Looking for great songs about cars and driving? Add these hits about hitting the road to your driving playlist.
tL;dR:
Some of the best songs about driving include:
“Cruisin’” by Smokey Robinson
“Low Rider” by War
“I Drove All Night” by Roy Orbison or the 2003 cover of “I Drove All Night” by Celine Dion
“MONACO” by Bad Bunny
“Milwaukee, Here I Come” by Dolly Parton and Porter Wagoner
For a longer list of songs about driving or to skip straight to listening, check out this Spotify playlist.
Hitting the Road? Here Are Some of The Best Songs About Driving and Cars
What you listen to can make or break a long drive. One way to set the mood and get off on the right foot? A great playlist of songs about driving, road trips, getting out of dodge, and cars. Here are some top hits and lesser known picks to help you have a great drive, organized alphabetically by song title.
For the purposes of this list, “By:” lists the performing artist, not the songwriter(s).
1. Bright Side of the Road
By: Van Morrison
Year: 1979
Genre: Folk
This peppy, harmonica-heavy song invites an old lover to fall back in love as they move from “the dark end of the street to the bright side of the road.”
2. Cruisin’
By: Smokey Robinson
Year: 1979
Genre: R&B/Soul
Cruisin’ is a smooth, chill love song that’ll have you gently swaying in your seat. Smokey Robinson invites the listener to “cruise away from here” and croons that “cruisin’ is made for love.”
3. Diesel Smoke, Dangerous Curves
By: Red Simpson
Year: 1967
Genre: Country
Diesel Smoke, Dangerous Curves is a fast-paced trucker song about the dangers of a long, winding road at the end of a long day.
4. drivers license
By: Olivia Rodrigo
Year: 2021
Genre: Indie/Power Pop
If you're looking for more of an angsty, heartbroken driving vibe, Olivia Rodrigo’s driving power pop break-up song about driving by an ex’s suburban house made a big splash when it came out in 2021 for good reason.
5. End of the Line
By: The Traveling Wilburys
Year: 1988
Genre: Folk Rock
The Traveling Wilburys was a supergroup that included Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Jeff Lynne, Roy Orbison, and Tom Petty, and End of the Line – where they sing “Well, it's all right riding around in the breeze, well, it's all right if you live the life you please” – offers a catchy hook worthy of the collected big names.
6. Fast Car
By: Tracy Chapman
Year: 1988
Genre: Folk
Fast Car is a sad song with powerful lyrics about getting away and an unforgettable tune that’s stood the test of time, with many covers and remixes making it big in the past few years – but the original version is still incomparable.
7. Freedom
By: Beyoncé featuring Kendrick Lamar
Year: 2016
Genre: Contemporary R&B/Gospel Rock
Freedom, off Beyoncé’s 2016 album “Lemonade,” may not technically be about driving, but is a great song for making a break for it and hitting the open road.
8. Get Ready
By: The Temptations
Year: 1966
Genre: R&B/Soul
Get Ready is a perfectly joyful Motown hit for those driving with a mission. Get ready to sing along, “Get ready, here I come!”
9. Heads Carolina, Tails California
By: Jo Dee Messina
Year: 1996
Genre: Country
On the flip side, if you’re driving with a plan to just get lost, the pop country song Heads Carolina, Tails California can be your anthem as you go anywhere the road leads you.
10. Holiday Road
By: Lindsey Buckingham
Year: 1983
Genre: Pop Rock
Holiday Road was written by Lindsey Buckingham of Fleetwood Mac for the 1983 movie “National Lampoon’s Vacation,” then got re-used in most of the subsequent “Vacation” movies, meaning for many it’s inextricably linked to the idea of a zany, if not always successful, family road trip.
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11. I Drove All Night
By: Celine Dion
Year: 2003
Genre: Dance Pop
Originally written for and performed by Roy Orbison in the late ‘80s/early ‘90s, the 2003 Celine Dion dance cover gave new, higher BPM life to the catchy song about driving overnight to a lover.
12. Life is a Highway
By: Rascal Flatts
Year: 2006
Genre: Country Rock
Originally released in 1991 by Canadian musician Tom Cochrane, Life is a Highway became maybe the singular quintessential road trip song when it was popularized in 2006 by Rascal Flatts when it was featured on the soundtrack for the Pixar movie “Cars.”
13. Little Red Corvette
By: Prince
Year: 1999
Genre: R&B/Soul
The titular little red corvette in this song might be mostly a metaphor, but if you’re a Prince lover, this song is a must for when you’re ready to drive just a little too fast (not that Auto Approve condones that! Drive safe).
14. Low Rider
By: War
Year: 1975
Genre: Funk
Hit the road in funky style with this driving classic about someone driving a lowrider – a hot rod, or vintage car with a souped up engine.
15. Milwaukee, Here I Come
By: Dolly Parton and Porter Wagoner
Year: 1969
Genre: Country
There have been many versions of Milwaukee, Here I Come, a song first recorded in 1968 by George Jones and Brenda Carter, but the zippy version by Dolly Parton and Porter Wagoner makes the best driving song thanks to its more fun, bouncy sound.
16. Mónaco
By: Bad Bunny
Year: 2023
Genre: Latin Trap
Mónaco has a sort of James Bond-y sound that makes it a great night driving pick. Bad Bunny sings about wealth and luxury through lyrics about Monaco and F1 racers.
17. Mustang Sally
By: Wilson Pickett
Year: 1965
Genre: R&B/Soul
Another absolutely iconic driving song, Mustang Sally is a spiritual precursor to Little Red Corvette with a solid groove.
18. On the Road Again
By: Willie Nelson
Year: 1980
Genre: Country
On the Road Again is a classic country song all about the pleasures of hitting the road with a band of friends, written by Nelson for the 1980 movie Honeysuckle Rose (which he starred in as a struggling, aging musician).
19. Proud Mary
By: Tina Turner
Year: 1993
Genre: R&B/Rock
Proud Mary was originally written and recorded as a rock song by Creedance Clearwater Revival in 1969, and every version of the song has its merits, but the Tina Turner solo version from her 1993 album What’s Love Got to Do With It?, with its slow build to high octane peak is simply unstoppable. (And yes, it’s technically about a boat, not a car, but if you can resist bopping along to “big wheel keep on turning, Proud Mary keep on burning,” you’re stronger than most.)
20. Thunder Road
By: Bruce Springsteen
Year: 1975
Genre: Rock
No one sings more effectively (or perhaps more at all) about hitting the road and getting away than the Boss himself. While many of his songs make great road trip music, Thunder Road takes the cake for the satisfying moment when Springsteen sings “Roll down the window and let the wind blow back your hair, well, the night's busting open, these two lanes will take us anywhere.” What’s better driving music than that?
Listen to these songs on your next getaway
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