10 Classic Rock Songs That Sound 10 Times Better When You’re Driving

If there’s anything better than getting in your car on a sunny day, rolling the windows down, blasting your favorite classic rock songs, and zooming—er, driving—onto a wide-open, traffic-less highway, this writer hasn’t found it yet. And frankly, she’s not sure she’d want to. That feeling is too good, pure, and nostalgic to replace.

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So, what constitutes a good driving rock ‘n’ roll song? Imagery about highways and cars helps, but sometimes this on-the-nose writing can border on cheesy. The best driving rock songs are literally “driving” because of their chugging blues riffs and powerful drums, almost as if the sheer force of the band is what’s turning the wheels. Here are ten of the best.

“Roadhouse Blues” by The Doors

“Roadhouse Blues” from The Doors’ 1970 album, Morrison Hotel, is one of the ultimate driving rock songs, and not just because it starts with some sound driving advice: “Keep your eyes on the road, your hand upon the wheel.”

“Saving Grace” by Tom Petty

Tom Petty wrote Highway Companion for the sole purpose of making a good album for a car ride, and he nailed it with the opening track “Saving Grace”. The chugging, distorted guitar and lyrics about flying over “country homes and ranches” make driving feel exhilarating.

“Radar Love” by Golden Earring

Golden Earring is best-known for songs like “Twilight Zone”, “When The Lady Smiles”, and, of course, their ultimate rock ‘n’ roll road anthem, “Radar Love”. Just like the other two entries, this rock song is a catchy, infectious blues rocker that’s begging to be driven to.

“La Grange” by ZZ Top

ZZ Top has plenty of great driving songs, including “La Grange” from Tres Hombres. It’s the kind of rock song that makes you want to hug a curve tight, feeling the power of your car’s engine as you wind down the road.

“Black Betty” by Ram Jam

One-hit wonders Ram Jam made a truly lasting impression on the rock ‘n’ roll world with their singular hit, “Black Betty”. Part of what makes this such a great driving song is how fun it is to sing along with the lyrics, especially if you’re alone and away from judgmental ears.

“Immigrant Song” by Led Zeppelin

Blame it on that one scene from School Of Rock, but Led Zeppelin’s “Immigrant Song” remains a top driving rock song for this writer. The iconic rock track can transform a road trip to your parents’ house into a Viking excursion in your little Honda Civic.

“Overkill” by Motörhead

“Overkill” by Motörhead—and any song by the English rock band—is a great option for road trip playlists. It’s fast, it’s powerful, it’s aggressive. Beware of developing a lead foot when listening to this song. Keep the power and aggression to Lemmy Kilmister.

“Flying High Again” by Ozzy Osbourne

Ozzy Osbourne’s cocky, bravado-filled track “Flying High Again” is the perfect radio companion in the car. It’s an empowering track that makes the listener feel like they’re bouncing back from a major pitfall, even if they’re just on their way to the grocery store.

“Queen Of The Highway” by The Doors

The next two entries to this list of great rock songs for driving need asterisks. We technically already have a Doors track on the list, but it’s hard not to include “Queen Of The Highway” in this collection, too. The sentiment is right there in the title.

“State Trooper” by Bruce Springsteen

Closing out this list is the softest and most sinister-sounding song on the list: “State Trooper” by Bruce Springsteen. From his famously lo-fi album, Nebraska, this song reaches its ultimate powers when you listen to it on a dark night while driving on an empty highway.

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