10 road trip albums

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What Are the 10 Best Road-Trip Albums?

I’m planning a cross-country road trip this fall. Any suggestions for good driving music?

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When you’re on the road, there are times when Pandora or satellite radio just doesn’t quite capture the mood or scenery of the moment. That’s when it’s time to turn to one of these classic records. Besides just being great music, these really work as albums: each sets a distinct tone from beginning to end, perfectly suited for long trips behind the wheel.

Lucinda Williams, Car Wheels on a Gravel Road With her songs of heartache, pain, loss, departure, longing, and anger Lucinda Williams could make Roy Orbison seem upbeat. The singer’s appropriately gravelly voice makes you feel like you’re riding shotgun with her on empty dirt roads as she tells her stories. Best Listening Location: Any county road in the South, especially Louisiana or Texas.
Green Day, American Idiot Profane and profound, the pop-punk torch-holders paint a depressing portrait of modern, sterile America through the eyes of Jesus of Suburbia in their rock opera American Idiot. Best Listening Location: New Jersey Turnpike.
R.E.M., Automatic For the People There isn’t a weak point on the haunting, downbeat Automatic for the People. Starting with the first track, “Drive,” Michael Stipe expresses some (usually) depressing but compelling feeling in every song. Best played at night or in the rain. Best Listening Location: A dramatic, winding road, like the Pacific Coast Highway.
Bruce Springsteen, Nebraska Leaning heavily on the folk masters who influenced him, the Boss tells a short story in almost every song on Nebraska, paying tribute to small town life, cars, and the highway. Best Listening Location: I-80 on the long, drab stretch of cornfields between Lincoln and North Platte.
Johnny Cash, At Folsom Prison This album captures Johnny Cash near his prime, singing stories of loss, crime, and punishment, including the classic “Folsom Prison Blues,” in front of the inmates of Folsom State Prison in California. No album makes you feel better about being free and on the open road than this one. Best Listening Location: Following the old Route 66 through the dusty byways of Arizona and New Mexico.
The Beatles, The Beatles The White Album, recorded as the Beatles were beginning to drift apart, is like a soap opera playing out for you through the course of a double album. Lennon and McCartney (and, to a lesser degree, Harrison) collaborated less than they did for previous works, and recorded many of the songs individually. You can feel the band bouncing in haphazard directions with each track. Best Listening Location: The traffic-filled freeways of Southern California, or any other place where you’re craving variety.
The Clash, London Calling You won’t want to skip a single song on this two-disc album. The Clash folds hard rock, jazz, reggae, ska and other styles into a punk core that plays like a sampler platter of 20th-century popular music. Start listening—even along the most boring stretch of pavement—and the next thing you know, an hour and a half will have passed. Best Listening Location: The Pennsylvania Turnpike.
Eric Clapton, Unplugged Clapton returns to his bluesy roots in Unplugged, definitely one of the great guitar albums of all time. If screaming electric guitars make for windows-down city listening, this acoustic collection plays especially well when surrounded by nature. Best Listening Location: Driving through Independence Pass between Leadville and Aspen, Colorado.
Zac Brown Band, The Foundation This album keeps finding its way onto my playlist. Zac Brown combines reggae, Jimmy Buffett, rock, and bluegrass with the sounds of traditional country music to create an immensely fun song collection. Best Listening Location: The Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia, Tennessee, and North Carolina.
Stevie Wonder, Songs in the Key of Life What’s a road trip collection without some Motown? Songs in the Key of Life is sort of like Stevie Wonder’s autobiography in music, as rich, deep and varied as the songwriter’s life itself. Best Listening Location: Anywhere there’s pavement.
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The 13 Best Road Trip Albums for Every Leg of the Journey

There’s nothing like being on the open road…but let’s be real, extended periods behind the wheel only feel like a vacation, not a headache (or backache or buttache), when you have really great music to groove to. Here, a roundup of the very best road trip albums for your listening pleasure, whether you need a soundtrack for solo car travel or are simply trying to tune out a backseat driver in the most enjoyable way possible.

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1. Rumours by Fleetwood Mac (1977)

Best for Stormy Weather

There's never a bad time to put on Fleetwood Mac’s best-selling album, but we’re particularly partial to it when stormy weather strikes. Slow your roll (for safety’s sake, of course) and turn up the volume on moody, high drama hits, like “The Chain,” “Gold Dust Woman” and “Oh Daddy.” Then, transition to the peppier tracks and put the pedal to the metal when the sun comes out—because, yes, this album kind of has it all.

2. Exile on Main Street by The Rolling Stones (1972)

Best Rock and Roll

This masterpiece from the Stones is arguably the best rock n’ roll album of all time, so it should come as no surprise that it has too-cool-for-school summer vibes to spare. In fact, the album—a clever compilation of blues, country and straight rock songs—captures nearly every aspect of the all-American road trip experience with bonus points for technical brilliance.

3. Ramblin' Man by Hank Williams (1955)

Best for Night Driving

Hank Williams’ voice is one of a kind: beautiful, haunting and, above all, never boring. If you’re looking for a deeply emotional nighttime listen that’s more badass than weepy and will keep you wide awake without killing the chill vibe, this album—a perfect expression of the influential country singer’s ramblin’ blues—has got you covered.

4. United by Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell (1967)

Best for Couples

Listen to soul artists Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell’s first duet album and you’d never believe the pair were actually just BFFs. “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” is obvious fodder for a passionate sing-along, but the loving feeling and wholesome upbeat vibes of all the other tracks—including “You Got What It Takes,” “Your Precious Love” and a quirky cover of “Somethin’ Stupid,” to name a few—combine to create a perfect soundtrack for road trip romance.

5. Little Creatures by Talking Heads (1985)

Best for Kicking Off Your Journey

The poppiest and most approachable of Talking Heads albums, Little Creatures might as well be David Byrne’s answer to the question at hand. Neither too weird, nor too grating, this album is full of positive energy and even features opening and closing tracks (“And She Was” and “Road to Nowhere”) that perfectly illustrate the trajectory of road trip enthusiasm without ever killing the mood.

