Comments on: Best driving song?

Question: Best driving song?

robotot — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 20:41:21 -0800

Best driving song?

I just replaced my crappy car's crappy broken stereo with a new wizz bang cd/ mp3 player which i can plug my mp3 player into (did the wiring myself and saved $80, hooray).

I want to put together a killer playlist, so I'd like to know what's your favourite driving song? Any style or genre is welcome, I have very broad tastes.

By: unSane

unSane — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 20:47:43 -0800

60 Miles an Hour -- New Order
Roadrunner -- Bo Diddley
Roadrunner -- Jonathan Richman & the Modern Lovers
Radar Love -- Golden Earring
Wanted Man -- Johnny Cash
Son of Mustand Ford -- Swervedriver
Drive It All Over Me -- My Bloody Valentine
Sixteen Tons -- Tennessee Ernie Ford
Endless Black Ribbon -- David Coe
By the Time I get to Phoenix -- Glen Cambell
Over the Ice -- The Field

man, could go on, but you get the picture

By: ALongDecember

ALongDecember — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 20:48:36 -0800

Eve 6, Open Road Song

By: pompomtom

pompomtom — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 20:49:26 -0800

Ministry: Jesus Built My Hotrod.

By: Mr_Crazyhorse

Mr_Crazyhorse — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 20:51:17 -0800

depends on where you're driving...

for out in the middle of nowhere in the middle of the night... anything by the Editors or The Cure.

By: googly

googly — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 20:53:38 -0800

Immigrant Song.

By: KokuRyu

KokuRyu — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 20:53:53 -0800

For hot sunny days:

Lonesome Day Blues - Bob Dylan
I'm Always In Love - Wilco

For rainy days:

OK Computer

For winter days:

Vespertine - Bjork

For night driving:

Geogaddi - Boards of Canada

For sunny but cool autumn days:

Belle and Sebastian

For highway drives in the desert or dry country:

Deep Red Bells - Neko Case
Star Witness - Neko Case

By: edgeways

edgeways — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 20:59:06 -0800

I find myself driving WAY too fast whenever #11 on this list pops up, silly but its true.

The Passenger, Iggy Pop (there are any number of Iggy Pop songs that will work).

downtempo: Driving on 9 The Breeders

By: flabdablet

flabdablet — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 20:59:17 -0800

Highway Star - Deep Purple
Autobahn - Kraftwerk
Drivin' South - Jimi Hendrix
Voodoo Chile - Jimi Hendrix
Moby Dick - Led Zeppelin
Heartbreaker - Led Zeppelin

You want stuff that sounds good with extra distortion, so you get an excuse to turn your new speakers up to Fry.

By: ibmcginty

ibmcginty — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 20:59:23 -0800

Weirdly, what leapt to mind was "I Love a Rainy Night" by Eddie Rabbit.

LA Woman by the Doors.

Ramblin Man by the Almans.

By: interrobang

interrobang — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 21:05:47 -0800

Why, it's The Cool Road to Hell, of course!

By: Cool Papa Bell

Cool Papa Bell — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 21:06:41 -0800

Love Plus One and Favourite Shirt by Haircut 100.

By: crinklebat

crinklebat — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 21:07:50 -0800

Anything by M. I. A. is driving music to me.

By: miss lynnster

miss lynnster — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 21:08:02 -0800

Pretty much anything by Tom Petty.

By: MCTDavid

MCTDavid — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 21:08:30 -0800

Rt. 66 - Depeche Mode

By: robcorr

robcorr — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 21:10:34 -0800

Pearl Jam, Rearviewmirror or MFC.

By: unSane

unSane — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 21:14:26 -0800

hehe, Haircut 100 as driving music... that killed me.

I speaks as someone who owns the Love+1 12"

Check out the pants on the Glockenspiel player

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_f8Sser_DJU

By: hydrophonic

hydrophonic — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 21:17:51 -0800

Twin Cadillac Valentine - Screaming Blue Messiahs -- especially good for freaking out your passengers

By: travosaurus

travosaurus — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 21:26:32 -0800

Radar Love.

By: travosaurus

travosaurus — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 21:28:19 -0800

...as unSane said. Oops. But it's a damn good choice.

