Road trips are exciting and fun to say the least, but sometimes you need a little more than the radio or your passenger and their sing-a-long to their headphones to keep you company on those long, endless stretches of open road.
We know that breakdown cover, plenty of water and a spare tyre all come top of the list when it comes to planning the epic adventure, but a good selection of power ballads, rock ‘n’ roll and classic cheese are the only way to save your sanity when 600 miles of driving lie ahead of you.
So here we have it, our definitive guide to on-the-move karaoke, air guitar and scream-your-heart-out-with-the-windows-down songs.
Cake – The Distance
A slow and heavy bass-guitar driven tune with heavy drum beats and a rockin’ guitar solo. Throw in some trumpets and Cake’s specialty of not-singing-not-rapping to music and you’ve got yourself a tune that will make you want to put down the roof and push the pedal to the ground.
Steppenwolf – Born to be Wild
You have to play this at least once a day, if not more, to give yourself the sense of adventure and freedom that only becomes real on a road trip. Wind down the windows as you roar through sleepy towns to let the locals know what you’re all about.
Chuck Berry – No Particular Place to go
“…Riding along in my automobile” – what better song is there for road-tripping? No particular place to go is the best motto for road trips with no plan and itinerary. Some good old fashioned guitar music will get you through the slumps of enthusiasm you’re bound to get from time to time when behind the wheel.
Deep Blue Something – Breakfast at Tiffany’s
A feel good tune for groggy mornings when the night before was rough in more ways than one and a strong cup of coffee or three aren’t enough. This classic pick-me-up will get you through the roughest of days, as well as make nights by the fire with an acoustic guitar unforgettable.
Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody
Recreate the infamous scene from Wayne’s World with the ultimate song. Think of the endless fun you’ll have when harmonising your way down winding country lanes, air guitaring through the city streets of Paris or screaming after a bottle of vodka with your new friends in that bar in some odd town in Uzbekistan.
Rusted Root – Send me on my way
This feel-good tune will bring back nostalgic feeling of those teenage years and endless summers of fun. Turn this up when the sun is shining and you can’t get that smile off your face.
U2 – Beautiful Day
Sing loud and sing proud to this road-trip must – any day on the road is a beautiful day, whether it be the sun beating down, the people you meet or the food you taste. This is the song to inspire road trippers across the globe: “See the world in green and blue. See China right in front of you. See the canyons broken by cloud. See the tuna fleets clearing the sea out.”
Johnny Cash – All
It was too difficult to choose the best driving song by Johnny Cash, so we decided that no road trip playlist is complete without the whole Cash discography. If the whole get-up isn’t your thing, don’t leave home without I’ve Been Everywhere on at least 3 of the CDs you make.
Hanson – MMMBop
Maximise your guilty pleasure of the 90s with the king of cheesy music. Your passengers may protest at first, but as soon as they hear those first chords being played they’ll start to sing and grin like they did when MMMBop first came out in 1997. Mix in some Spice Girls and you might be pushing it a little too far though…