6. Take Me to Your Leader by King Geedorah (2003)

Best for Traffic

Got slowdown up ahead? Just queue up this work of genius from King Geedorah AKA MF Doom. You can expect masterfully sampled tracks, lo-fi beats and the lyrical stylings of a true wordsmith, plus an epic storyline that’s infinitely better than any audiobook you can find. In other words, it’s an immersive listening experience that will make you feel so damn cool, you won’t even mind that you’re going nowhere fast.

7. The Writing's on the Wall by Destiny's Child (1999)

Best Throwback

Take a trip back in time to when Beyoncé was fronting a girl group and frosted tips were still cool with this nostalgic favorite, which features modern classics like “Say My Name” and “Bugaboo.” Trust us, your soul has been asking you for a Destiny’s Child sing-along with friends for at least a decade.

8. The Band by The Band (1969)

Best for Country Driving

So you made it out of the big city and are ready for some music that matches the country scenery? Try The Band’s self-titled album, an easy-listening (in the best sense of the word) folk-rock gem that features impressive musical talent and plays out like American history come to life—so much so that you’d never guess all but one of the guys responsible is Canadian.

best-road-trip-albums-tom-petty-greatest-hits

9. Greatest Hits by Tom Petty (1976)

Best Compilation

We couldn’t pick just one Tom Petty album for the list since every damn one was destined to be the soundtrack for a carefree summer road trip. Fortunately, we didn’t have to since this compilation really does cover all the red-blooded rock and roll hits the legendary artist produced.

10. Lost in the Dream by The War on Drugs (2014)

Best Indie Jam

Understated chord changes and a melancholic tone characterize The War on Drugs’ refreshing reinterpretation of classic rock on Lost in the Dream , which happens to be an ode to restless wandering and is also arguably the most polished album the indie band has put out. Intricate, poignant and just right for a (relatively) low key music moment, this fine-tuned gem is well worth listening to from start to finish.

11. The Journey - Pt. 1 by The Kinks (2023)

Best to Listen to on Repeat

If you had to listen to only one album for an entire road trip, this might be the one—namely because The Kinks are such an exceptional example of a truly diverse band. Their repertoire includes whiffs of British Invasion pop with “You Really Got Me,” angst-ridden numbers like “Dead End Street” and “I’m Not Like Everybody Else,” whimsical ditties like “Lola,” dreamy, romantic songs like “Nothin’ in the World Can Stop Me Worrying ‘Bout That Girl” and even tracks that were tailor made for driving off into the (Waterloo) sunset. And yep, this compilation has ‘em all, so you’re likely to never get bored.

12. Whitney Houston by Whitney Houston

Best for Road Trip Karaoke

Prepare your pipes, but don’t feel bad if you can’t match Whitney’s vocal range. (They call her The Voice for a reason.) Still, long notes are well-suited to long drives and there’s no better place to rehearse your next knockout karaoke performance than in the privacy of a car with belt-it-out tunes like “Saving All My Love For You” and “How Will I Know.”

13. Sour by Olivia Rodrigo

Best for a Breakup Trip

A little bit pop, a little bit alternative and a little bit punk make this punchy debut album by the Gen Z singer the perfect accompaniment to a girls’ weekend away with your newly single pal. Sing (or shout) along to breakup anthems like “Drivers License” and “Good 4 U” then chill out to the softer melodies of “Happier” and “Favorite Crime.” Music is the greatest medicine, no?

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10 Essential Road Trip Albums

Every year, millions of Americans pack up their minivans, station wagons, hybrids or sedans to give into the call of the road and make their way across the nation’s highways—sometimes with a destination in sight, sometimes just for the sake of driving. But you can’t very well have a road trip without a proper soundtrack, now, can you? We certainly think not. In that spirit, we’ve assembled a list of our 10 best road trip albums. Put these albums on in rotation and you’ll be good to go for miles and miles.

The Band – The Band

Every American should drive through West Texas. Seriously. I’m willing to stipulate that it’s not as a romantic an excursion as, say, marveling at the sequoias, nor it is it as army-issue patriotic as seeing the Declaration of Independence, or as breathtaking as your first glance at the Chicago skyline. But you should do it. I happened upon that notion while I was, yes, driving east through West Texas on Interstate 10 by myself in my old black Honda Civic. I had a week to reach Connecticut to start a new job. I had just left El Paso, where I had stopped for lunch at a Whataburger, and motoring down the highway, I soon encountered just a bumpy, dusty expanse, littered with pale-green small growth plants divided by two parallel asphalt lines stretching out until your eyes are at capacity. People may have similar experiences in other parts of the world, but I swear, the sheer nothingness of West Texas will make you question your very reason for being. I’m an atheist, but I swear could sense the mental gearbox that causes people to switch religions.

With nothing to listen to on the local radio, I switched the car stereo to the six-CD changer in the trunk. Pretty streamlined stuff for the pre-iPod era. I remember the Raveonettes’ Chain Gang of Love was in heavy rotation those days. But the one disc I never — never — took out from San Diego to Connecticut was The Band’s second, self-titled album. Look, others have written miles and miles of text about The Band. It is indeed a historical journey through American music and in doing so it evokes the personal dramas, love and loss, defeat and comfort, that play out against national themes. What The Band offers to listeners is that sense of connection to the past, that we are part of a larger history. It makes you feel our stories are linked to each other and that we don’t exist in an ahistorical vacuum, something that was perhaps more pronounced in the tumult of the late ’60s. It’s hardly a surprise that the first cut is called “Across the Great Divide.”

