Songs to Sing Along To At The Top Of My Lungs In My Car
December 20, 2016 11:44 AM   Subscribe

I am looking for songs of any genre that are happy/strong and/or defiant (NOT SAD/DEPRESSING) that I can sing along to in the car, while driving back and forth to visit a relative in the hospital.

What songs do you crank up the volume on and sing along to that make you feel good?

I have a relative who has been in and out of the hospital and rehab that I'm visiting almost every night. It is a 45-60 minute drive round-trip in the car. For the last month, I've tried listening to podcasts and audiobooks. But the issues I'm dealing with regarding this family member are tense and stressful and depressing -- and I've found that singing loudly along to songs in the car has been helping decrease my anxiety level.

I don't care what the genre is. (okay, maybe no death metal or songs for toddlers,) I just want the songs to be relatively uplifting or neutral or even defiant in tone. (I'd even settle for Flogging Molly's "It's been the worst day since yesterday") But I don't want any that are soul-crushingly depressing. Nothing about the family puppy having to be put down, please. Think Pink's "U and Ur Hand" vs. Kenny Rogers' "Lucille."

I'm using spotify but am open to anything whether or not it's on that service.

Thanks in advance.
posted by zarq to Grab Bag (89 answers total) 68 users marked this as a favorite
 
Surely the classic of the genre is "Bohemian Rhapsody?"
posted by praemunire at 11:45 AM on December 20, 2016 [3 favorites]


My all-time favorite song for exactly this purpose is Whitesnake's original version of "Here I Go Again."

I realize I've outed myself as a musical Philistine, now.
posted by culfinglin at 11:50 AM on December 20, 2016 [13 favorites]


Britney Spears' "Stronger".
Sia's "Titanium".
posted by xo at 11:56 AM on December 20, 2016 [1 favorite]


Phil Collins - Take Me Home.
posted by hippybear at 11:56 AM on December 20, 2016 [4 favorites]


Man, the Old 97's are my go-to for SINGING REALLY LOUD IN THE CAR.

Timebomb
Barrier Reef
Longer Than You've Been Alive
Murder (Or a Heart Attack)

etc.

Caveat: I get serious leadfoot when I listen to them while driving, so be careful of that.
posted by rtha at 11:56 AM on December 20, 2016 [8 favorites]


Johnny Cash
Frank Sinatra
Bruce Springsteen
Motown
Stevie Wonder
older rock-n-roll [1950's]
posted by calgirl at 11:57 AM on December 20, 2016 [2 favorites]


The Proclaimers' I'm Gonna Be (500 miles) is another I've used for this purpose.
posted by gatorae at 11:58 AM on December 20, 2016 [9 favorites]


I'm getting a lot of mileage out of this one today:

Boom: KC & the Sunshine Band's Give it Up
posted by Draccy at 12:06 PM on December 20, 2016


I have a "singing along like the idiot I am" mix on my phone.

- Part of Me, Tedeschi Trucks Band
- What a Fool Believes, the Self cover (though Michael McDonald works too)
- Royals, the Pentatonix cover
- L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N, Noah and the Whale
- And We Danced, the Hooters
- Super Bass, Nicki Minaj
- Bad Self Portraits, Lake Street Dive
- Fortunate Son, Fogerty (bonus, with Foo Fighters version)
- Rich Girl, Hall & Oates
- Can You Get to That, Mavis Staples
- Dancing in the Moonlight, Toploader cover
- Uptown Funk
- Sequestered in Memphis, Hold Steady
-Lido Shuffle, Sophia Marling
-Ophelia, the Lumineers,
-Gold on the Ceiling, Black Keys
-Renegades, X Ambassadors
-What Is Life, George Harrison

I know that's an eclectic mix, mostly based on my limited singing range, but if nothing else, putting Gold on the Ceiling on loop and belting that out has gotten me through more than one shitty commute.
posted by librarianamy at 12:09 PM on December 20, 2016 [6 favorites]


This Year by the Mountain Goats.
posted by maryrussell at 12:13 PM on December 20, 2016 [12 favorites]


Act I of the Hamilton soundtrack.

