When you’re heading out on a road trip, it’s important to pack the essentials. You’ll need your luggage, snacks, a map or GPS, and, of course, an amazing playlist. Classic rock is the perfect choice for hitting the road; it’s a crowd-pleaser, a genre that insists listeners turn the volume up while cruising down the highway. Whether you’re headed to a specific destination or just going where the wind takes you, these classic rock songs will take your road trip to the next level.
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1. “Danger Zone” by Kenny Loggins
You can call it corny, but there’s something amazing about singing along to “Danger Zone” while you’re cruising down the highway. Loggins recorded it for the 1986 movie Top Gun, and it became an instant classic. Don’t be afraid to ham it up as you sing; “Danger Zone” is at its best when it is consumed ostentatiously and unashamedly. It’s the perfect way to get some adrenaline pumping and have some fun as you hit the road.
[RELATED: Revisiting the Meaning Behind “Danger Zone” by Kenny Loggins]
2. “I Want to Break Free” by Queen
There’s something so freeing about hitting the highway and just seeing where it takes you. Queen’s intoxicating song “I Want to Break Free” perfectly encapsulates that feeling. Whether it’s Freddie Mercury’s shout of, I want to break free of your lies, or just his outrageously good vocals, the song makes you feel as though you’re on top of the world.
3. “Life Is a Highway” by Tom Cochrane
At the risk of sounding cliche, we have to mention this absolute road-trippin’ classic. Tom Cochrane’s chorus is impossible not to sing along to as he busts out, Life is a highway, I wanna ride it all night long! Road trips often go long into the night, but you won’t feel lonely if you blast this celebratory song about embracing your freedom and whatever adventures come your way. (Side note: Rascal Flatts’ famous cover of “Life Is a Highway” is just as fun.)
4. “Sweet Home Alabama” by Lynyrd Skynyrd
You don’t have to be headed south to Alabama to enjoy this energizing crowd-pleaser. At its core, Skynyrd’s ubiquitous number (in the South, at least) is about going home and the feeling of anticipation home provides after being gone for way too long. The original version was released in 1974 and was a major hit on the burgeoning country-rock scene. It’s just as great for singing along to decades later. Whether traveling through the farmlands of the American South or slipping your way up to snowy Minneapolis, it’s never the wrong time for “Sweet Home Alabama.”
5. “Carry on Wayward Son” by Kansas
“Carry on Wayward Son” is one of those songs that gets one’s adrenaline pumping the moment its a capella harmonies kick in—and it only gets better once the electric guitars begin to roar. The song is about struggling onward, knowing that the destination will be better than where you are now. It’s an apt metaphor for a road trip, come to think of it, making this percussive, epic track a perfect listening choice while traveling. Just try not to roll your windows down and turn the volume up.
6. “Go Your Own Way” by Fleetwood Mac
The two couples within Fleetwood Mac might have been on the outs when the album Rumours was recorded, but the strife only helped make the ’70s monolith a killer record. One of the standout tracks amongst a host of stellar efforts is “Go Your Own Way,” a raucous, tambourine-led song about—who’d have guessed?—ending a relationship. But the song also feels like it’s about setting out on a big journey, which might be why it’s such a good song for a road trip, too. Whatever “way” you’re going, this upbeat song about a romantic split nevertheless feels empowering.
7. “Born to Run” by Bruce Springsteen
Rock’s “Boss,” Bruce Springsteen, has a way with songs that make you feel like you were made to run wild. The title track of his 1975 album, Born to Run, is about escaping from the drudgery of small-town life and hitting the open road with nothing to your name, not knowing where it will take you. You might not be driving down Highway 9 as is documented in the song, but you’ll still feel like Springsteen is singing just for you, propelling you to your destination.
Photo by E. Charbonneau/WireImage