Elsewhere on the album, such as “Rockin’ Chair,” you’re drawn in by the weary, sepia toned comfort of Richard Manuel’s vocal, signing fondly about “ol’ Virginny.” There’s “Up on Cripple Creek,” the story of a miner visiting Lake Charles and his “little Bessie girl,” and making some booze and gambling-paced time with “ Spike Jones on the box .” Even in all that mess, there’s a picture of two people who understand each other. All of those feelings get amplified in when you’re in a place like West Texas, where you feel like the only person on the planet, but you’re not. There’s great harmonies on The Band , both in musical and poetic sense of the word. It’s nearly impossible and perhaps illogical to recommend experiences. Albums, songs, somebody live, sure. But experiences are inherently subjective, but, even with that caveat, you should get copy of The Band and drive across the fucker. – Stephen Chupaska

Rolling Stones – Let It Bleed

One could probably play the entire run of Stones albums from Beggars Banquet on up to Some Girls and be entirely set for an asphalt journey, but for the sake of not clogging this whole list with Jagger and Richards, Let It Bleed is the one best suited for heading out on the open road. Maybe it’s because of the bluesy nature of many of the songs, which by proxy allow us to feel like midnight ramblers (which is a little creepy, come to think of it). Or maybe it’s the slightly darker nature of the album, as best displayed on the apocalyptic “Gimme Shelter,” which gets a cinematic boost every 10 years or so thanks to Martin Scorsese. Or maybe it’s just that there’s an earthy grit to it that speaks to the thrill of spending a week watching the horizon unfold, going nowhere in particular. – Jeff Terich

Neil Young & Crazy Horse – Everybody Knows This is Nowhere

Aside from the apt name of Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere , and by extension its title track, what makes this one of the best road trip albums can be traced right to how its opening highlight “Cinnamon Girl” kicks things off at an anthemic, invigorating pace. Then later, the classic rock epics “Down By the River” and “Cowgirl in the Sand” provide perfect pacing for spacing out behind the wheel, as Neil and Crazy Horse alternately jam for 5 minutes and rip through one cathartic chorus after another. – Justin Stephani

Swervedriver – Mezcal Head

Swervedriver is an obligatory entry in this feature, and not just due to their appropriately themed name. With their heavy and careening (though rarely abrasive) rock – at its apotheosis on Mezcal Head – Swervedriver may as well have intended to make music expressly for blaring out of your speakers while you journey down the open road. Theirs is a dense, more active, rocking form of shoegaze that won’t put you to sleep (very important) on a 10 hour drive, while simultaneously satiating your fix for loud, densely layered guitar. The themes of movement in Mezcal Head – “ Last Train to Satansville ,” “Girl On A Motorbike” – are the icing on the cake, though, getting you psyched up for where you’re heading and avoiding the dreaded feelings of homesickness that are the bane of good road trips. – Connor Brown

Friends of Dean Martinez – Retrograde

At times, Retrograde sounds more like the soundtrack to a long lost Tarantino film instead of an album built for road trippin’. Frankly, that’s what makes it so brilliant. The album conjures images of wide open road, with nothing between your ’57 Chevy and massive sandstone obelisks other than a few stray tumbleweeds blowing in the distance. As the passenger of this album, you know that you are eventually going to reach the coast, you just don’t know when. And honestly, it doesn’t even matter, as time is rendered irrelevant. The journey is what’s important here. Retrograde is an album chock full of desolate songs that have been abused by the heat for far too long. It’s the perfect soundtrack for sun soaked highways and vehicles without proper A/C. Perhaps the journey will be without the violence or high grade mescaline as Tarantino would have it, however, the fulfilling promise of quenching your thirst will keep you coming back for more. – Ryan Brun

Modest Mouse – The Lonesome Crowded West

All of Modest Mouse’s albums seem to be about going somewhere. Or, more specifically, they’re about going absolutely nowhere. They’re about the desolate stretches of road in the far corners of the baddest of badlands, or the iciest wastelands, or pretty much any highway that beckons. That’s essentially the feeling that consumes The Lonesome Crowded West , a travelogue of trailers and outposts, hamlets and podunks. It’s a sputtering Lincoln that roars through deserts and trails, and takes detours through backyards and pulls down laundry lines. It can conjure up a tense, ominous feeling of isolation as it does on “Cowboy Dan,” or a focused malevolence as on the 11-minute “ Truckers Atlas ,” which stretches out like the great network of automotive infrastructure heralded by President Dwight Eisenhower. You’ve never really seen America until you’ve crossed it with Isaac Brock screaming in your ear. – Jeff Terich

Wilco – summerteeth

The album title’s hockey-player pun notwithstanding (summer there and summer not!) summerteeth is, in fact, a perfect summertime album, one that pairs nicely with a drive up the coastline. I mean, sure, most of it is about depression and loneliness and all those fun things that make life a little colder, but Wilco undercuts the gloom by adding their own musical silver lining. The resulting set is something that feels very human, and very alive. Jeff Tweedy & Co. work out some frustrations with the universe on the groovy “Can’t Stand It,” put a gorgeous spotlight on depression and addiction with the magnificent “ A Shot In the Arm ,” and jazz up a self-help mantra in “How to Fight Loneliness.” The key with summerteeth is that every track is so brightly and wonderfully arranged, that even at its darkest, it feels universal and fun, and can turn a long drive into a dreamlike experience as the coastline zips by. Queue up the title track as you zoom up the PCH, and you’ll see what I mean. – Jeff Terich

Bob Dylan – Love and Theft

Bob Dylan’s “Love and Theft” sounds like America. It sounds like landscapes and plains and forests and mountains and deserts. It sounds like the sun and it sounds like the rain. It is the soundtrack to the scenery that the adventuresome road-tripper, the one who avoids the freeways and turnpikes and seeks out side roads and two-lane interstates, banks on enjoying as he treks across our great country. The drums on opening number, “Tweedle Dee & Tweedle Dum,” provided by the legendary David Kemper, roll like trees in the car window. “Summer Days” is a hot number, meant to be played in an open convertible during the day; the cool and lazy “Moonlight” would be played in the same car at night. “Mississippi” provides pensive fodder when there road is straight and barren. Add to this the eerie fact that “Love and Theft” was released on September 11, 2001, and the parallels between it and the small details of America are all the more poignant. – Chad Gorn