By: hydrophonic

hydrophonic — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 21:30:41 -0800

...and may I recommend a little Sammy Hagar for making an impression on a first date?

By: rob511

rob511 — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 21:32:51 -0800

Leader of the Pack - The Shangri-Las
Little GTO - Ronnie & the Daytonas
Little Deuce Coupe - Beach Boys
Freeway of Love - Aretha

By: anaelith

anaelith — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 21:49:14 -0800

Hot Rod Lincoln, or any of many variants.

By: hydrophonic

hydrophonic — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 21:50:03 -0800

One more: Sex Drive - The Embarrassment (mp3)

By: smackfu

smackfu — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 21:51:21 -0800

It really is Radar Love. At least for speeding. Especially once they stop singing, which is about halfway through the song, and the beat just gets faster and faster.

By: lilywing13

lilywing13 — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 21:52:20 -0800

Nthing Radar Love.
Especially with a 5-speed on a fun curvy highway at night.
(Takes me back to when I was single, childless, and making semi-frequent roadtrips... Even with random radio choices, it always came on at the most fun part of the drive.)

I also agree with some Pearl Jam, most Tom Petty, and some Peter Gabriel tunes.

Criminy, I need to go on a road trip by myself. It's been too long.

By: wemayfreeze

wemayfreeze — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 21:55:08 -0800

For steeringwheel banging:
Rosalita – Bruce Springsteen
Born to Run – Bruuuucceee
Anything of Andrew W.K.'s I Get Wet

For mellow:
Anything by The Books, and
anything that uses the left+right channels to good effect.

And for that late-night Fall drive when you're trying to sort it all out:
Left and Leaving – The Weakerthans
The Light 3000 - Schneider TM

And, really, anything you enjoy singing at the top of yr respiratory organ of choice.

By: robotot

robotot — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 22:03:04 -0800

I'm loving all the varied answers...giving me some great ideas.

I'm so used to creating the ultimate headphones playlist to listen to on long bus trips. The driving playlist is a whole different kettle of fish.

By: dismas

dismas — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 22:10:11 -0800

Songs related to driving:

"Monday" by Wilco ("charlie's fixin' his van with a left-arm tan"). Relatedly, Son Volt's "Windfall."

By: goo

goo — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 22:13:25 -0800

And, really, anything you enjoy singing at the top of yr respiratory organ of choice.

Absofrigginlutely. Your favourite belter songs. I also love heavy guitar-driven rock like Spiderbait or Rage Against the Machine.

But for long drives (I'm Australian, so I know long drives) music needs a touch of melancholy:

- Simon and Garfunkel - The Essential S and G compilation is great
- Eagle Eye Cherry - 'Are You Still Having Fun?'
- Lauryn Hill - I have an awesome a capella version of 'That Thing You Do' with Queen Latifah rapping that is just beautiful, plus the rest of The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill
- Wu-Tang Clan - 36 Chambers
- Skid Row - '18 and Life', at the top of your lungs
- Melanie - especially 'Lay Down', but most of her songs are great for driving

And I was moved to tears once by listening to Lionel Richie's 'Hello' driving in the rain, through the rainforest, at night.

By: goo

goo — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 22:16:05 -0800

And Janis! - 'Another Piece of My Heart' at full volume.

By: smackfu

smackfu — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 22:18:49 -0800

Welcome to the Jungle.

But again, I only think of driving songs as songs that make we want to speed, even if I'm driving through a parking lot.

By: brooklynexperiment

brooklynexperiment — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 22:19:52 -0800

seconding petty, springsteen, and iggy pop.
also:
the weight - the band
sinner man - nina simone
life is a highway - tom cochrane
punkrocker - teddybears, feat. iggy pop
one of these mornings - moby, feat. patti labelle
lookin' out my back door - creedence clearwater revival (thumping the roof of your gran torino while you smoke joint for effect)

By: tula

tula — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 22:21:10 -0800

Is Chicago, is not Chicago or even better, Screenwriter's Blues by Soul Coughing--"you are going to Reseda to make love to a model from Ohio whose real name you don't know". Rolling by Soul Coughing, or pretty much anything off the Soul Coughing CDs El Oso and Ruby Vroom. Los Angeles by X, Thousand Dollar Car by the Bottle Rockets, I'm in Love with My Car by Queen, Walking in LA by Missing Persons, Mexican Radio by Wall of Voodoo. I guess my driving songs are dominated by thoughts of LA in the past. Also, U2's Unforgettable Fire was once an amazing soundtrack to a road trip through the deserts of the southwest.

