Road trips require a particular kind of playlist. Certain songs feel at home on the open road. It might not even be your taste on a typical day, but to evoke some model roadtripper, you have to listen to a distinctive set of songs. Most of the time, these songs end up being throwbacks. The three songs below were familiar faces on road trip cassettes and have now made their way to CDs and MP3s. Whatever your listening method, these rock songs are definitely worth adding to your travel playlist.
Videos by American Songwriter
“Runnin’ Down a Dream” (Tom Petty)
Tom Petty‘s “Runnin’ Down a Dream” is the quintessential road trip song. Though we might not all be hitting the highway going from show to show every night, a good road trip can give you the same feeling as a rocker on the edge of fame. If you really want to cement that fantasy on your next trek, this is the song you want on your playlist.
Petty has several songs that would be shoo-ins for this list. His music has become synonymous with the U.S., making him the perfect inclusion, wherever your travels take you. Whether you’re headed out west or east or anything in between, Petty has just the song for you.
“Against the Wind” (Bob Seger)
Like Petty, Bob Seger is a quintessential figure in U.S. music. Bolstering the “heartland rock” movement, Seger’s music evokes the natural backdrop of scenes one might see outside their car window on a road trip.
“Against the Wind” is the perfect Seger song to add to your road trip playlist. The lyrics discuss escaping the past and overcoming regrets. While there are many reasons for a road trip, escapism is a popular choice. If that’s the state you find yourself in during your road trip, this Seger song should be on repeat.
“Roll with the Changes” (REO Speedwagon)
If you want to prompt a sing-along during your road trip, this REO Speedwagon rock classic is the song for you. With its wiry guitars and anthemic choruses, “Roll with the Changes” is impossible to ignore when it comes on. Even if you didn’t know the song going into it, you’ll be singing along by the second chorus.
“Roll with the Changes” might be dated, but it’s retro in a comforting and repeatable way. Whether this song reminds you of childhood or is simply a throwback anthem you’ve come to love on your own, “Roll with the Changes” is a must-listen for roadtrippers.
(Photo by Jerod Harris/Getty Images)
Leave a Reply
Only members can comment. Become a member. Already a member? Log in.