M83 – Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming

There are two important pieces of information that will serve a traveler well on their voyage. First, double albums were practically engineered to be the best road trip albums, their epic nature suitably matched by the miles and miles of scenery or lack thereof just outside the car window. And second, M83’s Anthony Gonzalez crafts music that sounds best when played during a night drive. Really, any album will do (though the horrific car-crash imagery in Before the Dawn Heals Us might be less than ideal for the superstitious). But combine M83’s nightscape soundtracks with a lengthy, continually unfolding tracklist and you have the makings for a road trip hitting its PM-hour stride. I mean, come on — there’s actually a song called “Midnight City”! That’s really just the (literal) beginning, though, as later tracks like the shoegazing “Reunion,” the teary-eyed “Wait” and the soaring “Steve McQueen” take this sprawling set into various directions. Because, let’s be honest, you also basically need something to keep from going bored on a long drive, and this 2xLP album takes care of that problem pretty handily as well. – Jeff Terich

Japandroids – Celebration Rock

If you’re going to follow your wanderlust and get your adrenaline pumping just right, there are few better ways to do so than with the explosion of fireworks and crack of David Prowse’s drums on “The Nights of Wine and Roses,” the opening track of Celebration Rock . And once that momentum kicks up, it doesn’t stop for a good 35 minutes or so. More so than any other band today, Japandroids embody a youthful celebratory feeling that’s not just infectious, but truly joyful. And as such, Celebration Roc k is the perfect soundtrack for throwing caution to the wind and getting the hell out of wherever you are, in search of escape, from the defiant sing-along chorus of “The House That Heaven Built” to the unrelenting pace of “Fire’s Highway.” If it’s not a road trip staple yet (though it is officially a hockey anthem ), soon enough it will be. – Jeff Terich

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The 13 Best Road Trip Albums for Every Leg of the Journey

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15 Road Trips from Houston That Show Off the Best Part of Texas

Warner Bros. Records

1. Rumours by Fleetwood Mac (1977)

Best for Stormy Weather

Listen on Spotify

listen on Apple music

Rolling Stones Records

2. Exile on Main Street by The Rolling Stones (1972)

Best Rock and Roll

listen on spotify

listen on apple music

MGM Records

3. Ramblin' Man by Hank Williams (1955)

Best for Night Driving

listen on Spotify

Tamal Records

4. United by Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell (1967)

Best for Couples

Sire Records

5. Little Creatures by Talking Heads (1985)

Best for Kicking Off Your Journey

6. Take Me to Your Leader by King Geedorah (2003)

Best for Traffic

Columbia Records

7. The Writing's on the Wall by Destiny's Child (1999)

Best Throwback

Capitol Records

8. The Band by The Band (1969)

Best for Country Driving

Geffen Records

9. Greatest Hits by Tom Petty (1976)

Best Compilation

Secretly Canadian

10. Lost in the Dream by The War on Drugs (2014)

Best Indie Jam

11. The Journey - Pt. 1 by The Kinks (2023)

Best to Listen to on Repeat

12. Whitney Houston by Whitney Houston

Best for Road Trip Karaoke

13. Sour by Olivia Rodrigo

Best for a Breakup Trip

The 45 Best Movie Soundtracks of All Time

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Best Road Trip Albums: Top 10 Picks for Your Next Adventure

R oad trips are a great way to explore new places, make memories, and bond with friends and family. One of the essential elements of a successful road trip is a great playlist. The right music can set the tone for the entire trip, making the journey more enjoyable, memorable, and fun.

Defining the best road trip albums can be challenging because everyone has different tastes in music. However, there are classic albums that have stood the test of time and become synonymous with road trips . These albums have a unique ability to capture the spirit of adventure and freedom that comes with a road trip .

Key Takeaways

A good road trip album can make the journey more enjoyable, memorable, and fun.
Classic road trip albums have stood the test of time and become synonymous with road trips.
The right playlist will depend on personal preferences, but some classic albums are universally loved for their ability to capture the spirit of adventure and freedom.

Historical Significance of Road Trip Albums

Road trip albums have been an integral part of American culture for decades. They are a reflection of the spirit of adventure and wanderlust that is deeply ingrained in the American psyche. These albums have provided the perfect soundtrack for countless road trips, whether it’s a cross-country journey or a simple weekend getaway .

One of the earliest examples of a road trip album is Bob Dylan’s “Highway 61 Revisited,” released in 1965. This album is a quintessential representation of the freedom and rebellion that was associated with the open road during the 1960s. The title track, “Highway 61 Revisited,” is a nod to the famous highway that runs from Minnesota to New Orleans, and the album as a whole captures the spirit of the American road trip .

Another iconic road trip album is The Beach Boys’ “Pet Sounds,” released in 1966. This album is a masterpiece of harmony and melody, and it perfectly captures the carefree spirit of the 1960s. Songs like “Wouldn’t It Be Nice” and “God Only Knows” have become synonymous with the American road trip, and they continue to inspire generations of travelers to hit the open road.

In the 1970s, road trip albums took on a more introspective tone. Artists like Neil Young and Joni Mitchell released albums that explored the inner workings of the human psyche, while still capturing the sense of adventure and exploration that is associated with the open road. Young’s “Harvest” and Mitchell’s “Blue” are two examples of albums that perfectly balance introspection with the spirit of the road trip.

In the 1980s and 1990s, road trip albums became more diverse, with artists like Tom Petty, Bruce Springsteen, and R.E.M. releasing albums that blended rock, folk, and pop influences. These albums continued to capture the sense of adventure and exploration that is associated with the American road trip, while also exploring themes of love, loss, and the human condition.

Today, road trip albums continue to be an important part of American culture. They provide the perfect soundtrack for travelers who are looking to explore the open road and discover new adventures. From classic rock to indie pop, there is a road trip album for every taste and every mood.

Top 10 Classic Road Trip Albums

Here are ten classic road trip albums that will make your next trip unforgettable.

Album 1: “Highway 61 Revisited” by Bob Dylan

Bob Dylan’s “Highway 61 Revisited” is a classic album that is perfect for a road trip. It includes some of Dylan’s most famous songs, including “Like a Rolling Stone” and “Ballad of a Thin Man.”

Album 2: “Born to Run” by Bruce Springsteen

Bruce Springsteen’s “Born to Run” is a classic rock album that is perfect for a long drive. The album includes some of Springsteen’s most famous songs, including “Thunder Road” and “Born to Run.”

