Thanks to the ever-evolving airline industry, taking epic vacations has become easier and more comfortable than ever. But there’s something special about a good old-fashioned road trip.
Hitting the highway for hours or even days on end gives us a chance to get back to the roots of vacations. It takes us back to the days where we’d load up in the family station wagon with a cooler full of drinks and sandwiches and head out for some far-off destination, not knowing what we’d get to experience on the way. While the vehicles on the roads have certainly changed and become far more comfortable—especially for long trips—one thing that hasn’t changed is the need to listen to some good tunes while we’re driving.
There are more great “road songs” than we could possibly include in one article, but what follows is a solid playlist to get you started. We’ll share 15 of some of the greatest road trip songs ever recorded, as well as take a look at how you can build your very own road trip playlist on Spotify.
Make sure your smartphone is charged and you have the latest version of the Spotify app because you’re gonna love this awesome road trip playlist!
Few songs will have you more pumped to hit the open road than the 1982 classic “Here I Go Again” by Whitesnake. This is one of those songs you just can’t help but sing along to, and not in a shy way. Pump your fist, belt out the lyrics, and who cares what the dude in the Kia next to you thinks about it? Even if a road trip isn’t in your future, there’s no reason you can’t do a cartwheel between a couple of cars while listening to this one.
Quite possibly the greatest southern rock song ever recorded, “Sweet Home Alabama” instantly lights a fire that only an epic road trip can extinguish. It doesn’t matter if you’re rolling through swamp country or not, Lynyrd Skynyrd (and specifically “Sweet Home Alabama”) is a soundtrack that’s just begging for the open road.
Let’s not forget that some of the drivers on the road aren’t there for pleasure—it’s part of their job. So, here’s one for the truck drivers who keep our stores stocked with the goods that we use every day. “Truckin” by the Grateful Dead is such an important part of Americana that the Library of Congress has actually recognized it as a national treasure. Bluesy folk songs are best heard while cruising on the open road, and this tune definitely delivers. Sometimes, we take a road trip to get away from the chaos of everyday life, and that just so happens to be what this song is all about.
Sometimes we take a road trip simply because the prospect of an unknown adventure is the only thing to keep us from going insane. That’s what “Take It Easy” by The Eagles is all about. With any luck, you might just run into a girl (my lord!) in a flatbed Ford, slowing down to take a look at you! Be careful if you listen to this one on your way to work, because it might just be enough to make you blow past your exit and keep on driving!
When one particular route is so epic that they write a song about it, you can bet it belongs on a road trip soundtrack. Chuck Berry’s “Route 66” is not only a catchy tune about America’s most famous road, but it’s also an important geography lesson, as well. If driving Route 66 in its entirety, from Chicago to L.A., isn’t on your bucket list, it should be. This road trip playlist will get you started, but you’re going to need a lot more tunes to make it all the way!
Some songs just bring a smile to your face, and “Going Up The Country” by Canned Heat is probably one of them. It might not be an obvious choice for a road trip soundtrack, but we think you’ll agree that it should be. The song was dubbed by many as the official anthem of Woodstock, so it can certainly serve as the anthem for an epic road trip.
In another entry full of geography lessons, Johnny Cash’s “I’ve Been Everywhere” could keep you on the road for weeks in an effort to visit each of the 91 locations the Man in Black mentions during this three-minute song. If ever there was a true American road song, this would be it!
If you ask most people which Allman Brothers song should go on a road trip playlist, most would say “Ramblin Man.” While it’s a great choice, our money is on “Midnight Rider.” To us, it’s a catchier song. But be warned, catch this one just right and there’s a chance you’ll blow your voice out singing along.
Some of us are just happier when we’re on the open road. If you’re that kind of person, too, then Willie Nelson’s “On the Road Again” is our anthem! If ever there was a song to inspire one to drop everything they were doing and just get the hell out of town, this is it. The song was a hit in 1980 when it was released, and as a road song, it’s just as powerful today.
This one comes with a rule: If you’re going to play “Runnin’ Down A Dream” by Tom Petty, you must turn your car’s stereo all the way up. It’s the only way to listen to this one. Tom Petty has released plenty of songs that could go on a road trip playlist, but this one is the best.
Not all road trips happen in a car. If you prefer two-wheel trips over four, this one’s for you! Steppenwolf’s “Born to be Wild” was the title track on the cult classic Easy Rider. Talk about a road trip! “Born to be Wild” is just as powerful today as it was when it was released. It’s a rebellious biker song that lets everyone know that you’re meant to be on the road, and nothing’s gonna get in your way.
This one might seem like an obvious choice, but even if the subject matter wasn’t so on-the-nose, you’d still be singing along because the rhythm and chorus are just that catchy. Go ahead—roll your windows down and let the car next to you know what you’re listening to.
If your road trip is long enough, you can just put every John Cougar Mellencamp album ever recorded on your playlist and let it run. Virtually every song is a road trip anthem. However, the undisputed king of Mellencamp road songs is “Jack & Diane.” Whether you’re young and in love or you’re just remembering those days, this song and the open road are guaranteed to create some memories.
If you’re looking for some serious, steering-wheel-pounding potential, Ram Jam’s “Black Betty” will deliver. It doesn’t matter if you’re not 100% sure what the lyrics are, exactly. Crank up the volume and belt out whatever you think the lyrics are. If you’re confident, you’re right.
After all that rocking, rolling, and driving, it can help to listen to something a little more on the mellow side. “The Joker” by The Steve Miller Band is the perfect break before moving on to your next hard-hitting road trip playlist. Whether you’re a picker, a grinner, a lover, or a sinner, this one is impossible not to sing along to!
