does their car make it to San Francisco? Why do they even stop in Sausalito, which is technically further north than Frisco? None of it matters, I suppose, but I have questions nonetheless.
5. “Edge of Seventeen” by Stevie Nicks
Between that iconic guitar intro and Stevie Nicks’ incantatory wail, can you ask for anything more in a driving anthem?
If you distill this song into its individual elements, there’s not actually that much going on in terms of ebb and flow here. The riff doesn’t modulate, nor does Nicks strive for any modicum of nuance in terms of delivery. But that’s the point. This one cuts through the noise of your world and helps you zone out, providing a hypnotic listening experience.
6. “Jessica” by The Allman Brothers Band
Not all road trip driving anthems are pedal-to-the-metal rock songs. Sometimes, the best vibes come from the gentler hits that hit the sweet spot between propulsive and poetic. The Allman Brothers’ “Jessica” is one such song, featuring a crisp instrumental that hums with momentum and musical sunshine.
As fun as it is to sing along to songs on a road trip, some tracks don’t need lyrics to get their freeing message across. Feel free to turn this one up and get lost in its beauty.
7. “Interstate Love Song” by Stone Temple Pilots
Like “Go Your Own Way,” this Stone Temple Pilots classic buries its remorse and resentment under a shimmery acoustic intro that builds to one of the band’s most recognizable melodies. Scott Weiland’s vocal tone adds complexity to the tone, walking a tightrope between nostalgia and loneliness, full of unresolved emotional notes that may sound even more cathartic if you’re unpacking them while watching the road fade into the distance.
I’m not going to say “Interstate Love Song” is the best driving song of the 90s, but I’m also not not going to say that.
8. “Take It Easy” by Eagles
Next-level world-building isn’t restricted to MCU types who take 57 films to lay the groundwork for umpteen sequels or whatever. In rock, vivid backstory and atmosphere can be created in just a few lines. The first verse of “Take It Easy” is a top-notch example of this writing dynamic in action (shout out to Glenn Frey, who also takes on the lead vocals, and Jackson Browne, the two scribes behind this one).
In four lines, the protagonist establishes the setting (long-haul drive with no destination in mind), the dramatic conflict (the seven women on his mind for various reasons), and infuses all that with suspense (what direction will he take, literally and figuratively). Pay attention, aspiring hitmakers: that’s how it’s done.
9. “Running Down a Dream” by Tom Petty
Is there a more casual-sounding rock and roll hero than the late Tom Petty? The Florida native was one of his generation's most prolific songwriters and performers, partly because none of the sentiment behind his songs ever sounded forced. That’s especially true of “Running Down a Dream,” a bold-faced anthem perfect for a drive that helps you go “wherever it leads,” to paraphrase the chorus.
Fun fact: Mike Campbell’s nearly two-minute closing guitar solo was recorded in a single take. Talk about effortless-sounding …
10. “Where the Streets Have No Name” by U2
I wrote about my relationship with The Joshua Tree in my U2 studio album ranking series, so I won’t repeat any of those opinions here. Instead, I’ll highlight the widescreen intro that transitions into that spiraling guitar interplay from the Edge, a sequence that ranks among my favorite moments of any song on this list.
By the time the song fully kicks in and Bono’s voice reaches for the heavens, your road trip goes from vibrant to spiritual. It sounds corny, but speaking from experience, I can’t deny the effect it can have on an open-road session.
11. “Life’s Been Good” by Joe Walsh
This Joe Walsh rock radio staple is an odd bit of smirking satire. It’s so loose in its strut that you can’t help but get sucked in by its laid-back charm. His delivery is all shrugging absurdity, but that doesn’t mean this track has no substance, either. Behind that facade and the midtempo rhythm that frames it, there’s some genuine soul-searching about the rock star lifestyle.
Also, if you’re into Walsh’s vibes here, please check out my favorite track of his, “Rocky Mountain Way.”
12. “Lust for Life” by Iggy Pop
I wrote about this Iggy Pop classic back in 2024, so I invite you to click over to that article to catch up on the backstory and significance in the context of his career. But, history aside, this track merits inclusion on every road trip playlist for its kick-down-the-door drums and a central groove that’s a major shot of adrenaline.
If this one doesn’t get you going, check your pulse por favor.
13. “Kickstart My Heart” by Mötley Crüe
Inspired by Nikki Sixx’s actual heroin overdose in 1987, this glam-metal scorcher is more than enough to resurrect the most catatonic of road trip vibes. If this one screams out of your car’s stereo, it’s basically an invitation to speed. The song practically dares you to. I’m not sure that will be enough of an excuse to talk your way out of a ticket, but it should be.
Mötley Crüe gets a lot of flak for their inherent cheesiness, and most of the time it’s well-earned. But, in specific scenarios, including your next road trip, its excessive nature is a big part of the fun. Reckless fun, but fun all the same.
14. “Baba O’Riley” by The Who
There’s a reason “Baba O’Riley” is played during several OMG-did-that-just-happen movie or TV show scenes. From those swirling synths to the power chord cut-to-black ending, this Who track is a classic that’s endured for more than a half-century for a reason. The adolescent angst and world-weary acceptance of the world at its worst (or most thrilling, depending on your point of view) gives this song its primary, universally understood emotional tension.
Plus, who doesn’t enjoy screaming the phrase “teenage wasteland” out an open car window?
15. “Hate to Say I Told You So” by The Hives
Let’s close with something snotty, punchy, and built like a slingshot.
This garage-rock banger from Swedish outfit The Hives delivers swagger and speed in equal measure, sporting a relentlessness that never lets up and, at a certain point, becomes addictive if you’re behind the wheel. It's the kind of track that would inspire a 10-minute detour simply because it would feel like an adventure with this cut as the soundtrack. It’s the kind of song you blast during that final victory lap before your road trip ends.
What’s your essential rock road trip song? Drop it in the comments.