Album 3: “Rumours” by Fleetwood Mac

Fleetwood Mac’s “Rumours” is a classic album that is perfect for a road trip. The album includes some of Fleetwood Mac’s most famous songs, including “Go Your Own Way” and “Dreams.”

Album 4: “Hotel California” by The Eagles

The Eagles’ “Hotel California” is a classic rock album that is perfect for a road trip. The album includes some of The Eagles’ most famous songs, including “Hotel California” and “Life in the Fast Lane.”

Album 5: “Led Zeppelin IV” by Led Zeppelin

Led Zeppelin’s “Led Zeppelin IV” is a classic rock album that is perfect for a road trip. The album includes some of Led Zeppelin’s most famous songs, including “Stairway to Heaven” and “Black Dog.”

Album 6: “The Joshua Tree” by U2

U2’s “The Joshua Tree” is a classic album that is perfect for a road trip. The album includes some of U2’s most famous songs, including “With or Without You” and “Where the Streets Have No Name.”

Album 7: “Exile on Main St.” by The Rolling Stones

The Rolling Stones’ “Exile on Main St.” is a classic album that is perfect for a road trip. The album includes some of The Rolling Stones’ most famous songs, including “Tumbling Dice” and “Sweet Virginia.”

Album 8: “Dark Side of the Moon” by Pink Floyd

Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of the Moon” is a classic album that is perfect for a road trip. The album includes some of Pink Floyd’s most famous songs, including “Money” and “Time.”

Album 9: “Appetite for Destruction” by Guns N’ Roses

Guns N’ Roses’ “Appetite for Destruction” is a classic rock album that is perfect for a road trip. The album includes some of Guns N’ Roses’ most famous songs, including “Welcome to the Jungle” and “Sweet Child o’ Mine.”

Album 10: “The Doors” by The Doors

The Doors’ self-titled album is a classic rock album that is perfect for a road trip. The album includes some of The Doors’ most famous songs, including “Break on Through” and “Light My Fire.”

Criteria for a Good Road Trip Album

When it comes to selecting the perfect album for a road trip, there are a few key criteria to consider. Here are some factors to keep in mind:

Upbeat and Energetic: A good road trip album should have a lively, upbeat feel that matches the excitement of hitting the open road. Look for albums with catchy hooks, driving rhythms, and plenty of energy to keep you engaged and entertained.
Variety of Styles: While it can be tempting to stick to one genre of music for a road trip, a good album should offer a range of styles and sounds to keep things interesting. Look for albums that blend different genres or offer a mix of fast and slow songs to keep you engaged.
Memorable Lyrics: One of the joys of a road trip is singing along to your favorite songs at the top of your lungs. A good road trip album should have memorable lyrics that are easy to sing along with and that you can enjoy belting out with your friends.
Timeless Appeal: While it can be fun to choose an album that is of the moment, a good road trip album should have timeless appeal that will keep you coming back to it over the years. Look for albums that have stood the test of time and that you can enjoy listening to again and again.

Overall, the perfect road trip album is one that captures the excitement and adventure of hitting the open road. By keeping these criteria in mind, you can find an album that will provide the perfect soundtrack for your next adventure.

Benefits of Music on Road Trips

Music is an essential part of any road trip. It can make the journey more enjoyable, reduce stress, and even improve your mood. Here are some benefits of music on road trips:

Entertainment: Music can be a source of entertainment during long drives. It can keep you engaged and make the journey seem shorter.
Stress relief: Long drives can be stressful, especially if you are driving in heavy traffic or unfamiliar roads. Music can help you relax and reduce stress levels.
Mood enhancement: Music can have a positive effect on your mood. It can help you feel more energized, motivated, and happy.
Memory association: Listening to music on a road trip can create lasting memories. The songs you listen to can become associated with the places you visit, and listening to them later can bring back fond memories of the trip.
Improved focus: Music can help you stay focused while driving. It can keep you alert and prevent drowsiness, which is essential for safe driving.

Overall, music is a great way to enhance your road trip experience. Whether you are traveling alone or with friends and family, music can make the journey more enjoyable and memorable.

Modern Road Trip Albums

When it comes to modern road trip albums, there are plenty of great options to choose from. These albums offer a mix of genres, styles, and moods that are perfect for hitting the open road. Here are five of the best modern road trip albums to consider:

Album 1: “Lonerism” by Tame Impala

Released in 2012, “Lonerism” by Tame Impala is a psychedelic rock album that offers a dreamy, introspective vibe that’s perfect for long drives. The album features catchy hooks, lush instrumentation, and introspective lyrics that are sure to keep you engaged for hours on end. Highlights include “Elephant,” “Feels Like We Only Go Backwards,” and “Mind Mischief.”

Album 2: “Melodrama” by Lorde

Released in 2017, “Melodrama” by Lorde is a pop album that explores themes of heartbreak, self-discovery, and coming of age. The album features lush production, catchy hooks, and powerful vocals that are sure to keep you singing along. Highlights include “Green Light,” “Homemade Dynamite,” and “Supercut.”

Album 3: “Blonde” by Frank Ocean

Released in 2016, “Blonde” by Frank Ocean is an R&B album that offers a mix of introspective ballads and upbeat tracks that are perfect for road trips. The album features lush production, introspective lyrics, and powerful vocals that are sure to keep you engaged. Highlights include “Nights,” “Self Control,” and “Ivy.”

Album 4: “Golden Hour” by Kacey Musgraves

Released in 2018, “Golden Hour” by Kacey Musgraves is a country-pop album that offers a mix of upbeat tracks and introspective ballads that are perfect for road trips. The album features catchy hooks, introspective lyrics, and lush instrumentation that are sure to keep you engaged. Highlights include “Slow Burn,” “High Horse,” and “Rainbow.”

Album 5: “After Hours” by The Weeknd

Released in 2020, “After Hours” by The Weeknd is a pop album that offers a mix of upbeat tracks and introspective ballads that are perfect for road trips. The album features catchy hooks, introspective lyrics, and lush instrumentation that are sure to keep you engaged. Highlights include “Blinding Lights,” “Heartless,” and “Save Your Tears.”