Save Act II for when you need cathartic sobbing.
posted by Sweetie Darling at 12:13 PM on December 20, 2016 [9 favorites]


My singalong Spotify playlist.
posted by ellieBOA at 12:14 PM on December 20, 2016


Springsteen's "No surrender" -- especially if you're driving in daunting conditions.
posted by spitbull at 12:14 PM on December 20, 2016


Tubthumping
The Black Parade
Sweet Child O Mine
Pop
I Don't Feel Like Dancing
Viva la Vida

NB: I am not known for paying close attention to lyrics, despite singing along with them. Songs on this list have an upbeat, singable thing going on.

This previously might have more ideas.
posted by freezer cake at 12:14 PM on December 20, 2016 [2 favorites]


Damn, Mary Russell beat me! A couple other Mountain Goats songs:

Up the Wolves
Heretic Pride
posted by chesty_a_arthur at 12:15 PM on December 20, 2016 [3 favorites]


Harry Belafonte's Jump In The Line, Bananna Boat Song

Apache Indian's Boom Shack-A-Lack

Def Leopart's Pour Some Sugar On Me

AC/DC's Thunderstruck

Bon Jovi's Living On A Prayer (maybe)

Paul Simon's Graceland (maybe)

Dropkick Murphys' Forever (maybe)

70s and before: Dancing Queen; I Will Survive (and/or the Cake version); Inagadadavida; Me and Bobby McGee, I Feel Good, Good Vibrations, The Twist, Rock Around The Clock, I'm a Believer, Atomic Dog, My Girl

80s: Shiny, Happy People; Walking On Sunshine; Our House; Blister In The Sun; Let's Go Crazy, Dancing With Myself; Girls Just Want To Have Fun; Love Shack; Take On Me; Hungry Like The Wolf; Come On Eileen (and/or the Save Ferris version); Material Girl; Just Can't Get Enough; Push It; We Got the Beat; Jump, Paradise City

90s-current: Tubthumping, Feel Good Inc, Hey Ho (maybe), What I Got, Hey Ya, Happy, Get Lucky, One Week, That Thing
posted by Candleman at 12:16 PM on December 20, 2016 [10 favorites]


TLC, "No Scrubs"

When I get a chance I'll look up the best live version of "Heretic Pride" for this purpose. The album version is a little too "adult Christian contemporary" (is that what they're calling it?) for an affirming sing-along.
posted by praemunire at 12:19 PM on December 20, 2016 [1 favorite]


Grateful Dead - Casey Jones, Truckin', The Music Never Stopped, Uncle John's Band.
posted by terretu at 12:19 PM on December 20, 2016


Pink, Raise Your Glass (sorry, just noticed you already listed U & Ur Hand!)
posted by fingersandtoes at 12:19 PM on December 20, 2016


Motley Crue, Don't Go Away Mad
posted by fingersandtoes at 12:20 PM on December 20, 2016


Guns n Roses, Sweet Child o Mine
posted by fingersandtoes at 12:22 PM on December 20, 2016 [1 favorite]


Queen, "Don't Stop Me Now"
posted by cosmicbandito at 12:22 PM on December 20, 2016 [2 favorites]




This is what showtunes were MADE for!!!

Put on a Happy Face
Do Re Mi
Everything's Coming Up Roses
You Can't Stop the Beat
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 12:24 PM on December 20, 2016 [2 favorites]


Oh, I forgot one more - Queen's Fat Bottomed Girls has gotten me psyched up for more than one anticipated stressful day at work. Own it. (not on my above playlist, because the Queen CD never leaves my car)
posted by librarianamy at 12:25 PM on December 20, 2016 [9 favorites]


Some Nights by Fun is.... fun!
posted by I_Love_Bananas at 12:31 PM on December 20, 2016


And ditto to Fat Bottomed Girls.
posted by I_Love_Bananas at 12:31 PM on December 20, 2016 [2 favorites]


The Wombats' Let's Dance to Joy Division is built for exactly this.
posted by gnomeloaf at 12:33 PM on December 20, 2016


I love to caterwaul along with Alex Chilton's cover of Jimmy C. Newman's "Alligator Man". Almost always makes me feel better*.

