3 Classic Rock Songs From 1987 That Are Perfect for a Road Trip

If you are building a playlist based on rock music in 1987, it could end up going in several directions. There’s the Americana of Tom Petty and Bruce Springsteen. Or you could fill the list with hair metal bands like Mötley Crüe and Def Leppard. Balance the party tunes with college radio hits by R.E.M. and The Smiths. Or the dissonant noise of Sonic Youth and Dinosaur Jr. One might foreshadow grunge with its very godfather, Neil Young, or the early funk metal of Faith No More, because we care a lot!

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Consider this a starter for your 1987-minded playlist. Perfect for the road while highlighting the diversity of rock music as the decade began to wind down.

“Rocket Queen” by Guns N’ Roses

Of course, “Welcome To The Jungle”, “Sweet Child O’ Mine”, and “Paradise City” are obvious choices to propel you down the highway. But the closing track on Appetite For Destruction has a snaking groove that rivals the album’s colossal hits. Also, this is the song GN’R played as Axl Rose stormed a photographer in the audience, igniting the 1991 Riverport Riot in St. Louis. I’m not suggesting you become riotous in the car. But the Sunset Strip-blues in “Rocket Queen” will give you a much-needed boost of adrenaline for the drive.

“Bullet The Blue Sky” by U2

U2’s masterpiece, The Joshua Tree, feels like a greatest hits record. If you’re in the mood for a hymn, there’s “Running To Stand Still”. Or one of the great romantic ballads, “With Or Without You”. Or, still, arguably the greatest rock intro in history: “Where The Streets Have No Name”. You may just want to add the entire album to your playlist. But if you’re only choosing one, spin “Bullet The Blue Sky”. It features U2’s deepest groove, a populist sermon from Bono, and a wall of guitars from The Edge.

“Touch Of Grey” by Grateful Dead

Grateful Dead’s biggest hit sounds upbeat, but lyricist Robert Hunter describes running late, the harsh morning light after a raucous evening, and illiteracy, among other things. But Jerry Garcia follows each somber verse with a sunny refrain to keep going: “I will get by.” It’s a survival anthem, and the whole point is to keep going. “Touch Of Grey” zooms in and out of local and broader struggles, and the title reflects the middle-aged musicians. For The Dead, with age came wisdom and the band’s only Top-10 single.

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