Overall, these modern road trip albums offer a mix of genres, styles, and moods that are perfect for hitting the open road. Whether you’re looking for dreamy psychedelia, introspective ballads, or upbeat pop tracks, there’s something here for everyone.

How to Create a Road Trip Playlist

Creating a road trip playlist can be a fun and exciting way to set the mood for your journey. However, it can also be a daunting task, especially if you’re not sure where to start. Here are some tips to help you create a road trip playlist that will keep you and your passengers entertained for hours.

Consider Your Audience

When creating a road trip playlist, it’s important to consider your audience. If you’re traveling with friends or family , make sure to include songs that everyone will enjoy. You can even ask your passengers to contribute to the playlist, so everyone feels included.

Choose a Theme

Choosing a theme for your road trip playlist can help tie everything together and make it more enjoyable. For example, you can create a playlist of songs from a certain decade or genre, or choose songs that are related to the places you’ll be visiting on your trip.

A good road trip playlist should have a mix of upbeat and mellow songs to keep things interesting. You can also include songs from different eras and genres to keep everyone on their toes.

Keep Safety in Mind

While it’s important to create a fun and entertaining road trip playlist, it’s also important to keep safety in mind. The driver should always be able to focus on the road, so make sure to choose songs that won’t be too distracting. Additionally, keep the volume at a reasonable level so you can still hear any important traffic sounds.

By following these tips, you can create a road trip playlist that will keep you and your passengers entertained and safe on your journey.

Final Thoughts

Choosing the right album for a road trip can make all the difference. After all, music can set the tone for the entire journey, and the right soundtrack can make the miles fly by.

Based on our research and personal preferences, here are some of the best road trip albums to consider:

Of course, everyone’s taste in music is different, so it’s important to choose an album that everyone in the car will enjoy. Consider creating a playlist with a mix of different genres to keep things interesting. Choose an album that has a good mix of upbeat and slower songs to match the mood of the trip.

Ultimately, the best road trip album is the one that makes you feel good and helps you enjoy the journey. So, turn up the volume and hit the road!

Frequently Asked Questions about Best Road Trip Albums

What are some great albums to listen to on a road trip.

Some great albums to listen to on a road trip are “Rumours” by Fleetwood Mac, “Born to Run” by Bruce Springsteen, “Highway 61 Revisited” by Bob Dylan, “The Joshua Tree” by U2, and “Dark Side of the Moon” by Pink Floyd.

What are the best rock albums for a road trip?

The best rock albums for a road trip are “Led Zeppelin IV” by Led Zeppelin, “Appetite for Destruction” by Guns N’ Roses, “Nevermind” by Nirvana, “Exile on Main St.” by The Rolling Stones, and “Back in Black” by AC/DC.

What are some good rap albums to listen to on a road trip?

Some good rap albums to listen to on a road trip are “The Chronic” by Dr. Dre, “The Blueprint” by Jay-Z, “Illmatic” by Nas, “Ready to Die” by The Notorious B.I.G., and “Doggystyle” by Snoop Dogg.

What are some of the best albums for night driving?

Some of the best albums for night driving are “Drive” by R.E.M., “Music for Airports” by Brian Eno, “Dummy” by Portishead, “Kid A” by Radiohead, and “The xx” by The xx.

What are some of the best albums for a long flight?

Some of the best albums for a long flight are “Kind of Blue” by Miles Davis, “The Suburbs” by Arcade Fire, “Random Access Memories” by Daft Punk, “Good Kid, M.A.A.D City” by Kendrick Lamar, and “In Rainbows” by Radiohead.

How long should a road trip playlist be?

The length of a road trip playlist depends on the length of the road trip. A good rule of thumb is to have at least 10 hours of music for a 10-hour road trip. It’s always a good idea to have extra music in case you want to switch things up.

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Road trips are a great way to explore new places, make memories, and bond with friends and family. One of the essential elements of a successful road trip is a great playlist. The right music can set the tone for the entire trip, making the journey more enjoyable, memorable, and…

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10 Albums That Are Practically Summer Road Trip Essentials

The open road, good tunes, and no worries.

Community Contributor

Summer is here, which means it's time to start planning out our vacation time, and there's nothing better than a good road trip.

Everyone knows the most important part of a road trip is picking the right music., i love putting an album on straight through, instead of going through a playlist and hitting shuffle..

I can keep the tunes flowing and my eyes on the road.

So, here are some of my favorite albums to blast on a road trip.

1. rumours by fleetwood mac.

I mean, of course. This should be in your record collection no matter the season, but especially on a summer road trip. Every song is fit for driving in the sun and singing along, from "Don't Stop" to "You Make Loving Fun," and, of course, "The Chain."

2. Sour by Olivia Rodrigo

Our teen idol's first single is called "Drivers License," so of course her album was made for a road trip. She also made a documentary road tripping while performing songs along the way. So what are you doing if this isn't in your rotation?

3. Tapestry by Carole King

One of the best albums of all time. Just stellar. Great for any occasion, and especially a road trip.

4. An Evening With Silk Sonic by Silk Sonic

Need some good jams? Try this duo's album. There's funk and slow jams and all the good stuff.

5. Golden Hour by Kacey Musgraves

With songs like "Slow Burn" and "Oh, What a World," this album is made for an easy drive at sunset, just marveling at the scenery. And then when there's a rude driver on the road, there's "High Horse."

6. Humble Quest by Maren Morris

You need some good country music on a road trip. Any of Maren Morris' albums will get the job done, but I especially like her newest for driving around.

7. Future Nostalgia by Dua Lipa

This is the album that got us through the quarantine stage of the pandemic, and it will keep carrying us through. Thankfully, we're at a stage where we can safely be with others, blasting music in our cars and singing and dancing along.

8. Is Your Love Big Enough? by Lianne La Havas

You might not have heard this album before, but that's why it's so perfect for a road trip. Each song is full of power and soul.

9. After Laughter by Paramore

If you really listen to the lyrics, you might not think this is a great pop album to sing along to, but you'd be wrong. This is perfect for when you want a deep and emotional drive, but you also need bops. And these songs are bops.

