If you are ready for a vacation-and who isn’t after 2020?- you’re going to need music to help get your groove on. Miles and miles of interstate, an awesome road trip playlist, and singing at the top of your lungs. What could be a better way to pass the time? With an upcoming six-hour road trip and a car full of Gen X, Millenial, Gen Z, and Gen Alpha, we have a confusing blend of tastes. There’s not much agreement when one person wants classical, one wants 80’s, and one wants country. I put together some of our favorite songs for each decade, along with some country songs, and just plain good cruising songs. Here are some of the (mostly Pop Hits) Road Trip Playlist favorites on our Spotify playlists we’re blasting (or at least softly crooning) while cruising the highway or back roads.
Awesome Road Trip Playlist
What makes a good playlist? Upbeat songs, songs that you want to sing along to, songs that keep your blood pumping and your eyes open. They also have to last long enough that you don’t have to list to the same song over and over. I’ve included 100 songs which should last around 5 hours.
50s & 60s Songs
- Purple People Eater- Sheb Wooley
- Rock Around the Clock- Bill Haley and the Comets
- Put Your Head on My Shoulder- Paul
- Jailhouse Rock- Elvis Presley
- Tutti-Frutti- Little Richard
- Bad Moon Rising- Credence Clearwater Revival (or Looking Out My Back Door, although it’s a 70s songs)
- Fun, Fun, Fun- The Beach Boys
- Ticket to Ride- The Beetles
- Respect- Aretha Franklin
- Hit the Road, Jack- Andres Trevino
70s Songs
Unfortunately, my favorite 70s Song, Disco Duck by Rick Dees, didn’t make the list.
- Carry on, My Wayward Son- Kansas
- Sweet Home Alabama – Lynyrd Skynyrd
- Hold the Line- Toto
- Life’s Been Good to Me so Far- Joe Walsh
- We Will Rock You, Fat-Bottomed Girls, or Another One Bites the Dust (this one is officially an 80s song)- Queen
- YMCA- Village People
- American Pie- Don McClean
- Take a Chance on Me- Abba
- Escape (The Pina Colada Song)- Rupert Holmes
- Crocodile Rock- Elton John
80s Songs
Since I grew up in the ’80s, these songs have a place near and dear to my heart. Probably not so much for my family who has to listen as I sing along. I could fill up the entire 100 song playlist with 80s Songs so I added 30.
- Girls Just Want to Have Fun- Cyndi Lauper
- Footloose- Kenny Loggins
- Flashdance- Irene Cara
- Ghostbusters- Ray Parker, Jr.
- Living on a Prayer- Bon Jovi
- Rock of Ages- Def Lepard
- Eye of the Tiger- Survivor
- Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go – Wham
- Don’t Stop Believin’- Journey
- Dancing in the Dark- Bruce Springsteen
- Love Shack – The B-52s
- Straight Up – Paula Abdul
- Back To Life – Soul II Soul
- I Love Rock N Roll – Joan Jett & The Blackhearts
- Celebration – Kool and The Gang
- Let the Music Play – Shannon
- Old Time Rock N’ Roll- Bob Seger
- I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me) – Whitney Houston
- You Dropped A Bomb On Me – Gap Band
- You Spin Me Around (Like a Record) – Dead or Alive
- She Drives Me Crazy – Fine Young Cannibals
- Here We Go Again- Whitesnake
- Living In America – James Brown
- Jungle Love- The Time
- New Attitude- Patti Labelle
- Rock You Like A Hurricane- Scorpions
- Nothin’ But a Good Time- Poison
- Rio- Duran Duran
- Africa- Toto
- 1999 – Prince
90s Until Today Songs
90s
- Hakuna Matata- From the Lion King
- Wannabe- The Spice Girls
- Baby One More Time- Brittney Spears
- Ice Ice Baby- Vanilla Ice
- Everybody- Backstreet Boys
2000-2010
- Get This Party Started- Pink
- Disturbia- Rihanna
- Hips Don’t Lie- Shakira
- Thanks fr th Mmrs- Fall Out Boy
- Good Girls Go Bad- Cobra Starship
- Bye Bye Bye -Nsync
- Apologize – Timbaland
- Hey Soul Sister – Train
2010 and Up
- Hall of Fame- The Script
- Just a Dream- Nelly
- Applause- Lady Gaga
- Safe and Sound- Capital Cities
- Last Friday Night – Katie Perry
- Uptown Funk – Bruno Mars & Mark Ronson
- On Top of the World- Imagine Dragons
- Water Under The Bridge- Adele
Kid Road Trip Songs
- Can’t Stop The Feeling – Justin Timberlake
- The Greatest Show – The Greatest Show Ensemble
- Shake it Off- Taylor Swift
- Let It Go – Idina Mezel
- The Lion Sleeps Tonight- The Tokens
- We Didn’t Start The Fire or The River of Dreams- Billy Joel
- High Hopes- Panic at the Disco
Driving Songs
- I’m Gonna Be (500 miles) -The Proclaimers
- Little Red Corvette- Prince
- Little Deuce Coupe- The Beach Boys
- Drive- The Cars
- Move Along- The All-American Rejects
- Get Out of My Dreams (Get into my Car)- Billy Ocean
- Drive-By – Train
- Driver’s License- Olivia Rodrigo
- Holiday Road- Lindsey Buckingham
- Shut Up and Drive – Rihanna
- Life is a Highway – Rascal Flatts
- Take Me Home, Country Roads – John Denver
- On the Road Again – Willie Nelson
- Born to Run – Bruce Springsteen
- Take it Easy – Eagles
- Slow Ride – Foghat
- Low Rider – War
- Driving My Lie Away – Eddie Rabbitt
- Freeway of Love Aretha Franklin
- I Drove All Night – Cyndi Lauper
- I Can’t Drive 55 – Sammy Hagar
- Panama – Van Halen
- Speed – Montgomery Gentry
Like Montgomery Gentry says, “All I need is an open road and a whole lot of speed.” Plus, a few good songs to make the perfect road trip. What’s on your playlist?