By: Afroblanco

Afroblanco — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 22:29:01 -0800

China Cat Sunflower -> I Know You Rider, Grateful Dead

By: Afroblanco

Afroblanco — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 22:29:33 -0800

Also,

St. Stephen -> Not Fade Away -> St. Stephen, Grateful Dead

By: Afroblanco

Afroblanco — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 22:31:52 -0800

Oh, and how could I forget?

Running Down A Dream, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

By: wemayfreeze

wemayfreeze — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 22:46:14 -0800

Gad, how could I forget "Windfall" (Son Volt)!?!? This is a MUST.

Switching it over to AM
Searching for a truer sound
Can't recall the call letters
Steel guitar and settle down
Catching an all-night station somewhere in Louisiana
It sounds like 1963, but for now it sounds like heaven

By: Asherah

Asherah — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 22:54:55 -0800

L.A. Woman...but only when actually driving in Los Angeles. Also, American Girl by Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers (no need to actually be an American girl though).

By: mia_farrow

mia_farrow — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 22:58:05 -0800

On the various mix tapes I listen to when driving, these are the songs I often rewind and listen to over and over.

Devo - Gut Feeling
ELO - Sweet Talkin' Woman
Europe - The Final Countdown
Rolling Stones - Honky Tonk Women
Os Mutantes - Rita Lee
David Bowie - Oh! You Pretty Things
Felt - Primitive Painters
Spencer Davis Group - Gimme Some Lovin'
Queen - Don't Stop Me Now

By: milestogo

milestogo — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 23:02:58 -0800

Daytime: I love driving to Jimmy Eat World's Bleed American album

Nighttime: All I want for nighttime drives is jazz.

By: parkerama

parkerama — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 23:10:12 -0800

Green Onions, by Booker T. and the MG's

By: Rumple

Rumple — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 23:24:19 -0800

2nd Iggy Pop - The Passenger. Best driving song ever.

By: stresstwig

stresstwig — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 23:25:18 -0800

What?!

SLOW RIDE- FOGHAT!

By: Hogermite

Hogermite — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 23:28:53 -0800

nothing beats "passenger seat" by death cab for cutie when driving on a dark, lonely road with the windows down....even though the song might suggest sitting in the seat adjacent to the driver....

By: zardoz

zardoz — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 00:02:54 -0800

I can't drive 55 -- Sammy Hagar
(though laughably dated now...that'd be 75 nowadays)

By: TheOtherGuy

TheOtherGuy — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 00:30:14 -0800

Nothing But Flowers by Talking Heads

And being a fan of the Sopranos I like to re-enact the opening credits with 'Woke up this Morning' by the Alabama 3

By: timeistight

timeistight — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 01:15:18 -0800

Route 66 - The Rolling Stones
Six Days on the Road - Dave Dudley
Willin' - Little Feat
Riders On the Storm - The Doors
Casey Jones - The Grateful Dead
You Can't Catch Me - Chuck Berry
Waitin' For The Bus /Jesus Just Left Chicago - ZZ Top

Magic Bus - The Who
Magic Carpet Ride - Steppenwolf
Autobahn - Kraftwerk
Interstellar Overdrive - Pink Floyd
2000 Light Years From Home - The Rolling Stones
Space Oddity - David Bowie
Major Tom (Coming Home) - Dealership or Petr Schilling
Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun - Pink Floyd

Promised Land - Chuck Berry
Roadhouse Blues - The Doors
Ramblin' Man - Allman Brothers
Born to be Wild - Steppenwolf
Time Is Tight - Booker T. and the MGs
Ol' 55 - Tom Waits
Dock of the Bay - Otis Redding

By: wsg

wsg — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 01:28:22 -0800

Freeway Jam - Jeff Beck, off Blow by Blow. This is a must-have.