10. And American Idiot by Green Day

When will this album stop being relevant? Also, it's just a great rock album, and when you pair it with the Broadway cast album, you'll have a great audio experience.

What albums do you blast on a road trip?

Let us know in the comments below!

This post is an entry in BuzzFeed’s 2nd Annual Community Summer Writers’ Challenge, where you can earn $$$ for creating your own lists and quizzes published through September 15, 2022! Check out alllll the details here . 👀

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NME Recommends: the best road trip albums

The soundtrack to your next driving adventure

There’s something about having the perfect soundtrack that turns a dreary hack down the motorway into an adventure. You may not be zooming along a scenic coastal road or navigating a winding route through lush forests, but stick on the right album and you transform even the dreariest journey into a road trip.

Whether it’s turning your car into a karaoke booth accompanied by Whitney Houston or Lorde , or recreating a moody music video with Japanese Breakfast or Waxahatchee , some albums are perfect for blasting on the road.

Here NME writers go deep on the best road trip albums.

Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever

‘hope downs’ (2018).

Restrained and hushed doesn’t really cut it when bombing down the motorways – at least not in a featherweight Toyota Aygo with a patchy soundsystem – so it’s gotta be loud, and it’s gotta be fast. You might only hear half the song, but hey, shouldn’t you be focusing on the road? Anyway, ‘Hope Down’s is an album custom-built for this listening experience – energetic, buoyant and a sense of forward momentum, the Aussie five-piece nailed it on their speedy debut. Thomas Smith Listen: Spotify | Apple Music

Whitney Houston

‘whitney houston’ (1985).

If you ask me, there are exactly two good things about road trips: highly romantic notions on paper, a belching tangle of traffic and motorway closures in reality. Firstly, the tantalising possibility of visiting either Tebay or Gloucester service station along the way; truly, the finest roadside beacons in the nation. Secondly, being in a car is essentially like renting out your own personal karaoke booth, except on wheels. And in this life there’s no purer joy than sticking my scratched-to-fuck copy of Whitney Houston ’s self-titled debut album in the CD player, smacking the dashboard like a bass drum, and belting out ‘Saving All My Love For You’, ‘How Will I Know’ or ‘All At Once’ with the feverish air of an X Factor auditionee who didn’t get Simon Cowell’s memo about it being a dangerous game taking on a Whitney banger. The man’s correct: my rendition of ‘Greatest Love of All’ sounds like a lilo squeakily deflating; but luckily enough, I’m not planning on giving him a lift any time soon. El Hunt Listen: Spotify | Apple Music

Japanese Breakfast

‘soft sounds from another planet’ (2017).

It ranked among many best of the year lists at the end of 2017, but the beauty of the second full length record from Michelle Zauner is that it reveals itself more and more over time – especially when you’ve got the space to explore. From the widescreen ‘Road Head’, to the floaty romance of ‘Boyish’ and the aching lullaby of ‘Till Death’, this adventurous collection of star-gazing dream-pop gems is the perfect companion for gliding down the highway and losing yourself while getting a little lost. Andrew Trendell Listen: Spotify | Apple Music

Fleetwood Mac

‘rumours’ (1977).

‘Rumours’ reflects every part of the perfect road trip. Close your eyes while listening to ‘Dreams’ and Stevie Nicks’ vocals will instantly transport you to the Pacific Highway – the sun beating down on your back as you travel across one of the most scenic stretches of road in the world. But by the time you get to ‘The Chain’, a sense of relaxation is replaced with pedal-to-the metal power, with a foreboding bass line preluding a burning urgency to just floor the damn thing. For 40 years, this magnus opus from the ‘Mac has been the ultimate soundtrack for dreamers everywhere – and Christ knows we’ve never needed it more than now. Nick Reilly Listen: Spotify | Apple Music

We Are Scientists

‘with love and squalor’ (2005).

Precisely how long do you need to be in a car before you’ve embarked on a ‘road trip’? I grew up in an area of east Yorkshire so rural that the quaint city of York seemed like a gleaming, limitless cosmopolis. Hull might as well have been Los Angeles (although I’m told there are key differences). When my mates and I turned 17 and were unwisely granted driving licenses, hour-long ‘road trips’ to Scarborough and Bridlington seemed like sprawling odysseys across desolate flatlands and harsh, uninhabitable plains. Really we were just passing through Driffield. And there was only ever one thing on the stereo: the debut album from Cali alt-pop quirksters We Are Scientists . History has not been kind to this quintessential slice of mid-‘00s indie, but as we often found upon arrival at those seaside towns, the journey can be more fun than the destination. Jordan Bassett Listen: Spotify | Apple Music

‘Melodrama’ (2017)

When you think of the perfect road trip you usually picture zipping down the Pacific Coast Highway or trundling through the English countryside; but even a hungover trek to the closest McDonald’s drive-thru can be romanticised into road trip if you have the perfect soundtrack. Stuffed full of effervescent hooks, pithy lyrics and choruses that require you to sing along at full belt, Lorde’s ‘Melodrama’ will transform even the dreariest commute into your next great adventure. Hannah Mylrea Listen: Spotify | Apple Music

The War On Drugs

‘lost in the dream’ (2014).

Road map? Check. Ample supply of snacks? Check. Adam Granduciel’s 2014 masterpiece as The War On Drugs? Big Check. Next time you head out on a long ol’ drive, stick ‘Lost In The Dream’ on: Granduciel and his band’s carefully assembled brand of pysch-meets-indie Americana will ensure the next hour of your journey flies by. The record’s soaring ambition and dreamy, cinematic soundscapes are certain to light up even the most hum-drum of road trips for years to come. Sam Moore Listen: Spotify | Apple Music

Kacey Musgraves

‘golden hour’ (2018).