*WARNING: Don't listen to it on the way to work - you'll just want to play hooky, drink beer, and make art (or fish) all day.
posted by ryanshepard at 12:34 PM on December 20, 2016 [1 favorite]


Sia, Cheap Thrills
Icona Pop I Love It (I Don't Care)
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 12:36 PM on December 20, 2016 [3 favorites]


David Bowie, Let's Dance. He's just so insistent that we dance.
posted by mochapickle at 12:36 PM on December 20, 2016


How could I forget Bobby Bare?


"Dropkick Me Jesus (Through the Goalposts of Life)"
posted by spitbull at 12:37 PM on December 20, 2016


Retreat, Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings. You can safely ignore the rest of my comment if you listen to this.
Lose Control, Missy et al. You can substitute with 90% of Missy singles, e.g. WTF, Get Ur Freak On, etc.
Heads will roll, Yeah Yeah Yeahs
All that Jazz, Chicago (bonus points for Bebe Neuwirth version)
I'm Not Down, The Clash
Think and/or RESPECT, Aretha Franklin
I'm So Excited, Pointer Sisters
No Scrubs, TLC
Uptown Funk, Bruno Mars & Mark Ronson
Take Me Out, Franz Ferdinand
Seven Nation Army, White Stripes
Sabotage, Beastie Boys
posted by flibbertigibbet at 12:43 PM on December 20, 2016 [1 favorite]


It being when it is, let me suggest (mefi's own) Jingle Rock Bell. You can make it even more energizing if you simplify it to "Bell." Also good for Christmas music by various people and groups: Mistress for Christmas, Father Christmas (the Kinks), Santa Claus Wants Some Lovin', Back Door Santa and its descendant Christmas in Hollis. The Boney M version of Mary's Boy Child. Good King Wenceslas from either The Roches or Mel Torme. The Earth, Wind, and Fire version of Joy To the World. Not proud of this, but maybe the Twisted Sister version of Adeste Fideles.

Also you can't can't can't go wrong for this purpose with Weird Al. All of it especially, but maybe most especially Dare To Be Stupid. It's like spitting on a fish!
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 12:44 PM on December 20, 2016




Judging by my commute home from a frustrating work day just now, Flagpole Sitta
posted by jozxyqk at 12:46 PM on December 20, 2016 [2 favorites]


Foo Fighters, let's say the David Letterman-endorsed "Everlong"
John Fogerty "Almost Saturday Night" (Dave Edmunds' cover a close second, The Searchers' third)
posted by rhizome at 12:50 PM on December 20, 2016


I'm putting [some / most of] the songs that are on this thread into a playlist
https://open.spotify.com/user/notolya/playlist

(you should be able to copy it into your account and edit as you wish)
This is muchly needed.

Some additions from me:
Pretty Woman - Roy Orbison
Great Balls of Fire - Jerry ee Lewis
La Bamba - Ritchie Valens
Sweet Caroline
Mambo No 5
Rock you like a hurricane - Scorpions
We got the beat
Scarman
The Rockafeller Skank - Fatboy Slim
Shut up and dance
All Star - Smash Mouth
Do It Like a Dude - Jessie J
Bust a move


(thank you this is muchly needed to me too)
posted by olya at 12:58 PM on December 20, 2016 [3 favorites]


Another personal singalong Spotify playlist!

Some particular, fairly general and non-depressing highlights:

Bikini Kill - Rebel Girl
The Replacements - Alex Chilton
Cocteau Twins - Ivo
Neil Diamond - Forever in Bluejeans or Cracklin' Rosie
Danzig - Mother
Guided by Voices - Game of Pricks
Sleater-Kinney - You're No Rock N' Roll Fun
Patti Smith - Because the Night
posted by quatsch at 12:58 PM on December 20, 2016 [2 favorites]


look okay please ignore everyone else's suggestions and just go with the entire album of ABBA Gold thank u
posted by poffin boffin at 1:10 PM on December 20, 2016 [7 favorites]


I forgot I had an entire playlist of this.