By: timeistight

timeistight — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 01:31:28 -0800

CanCon:

The Rodeo Song - Garry Lee & the Showdown
Blow at High Dough - The Tragically Hip
Runnin' Back to Saskatoon - The Guess Who
The Great Canadian Railroad Trilogy - Gordon Lightfoot
Echo Beach - Martha and the Muffins
This Beat Goes On / Switchin' to Glide - The Kings

By: disillusioned

disillusioned — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 01:50:26 -0800

Another World, specifically Disc 2 - Paul Oakenfold

By: Infinite Jest

Infinite Jest — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 02:12:07 -0800

Pretty much any of the first five Ramones albums will do you nicely.

By: stupidsexyFlanders

stupidsexyFlanders — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 02:32:08 -0800

Passenger Side, Wilco --
hey, wake up, your eyes aren't open wide
for the last couple of miles you been swervin from side to side
you're gonna make me spill my beer
if you don't learn how to steer

It's really the voice of reason.

By: Dillonlikescookies

Dillonlikescookies — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 03:12:26 -0800

woman driving, man sleeping by the Eels.
atmospheric. very good.

By: pasici

pasici — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 04:30:04 -0800

For me, the entire Velvet Underground album 1969 Live is perfect driving music.

By: bricoleur

bricoleur — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 05:12:12 -0800

Take It Easy, and Peaceful Easy Feeling - the Eagles

By: flutable

flutable — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 05:16:03 -0800

...and if you're not actually driving but want to feel as if you are, look up "Chill Out" by KLF.

(Ok, I'm a *particular* type of driver).

Or try the following when you're actually driving (some are good for singing, too, especially when you're alone):

* Boards of Canada - Music has the right to children - "Telephasic Workshop" (great if you have a good sound system)
* Buddha Bar 1 CD 2, last track - Willy DeVille - Demasiado Corazon (Live Version)
* Bee Gees - Staying Alive
* Billy Idol - Eyes Without A Face
* Booker T. & The MGs - Time Is Tight
* Duran Duran - The Chauffeur
* Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Fanfare For The Common Man
* George Thorogood - Bad To The Bone
* John Paul Young - Love is in the air
* KC And The Sunshine Band - Shake Your Bootie
* Lynyrd Skynyrd - Sweet Home Alabama
* Primitive Radio Gods - Standing Outside A Broken Phonebooth
* Robert Plant - Big Log (if you listen to nothing else, listen to this)
* TISM - Greg! The Stop Sign!
* Tom Jones - Delilah (no rude remarks, thanks)
* Travelling Wilburys - End Of The Line
* The Blues Brothers version of "She caught the Katy"

By: TedW

TedW — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 05:38:06 -0800

SLOW RIDE- FOGHAT!

Also Drivin' Wheel and Fool For the City

It may be cliched (but so are some of the others, I guess) but Willie Nelson On the Road Again

Rush-Red Barchetta

By: CunningLinguist

CunningLinguist — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 05:39:11 -0800

Previously

By: TedW

TedW — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 05:40:43 -0800

Little Feat-Feets Don't Fail Me Now

By: TedW

TedW — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 05:43:37 -0800

Traffic-Rock and Roll Stew
Jethro Tull-Too Old to Rock and Roll, Too Young to Die

By: SampleSize

SampleSize — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 06:11:56 -0800

Son Volt -- Looking at the World Through a Windshield
Lou Christie -- Beyond the Blue Horizon
Muppets -- Moving Right Along

By: SampleSize

SampleSize — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 06:12:39 -0800

Roger Miller -- King of the Road

By: bassjump

bassjump — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 06:18:06 -0800

No. 6 Driver (Eddie from Ohio)

By: doorsfan

doorsfan — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 06:52:26 -0800

LA Woman, Roadhouse Blues - The Doors
On the Road Again - Willie Nelson
The Road goes on Forever and the Party Never Ends - Robert Earl Keen

PS - I am a fan of Skreemer for a great and easy mp3 search tool to test drive these songs out.

By: Banky_Edwards

Banky_Edwards — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 06:58:29 -0800

Van Halen - Running With The Devil. Essential.

Cake - The Distance. Also essential.

And seriously, do NOT miss the Modern Lovers' "Roadrunner," as mentioned in the first post. It is *the* quintessential driving song.

