Road trip songs

Disc 1: What songs should start a road trip?

Start a road trip with upbeat, windows-down songs like Life Is a Highway by Tom Cochrane, On the Road Again by Willie Nelson and Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen. Nobody minds a cliché in the first hour.

1. 01Life Is a HighwayTom Cochrane · 1991The obvious opener for a reason.
2. 02On the Road AgainWillie Nelson · 1980Easy country shuffle about loving life on the road.
3. 03Born to RunBruce Springsteen · 1975Wall-of-sound escape anthem. Floor it.
4. 04Go Your Own WayFleetwood MacDriving guitars and a break-up turned road song.
5. 05Take It EasyEagles · 1972Laid-back highway rock. Sets the pace for the day.
6. 06Send Me On My WayRusted RootPercussive and joyful, made for leaving town.
7. 07Mr. Blue SkyElectric Light OrchestraSunshine in orchestral pop form.
8. 08Here I Go AgainWhitesnakePower-ballad defiance for the open road.
9. 09RoamThe B-52'sA song about roaming, with harmonies that carry.
10. 10Shut Up and DriveRihanna · 2007Car metaphors all the way down. Pure energy.
11. 11Walking on SunshineKatrina and the WavesHorns and pure good mood.
12. 12Highway to HellAC/DC · 1979Tongue-in-cheek and loud. The rock fan’s departure.

Disc 2: What are good songs for long highway miles?

Long, steady songs suit the highway miles, like Fast Car by Tracy Chapman, Radar Love by Golden Earring and Ventura Highway by America. Classic rock and folk carry the stretch where the scenery repeats.

13. 13Fast CarTracy Chapman · 1988A story song about getting out. Patient and powerful.
14. 14Radar LoveGolden Earring · 1973The ultimate night-driving rock song, though it works in daylight too.
15. 15Born to Be WildSteppenwolf · 1968Motorcycle rock, made for the open road.
16. 16Ventura HighwayAmerica · 1972Breezy acoustic harmonies. Windows down.
17. 17GracelandPaul Simon · 1986A road trip to Memphis with South African guitar.
18. 18Free Fallin'Tom Petty · 1989Cruising the valley. Everyone sings the chorus.
19. 19Truckin'Grateful Dead · 1970A long, strange trip in song form.
20. 20Ramble OnLed Zeppelin · 1969Acoustic verses, heavy chorus, all about moving on.
21. 21Long Train Runnin'The Doobie Brothers · 1973A groove that rolls like wheels on tarmac.
22. 22Running on EmptyJackson BrowneLife on the road, honest and steady.
23. 23Slow RideFoghat · 1975Starts slow, speeds up. Keep an eye on the speedometer.
24. 24Midnight RiderThe Allman Brothers Band · 1970Southern rock about keeping on moving.

Disc 3: What are the best road trip sing-alongs?

The best road trip sing-alongs are songs everyone knows, like Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen, Don’t Stop Believin’ by Journey and Sweet Caroline by Neil Diamond. Save this disc for the slump after lunch.

25. 25Bohemian RhapsodyQueen · 1975Six minutes, every part a different sing-along.
26. 26Don't Stop Believin'Journey · 1981The car sing-along. Nobody skips it.
27. 27Livin' on a PrayerBon Jovi · 1986Wait for the key change.
28. 28Sweet CarolineNeil Diamond · 1969Everybody knows the horn part.
29. 29AfricaToto · 1982Soft-rock earworm with a chorus made for a full car.
30. 30Take Me Home, Country RoadsJohn Denver · 1971Gentle enough for the whole family to join.
31. 31I Want It That WayBackstreet Boys · 1999Peak boy band. The back seat will know every word.
32. 32Dancing QueenABBA · 1976Instant mood lift for hour three.
33. 33Shake It OffTaylor Swift · 2014Bouncy and easy to sing, kids included.
34. 34Wagon WheelOld Crow Medicine Show · 2004A road-trip song about hitchhiking south. Fiddle and all.
35. 35Total Eclipse of the HeartBonnie Tyler · 1983Overblown in the best way. Assign parts.
36. 36Mr. BrightsideThe KillersFast and frantic. The whole car will shout it.