You're the best around - Joe Esposito
We are the Champions/Don't Stop Me Now - Queen
Stompa - Serena Ryder
Move on Up - Curtis Mayfield
Wolf Like Me, TV on the Radio
Get Some, Lykke Li
Steppin' to the Bad Side, Dreamgirls
Don't stop the msuic/pon de replay/umbrella, Rihanna (also the Postmodern Jukebox 'Umbrella' is pretty good)
Bulletproof, La Roux
Mama said knock you out, LL Cool J
posted by flibbertigibbet at 1:12 PM on December 20, 2016


This is what I listened to: Don't stop believin' by Journey
posted by girlpublisher at 1:12 PM on December 20, 2016


Ben Kweller - Falling
posted by backwards guitar at 1:24 PM on December 20, 2016


I love the soundtrack to Priscilla Queen of the Desert. Especially 'I will survive' (such a classic!), Never been to me (so bad it's great);and Go West.
posted by biggreenplant at 1:50 PM on December 20, 2016




The Killers' 'All These Things That I've Done' (you know it, repeating crescendo "I've got soul but I'm not a soldier", so cathartic). Lots of their songs are good for this.

A few weeks ago I surprised myself by singing along to They Might Be Giants "Flood" album at the top of my lungs, that would be fun if you already know the songs?

Also maybe Katy Perry's Roar or Kesha.
posted by stellaluna at 2:00 PM on December 20, 2016 [3 favorites]


The Chiffons' Sweet Talkin' Guy
The Shangri-Las' Out in the Streets
Tammi Terrell & Marvin Gaye Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing
posted by gyusan at 2:02 PM on December 20, 2016


Madonna - Ray Of Light

(yes, absolutely to TMBG's Flood album in its entirety, as mentioned above)

PJ Harvey - 50ft Queenie

(yes, also to Journey for road trip singing. Add to that Tesla and Boston!)

Geggy Tah - Whoever You Are
Har Mar Superstar - Cry 4 Help (great for car dancing!)
posted by jillithd at 2:19 PM on December 20, 2016 [2 favorites]


Blame It On the Boogie, of course.
posted by HandfulOfDust at 2:25 PM on December 20, 2016






Don't tell anyone, but Avril Lavigne's "Girlfriend."
posted by ColdChef at 3:18 PM on December 20, 2016 [1 favorite]


Please forgive how random this list is; they're favorites from my personal rotation of songs for this purpose.

Jungle Boogie - Kool and The Gang
Viva Las Vegas - Elvis
Damn It Feels Good to Be a Gangster - Geto Boys
U and Ur Hand - Pink
Gypsy - Fleetwood Mac
I Love It - Icona Pop
Lovely Day - Bill Withers
Come and Get Your Love - Redbone
Wagon Wheel - Old Crow Medicine Show
Starships - Nicki Minaj
I Want You Back - The Jackson 5
Cobrastyle - Robyn
Living For the City - Stevie Wonder
Undercover Martyn - Two Door Cinema Club
Good - Better Than Ezra
Cake By the Ocean - DNCE
Don't Stop Till You Get Enough - Michael Jackson
Make 'Em Laugh - Singin' In the Rain
posted by mostlymartha at 3:32 PM on December 20, 2016 [3 favorites]


This far in and nobody's mentioned the new classic destress anthem of Shake It Off???
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 3:40 PM on December 20, 2016 [5 favorites]


There are a bunch of good ones here, but specifically I find myself making an ass of myself with:

Cheap Trick - Surrender
Bruce Springsteen - Tenth Avenue Freeze Out
Urge Overkill - Sister Havana
And WAY newer but does the same trick: Courtney Barnett - Dead Fox

Edit to add: hang in there buddy!
posted by dirtdirt at 3:40 PM on December 20, 2016 [1 favorite]


Response by poster: Oh wow.