By: Ikazuchi

Ikazuchi — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 06:59:36 -0800

Metalhead picks:
Wheels Of Fire - Manowar
Battering Ram - Black Label Society
Cadillac Rock Box - Anthrax
This Calling - All That Remains
Oblivion Awaits - Battered
Monochromatic Stains - Dark Tranquillity
and almost anything by Slayer

By: readery

readery — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 07:00:22 -0800

yes, yes, yes

Makes you want to drive or as Steve Earle puts it

"Love to hear the steel belts hummin' on the asphalt"

But not mentioned yet is NRBQ -Me and the Boys

"Muffler loud - but we love that sound"

By: Mapes

Mapes — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 07:02:40 -0800

Driver's Seat, Sniff 'n' the Tears.

By: bricoleur

bricoleur — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 07:07:24 -0800

Driving Along - Harry Nilsson
Free Ride - Edgar Winter Group

By: Joe Rocket

Joe Rocket — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 07:19:44 -0800

Losing my Favorite Game- The Cardigans
Great riff, great bass!

By: kirkaracha

kirkaracha — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 07:26:40 -0800

Sugar, "Needle Hits E"
Michael Penn, "Brave New World"

By: DevilsAdvocate

DevilsAdvocate — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 07:36:02 -0800

There's no doubt in my mind as to the greatest road trip song ever, and I'm astonished not to see it mentioned yet in this thread: Bruce Springsteen's "Thunder Road."

Honorable mentions (seconding some):
"Born to Run," Bruce Springsteen
"Life Is a Highway," Tom Cochrane (I like the recent cover of this by Rascal Flatts, too)
"I Drove All Night" - there three versions that I'm aware of: Cyndi Lauper (the original), Roy Orbison, and Celine Dion. It will not surprise you to learn that Orbison's is the best.
"Me and Bobby McGee" - Janis Joplin
"America" - Simon and Garfunkel

Also see this thread over at the Road Trip America forums.

By: saladin

saladin — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 07:47:53 -0800

Modest Mouse – Dirty Fingernails
The Cure – A Forest
Department of Eagles – Gravity's Greatest Victory/Rex Snorted Coke
Hoover – Regulator Watts
The Misfits – London Dungeon
Sleepytime Trio – Speak Again Twice
Three Mile Pilot – Circumcised
Three Mile Pilot – The Urquan Destroyer
Led Zeppelin – Achilles Last Stand
Comets on Fire – Sour Smoke
Minutemen – The Glory of Man
Minutemen - Viet Nam
Captain Beefheart – Her Eyes Are a Blue Million Miles
The Mosquitos – Darn Well
Fugazi – Ex-Spectator
Aphex Twin – Fenix Funk
Kinski – Semaphore
Bjork – Army of Me
The Pharcyde – Passin' Me By
Brian Eno – Third Uncle
Judas Priest – Rapid Fire
Rodan – Tooth Fairy Retribution Manifesto
Sonic Youth – Theresa's Sound-world
Raekwon – Sneakers
Rapeman – Coition Ignition Mission
Polvo – Sense of It
Ghostface Killa - Kilo

By: schyler523

schyler523 — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 07:54:00 -0800

Television - Marquee Moon...

11 minutes of awesome...

By: zackola

zackola — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 09:10:28 -0800

Born Too Slow by Crystal Method is by far the best driving song ever produced.

By: citron

citron — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 13:04:31 -0800

Throwing Muses - Bright Yellow Gun
Breeders - Drivin' on 9
Jesus Lizard - Puss

By: Oddly

Oddly — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 13:31:46 -0800

The entire Blues Brothers soundtrack.

By: philad

philad — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 14:11:47 -0800

Wildhearts - Stormy in North Karma in the South. Anthem.

Tracy Chapman - Smoke and Ashes, Fast Car, Telling Stories

By: chiababe

chiababe — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 14:14:55 -0800

Phil Collins "In the Air Tonight" - for the steering wheel drumming that is required.

By: annsunny

annsunny — Sun, 07 Oct 2007 17:27:23 -0800

Autobahn, by Kraftwerk

By: flabdablet

flabdablet — Sun, 07 Oct 2007 22:04:06 -0800

Got Autobahn already.

Ace of Spades - Motörhead

By: rongorongo

rongorongo — Sun, 28 Oct 2007 17:15:55 -0800

Diamonds on my Windshield - Tom Waits