Disc 4: What should you play on a night drive?

Night-drive songs should be moody but awake enough to keep the driver alert, like Midnight City by M83, Nightcall by Kavinsky and Drive by The Cars. Headlights, empty highway, half the car asleep.

37. 37Midnight CityM83 · 2011City lights and synths. Made for night driving.
38. 38NightcallKavinskyDark synthwave from the Drive soundtrack.
39. 39Night MovesBob Seger · 1976Nostalgic, slow-building and reflective.
40. 40DriveThe Cars · 1984A soft, eerie ballad. Calm for the late shift.
41. 41The Boys of SummerDon Henley · 1984Wistful 80s synths about a summer that’s gone.
42. 42Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God)Kate Bush · 1985Pulsing and urgent. Keeps you awake.
43. 43Dancing in the DarkBruce Springsteen · 1984Restless synth-rock for the restless hours.
44. 44Blinding LightsThe Weeknd · 201980s-style synth drive, built for an empty highway.
45. 45Everybody Wants to Rule the WorldTears for Fears · 1985Steady, shuffling groove. Perfect cruising tempo.
46. 46Riders on the StormThe Doors · 1971Rain, electric piano and a long dark road.
47. 47HeroesDavid Bowie · 1977Slow-building and huge. Keeps the driver awake and the mood up.
48. 48Electric FeelMGMTFunky and woozy. A gentle late-night pick-me-up.

Disc 5: What songs should end a road trip?

End a road trip with songs about home, arriving and endings, like Homeward Bound by Simon & Garfunkel, Home by Phillip Phillips and Holiday Road by Lindsey Buckingham. Time the last track for your street.

49. 49Homeward BoundSimon & GarfunkelWishing you were home. The obvious turn for the last stretch.
50. 50HomePhillip Phillips · 2012Stomping folk-pop about making a home with someone.
51. 51Learning to FlyTom Petty and the Heartbreakers · 1991Steady and hopeful, about coming down easy.
52. 52Holiday RoadLindsey Buckingham · 1983The National Lampoon’s Vacation theme. Short, silly, perfect.
53. 53Sweet Home AlabamaLynyrd Skynyrd · 1974Turn it up for the last few exits.
54. 54Here Comes the SunThe Beatles · 1969Sunrise music for the final morning.
55. 55Wide Open SpacesThe Chicks · 1998About leaving home and finding room to grow.
56. 56Rivers and RoadsThe Head and the HeartAbout missing the people you’ve driven away from.
57. 57This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)Talking Heads · 1983A love song about home. Warm and simple.
58. 58The Long and Winding RoadThe Beatles · 1970A slow piano ballad for the last winding miles.
59. 59Closing TimeSemisonic · 1998Every ending is a new beginning. Last track material.

How do you make CDs for the car?

Make car CDs as audio CDs on CD-R blanks, each under 80 minutes, because audio CDs play in nearly every car stereo. A few more things we’ve learned from burning a lot of car CDs:

• Burn an audio CD, not an MP3 disc, if you’re not sure what the car plays. Audio CDs work in nearly every car stereo; MP3 discs only work in players that say so. Our guide to CD-R, CD-RW and MP3 CDs explains the difference.
• Use CD-R, not CD-RW. Many older car players can’t read rewritable discs.
• Keep each disc under 80 minutes, about 18 to 22 songs. Our guide to how many songs fit on a CD has the math.
• Choose clean or explicit up front. If kids or grandparents are riding along, ask for clean versions. This list is mostly clean.
• Label the discs. Write the disc number and name on the case so the passenger can find Disc 3 without taking their eyes off the map. Our free CD case template prints a tracklist for each.
• Keep them out of direct sun. A dashboard in summer is hard on any disc. Store them in their cases in the glovebox or door pocket.

For picking and ordering the songs themselves, see our guide to making a mixtape.

Heading out soon? Our Road Trip CD Set is five discs, about six and a half hours. Send us your road trip playlist and we’ll burn it, test-play every disc and post them to you.

Making it a gift? Our gifts for music lovers has more ideas to pair with it, and our songs for your best friend make a good bonus disc for a friends’ trip.