With everything that's been happening, I've been having a terrible, emotionally and physically exhausting month. These are all incredible and wonderful responses. I can't begin to describe how grateful I am and how much I appreciate you all for these suggestions (and for sharing your own spotify lists and creating youtube links, etc.) Thank you so much!
posted by zarq at 3:45 PM on December 20, 2016 [7 favorites]


-Lido Shuffle, Sophia Marling
In rereading my above comment I realize that I'd be a bad librarian if I didn't correct this:
Lido Shuffle, Boz Skaggs
Sophia, Laura Marling
posted by librarianamy at 4:00 PM on December 20, 2016


I created a playlist like this just the other night with some of my favorites:

link
posted by bendy at 4:45 PM on December 20, 2016


Songs by LP (especially Into the Wild, Strange, and Tokyo Sunrise). She writes about uncertainty, but it's about the exhilaration of uncertainty, the embrace of vulnerability as an exciting thing, the acceptance of risk as necessary to finding joy. She sounds a bit like Neko Case and can belt with the best of them. It's hard to describe why but the first time I heard Into the Wild I cried happy tears all the way through.
posted by ElizaDolots at 4:56 PM on December 20, 2016


Janis Joplin can be great for automotive catharsis. Piece of My Heart, especially if you can make that noise she makes near the end.
posted by Smearcase at 5:50 PM on December 20, 2016 [1 favorite]


4 Non-Blondes-What's Up, maybe with some extra emphasis on the "I pray every single day for a revolution" line.
Fleetwood Mac-Don't Stop.
How has no one said Born to Run yet?
posted by ActionPopulated at 6:24 PM on December 20, 2016 [1 favorite]


Richard Marx "Satisfied" and "Take This Heart" Pat Benatar "Shadows of the Night" Kelly Clarkson "Since You Been Gone"
posted by ChristineSings at 6:36 PM on December 20, 2016


Hello, Me from 2014!

That would be a lot of Frank Turner, some Sugar/Bob Mould, and Great Big Sea.

I can send you my actual playlists if you MeMail me. But start there.

And sing as hard as you can wvery day. Sometimes you will come out of your car with wet eyes and a sore throat, but that singing purely burns away the dross and leaves behind the pure gold.
posted by wenestvedt at 6:41 PM on December 20, 2016 [2 favorites]


Whitney Houston, Greatest Love of All.
posted by terooot at 7:03 PM on December 20, 2016 [1 favorite]


R.E.M., Stand

I remember listening to this song on my CD player riding the bus to school, thinking "someday, I'm going to have my own car, and I'm going to blast this song and sing along, and it's going to be awesome." 20+ years later, it still is!
posted by liet at 7:51 PM on December 20, 2016 [2 favorites]


"There is Nothing Like a Dame" from "South Pacific" is pretty retrograde, but it's damn fun to sing.
posted by wenestvedt at 7:53 PM on December 20, 2016


A few more:

So cathartic it should be illegal:
Oh My God by Ida Maria previously on the blue

From the Eels:
Flyswatter
I Like Birds
Daisies of the Galaxy (melancholy, but I find it irresistibly sing-a-long-able)

Indigo Girls!
Closer to Fine
posted by rtha at 7:54 PM on December 20, 2016 [5 favorites]


One non-song note - be careful using any song that you *really* like for this purpose, as it may take on a Pavlovian association with bad things. I listened to Apoptygma Berzerk frequently during similar drives and now I can't not associate them with my grandmother's final decline.
posted by Candleman at 8:29 PM on December 20, 2016 [4 favorites]


Ariana Grande, Break Free

(If someone were to spotify this whole thread I would probably enjoy that.)
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 8:38 PM on December 20, 2016


Aretha Franklin, R-E-S-P-E-C-T.
posted by mcbeth at 8:39 PM on December 20, 2016 [1 favorite]


Maybe:
One Vision, Queen
Life is a Highway, Rascal Flatts
Hang on Loosely, .38 Special
Hazy Shade of Winter, The Bangles
Crazy Crazy Nights - Kiss
Africa - Toto (there's even a Gaelic version on YouTube!)
posted by forthright at 8:58 PM on December 20, 2016 [1 favorite]


Lighting Seeds Pure
posted by WalkerWestridge at 9:20 PM on December 20, 2016


Springsteen, "O Mary Don't You Weep" from The Seeger Sessions.
posted by Johnny Wallflower at 9:28 PM on December 20, 2016


So many great suggestions. But you need some Country Western numbers:

* Dwight Yoakam - Crazy Little Thing Called Love
* Dixie Chicks - Wide Open Spaces
* Elvis Presley - A Little Less Conversation
* Martina McBride - Wild Angels
posted by valannc at 9:46 PM on December 20, 2016 [2 favorites]


I hope you find at least one of the following to work for you:

Shamen - Move any Mountain: Energetic techno
AC/DC - For those about to rock : power cords
Aly & AJ - Rush: poppy and upbeat
Audioslave - Be Yourself - good song for acceptance
Beastie Boys - Sure Shot
Bleached - Keep on Keepin' On
Blue Oyster Cult - Don't Fear the Reaper
Boston - We're Ready
Christopher Cross - Ride Like the Wind
Falco - Rock Me Amadeus (if you want to learn German)
Filter - Take a Picture
Foo Fighters - Everlong
Foo Fighters - There Goes My Hero
Foreigner - Rev on the Red Line
Gomez - Options
Information Society - What's on Your Mind
Kenny Loggins - I'm Free
Kingdom Come - Shout it Out
Kongos -Come with Me Now
Kurt Vile - Pretty Pimpin

No singing, but a really upbeat song: Joe Satriani - Speed of Light
posted by coberh at 9:51 PM on December 20, 2016 [2 favorites]


The Kinks' Lola
The B-52's
Bowie's Jean Genie, Rebel Rebel, Boys Keep Swinging
The Man in the Moon is a Lady from Mame; Bea Arthur orginated it.
posted by brujita at 10:06 PM on December 20, 2016 [1 favorite]


I'm kinda obsessed with this gender-swapped version of Blurred Lines
posted by exceptinsects at 10:45 PM on December 20, 2016 [1 favorite]


Wait, what? Not one of you fine people has yet mentioned Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas is You?" Watch this Carpool Karaoke version with James Corden, Lady Gaga, Adele, Elton John, Chris Martin, Gwen Stefani and loads of other people (including people Mariah herself).

It's a hell of a sing to belt out loud.
posted by yes I said yes I will Yes at 2:45 AM on December 21, 2016 [3 favorites]


Uprising by Muse.
posted by Skyanth at 3:15 AM on December 21, 2016


Response by poster: (If someone were to spotify this whole thread I would probably enjoy that.)

I am working on one slowly (sans Christmas music) but I will not post it here because my Spotify account is under my full name and this is a public post. Eyebrows, if you would like a link, I will memail it to you.
posted by zarq at 9:04 AM on December 21, 2016


Response by poster: Actually perhaps mine won't work. I'm probably going to be pruning it over time.
posted by zarq at 9:21 AM on December 21, 2016


Nina Simone's Feeling Good.
posted by RedEmma at 9:44 AM on December 21, 2016


🎉🎉🎉

I can't wait!
posted by ocherdraco at 10:54 AM on December 21, 2016


Response by poster: Thank you, WCityMike. I'm grateful.
posted by zarq at 12:29 PM on December 21, 2016


So many of Joan Armatrading's songs. The two that come to mind at the moment are Drop the Pilot and Rosie.
posted by merejane at 3:48 PM on December 21, 2016 [1 favorite]


Fabulous work, WCityMike!
posted by ocherdraco at 5:04 PM on December 21, 2016


That's awesome!
posted by benadryl at 5:42 PM on December 21, 2016


Clarence "Frogman" Henry - Ain't Got No Home
Tom Lehrer - The Elements
Raffi - Bananaphone
Jim Croce - You Don't Mess Around With Jim
Warren Zevon - Werewolves of London
Loudon Wainwright III - I'm Alright ("It's the happy blues!")
Jerry Reed - U.S. Male
Jane's Addiction - Been Caught Stealing
Johnny Cash - Ring of Fire
The Coasters - Yakety Yak
Isaac Hayes - Theme from "Shaft"
Lou Bega - Mambo No. 5

The silly voices in "Ain't Got No Home" and the werewolf howls in "Werewolves of London" are fun to do.
posted by tomcooke at 5:51 AM on December 22, 2016 [1 favorite]


"Defying Gravity" from Wicked. Get the cast recording. Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth. Two amazing voices singing about love and breaking free!
posted by Mo Nickels at 5:52 AM on December 22, 2016


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