Unapologetically retro, ‘Golden Hour’ finds harmony between honeyed country-pop and disco-lite arrangements. Filled with nostalgia, songs are sunlit and reflective, and there’s an offhand sense of vulnerability that’s central to each breezy tune. Musgraves’ velveteen delivery completely immerses you in her wide-screen feelings of love, loss and hope, providing the perfect soundtrack to stare out the window from the backseat next time you hit the road. Sophie Williams Listen: Spotify | Apple Music

Waxahatchee

‘saint cloud’ (2020).

Lockdown may have offered minimal chances to put Waxahatchee ’s 2020 album to the (driving) test, but it’s easy to imagine that ‘Saint Cloud’ would make a wonderful long-haul passenger. Written as frontwoman Katie Crutchfield found her way to sobriety, it’s the sound of a fresh start, with free-wheeling americana storytelling used to conjure up romantic notions of setting off into the sunset with nothing more than the clothes on your back and a pocket full of change for the tollbooth. In a time of COVID claustrophobia, it’s a true headphone adventure – just slap on ‘Lilacs’, close your eyes and feel that imaginary sun beating down… Jenessa Williams Listen: Spotify | Apple Music

Top 10 Road Trip Albums

by Jason Moore

What are your favorite road trip albums?

Get out on the open road and let some of your favorite jams fuel your adventure; you never know where music can take you.

I met up with my buddy and childhood friend, Jason Law to break down our Top 5 Road Trip Albums. Jason has been on the show before and he and his wife Kelly run Festy GoNuts. They’ll teach you a thing or two about music festivals and the location independent lifestyle.

Get ready for a lot of great music, a lot of great fun, and a lot of great travel.

Tune In Now To Learn:

A timeless album you could listen to over and over
A song that could take you to San Fran during the beat era
An album that stands the test of time
How you can “find your direction magnetically”
One of the best travel songs ever
How an album can bring you back to a time or place
Ways to create magic working around things you love
Honorable mentions
And so much more
Festy GoNuts
Side Hustle Success Guide
The Paradise Pack
Tortuga Backpacks

Want more Zero To Travel Podcasts? Check out the archives now!

* This post contains affiliate links to products. We may receive a commission for purchases made through these links.

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That was fun! Thanks again for having me on the show! Now I have to share all the albums I forgot to mention here…

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We drive cars Everyday.

They should be fun..

Bill Antonitis
Aug 19, 2020

The Five Best Road Trip Albums of All Time

Summer’s not over, and driving is one of the best ways to get around right now. If you have a long trip planned, how should you pass the time—after listening to episodes of the Everyday Drive Car Debate , of course? Sometimes we need a break from podcasts or audiobooks, though. Local or satellite radio is easy, but you may want more choice over the music. Creating a playlist is fun, but the process can go on forever. One musical offering not many people seem to listen to anymore is the album. Having just written and recorded one of my own (my first), I find I have a new appreciation of what it takes to craft and order songs in a way that takes the listener on a journey—much like taking a road trip. Maybe that’s why listening to an entire album matches driving so well, as both offer you time take your mind off of your concerns and to immerse yourself in the moment.

For you younger readers out there, albums used to come on CD, cassette tape, or even 8-track. Now you can access practically every album ever written on your phone—just stream it from there to your car stereo, and you’re ready for an automotive and auditory experience like no other.

So here’s the list. Each album has its own special qualities and can be paired with different driving occasions. Yes, this could easily become a 10, 100, or 1000 album list, but here are a few criteria to which I will adhere:

The album must get you outside of your own head.

The album should strongly encourage engagement—either listening carefully or singing along.

The album should be easy to enjoy alone, with friends, or with family.

The album must be (mostly) family friendly.

So, let’s get to it. Here are my top five road trip albums as of Summer 2020.*

A Love Supreme by John Coltrane

I’ve cried twice in my adult life. Once when my son was born. The other when I first listened to this masterpiece in its entirety. After battling through years of addiction, legendary saxophonist John Coltrane presented this album as a testament to his recovery. Trading drugs for a deep spirituality, this jazz is not the standards he played in the past; instead, Coltrane presents to us his quest to achieve union with the divine. His frantic playing, at first, may sound like noise. Jazz turns some people off with syncopation and dissonance. But Coltrane guides listeners through the chaos of personal struggle to the promise of a better life—all through stream-of-conscientiousness soloing. Whenever I’ve found myself mired in some manner of crisis—or even if I just need to clear my mind—taking a long drive while listening to this album usually does the trick.

Ziltoid the Omniscient by Devin Townsend

No one else can blend operatic vocals, memorable choruses, heavy metal, and absurd humor like Devin Townsend. His own version of A Love Supreme , he crafts a space opera in which an evil alien overlord threatens to destroy Earth because its inhabitants cannot furnish him an adequate cup of coffee. The album literally spans the galaxy as the characters quest, fight, lose, win, and reach various epiphanies. There is also a surprise ending that loses no charm even after many listens. Like all good theater, this album induces the appropriate level of catharsis to effectively cleanse your emotional palette. Listening to Ziltoid will certainly entertain you over long distances while also making you think and feel.

Mos Def and Talib Kweli are Black Star

I must confess I don’t care for most commercial hip hop. Maybe it’s because I’ve taught in public schools for so long, but our youth is obsessed with all of the trends and dances and fashions associated with the music. Therefore, the actual tracks don’t have to be good; they just have to let artists look good. Maybe I’m too old. Maybe I’m not cool. But I can’t often listen to music without substance. That’s why I love hip hop from Run the Jewels, The Roots, and J Dilla. Their music is vibrant, complex, and socially conscious. Black Star , an eponymous album released in 1998 from the Def/Kweli duo is the same, their beats and rhymes standing up to the test of time. Driving while listening to this album will get your head bobbing—not only because of the bass but also because you will find yourself agreeing with their proud and positive lyrics.

Effloresce by Covet

This trio, led by guitarist Yvette Young, present all things a road trip album should include: catchy melodies, impressive musicality, moments of calm, moments of energy, and a magical balance of simplicity and complexity that helps you focus on the road. This is my favorite album to listen to when driving spiritedly, but it is also great when just cruising. If driving mindfully and achieving the Flow State is what you need, Effloresce delivers. There are lots of talented bands playing this style of instrumental music right now, but Covet is my favorite.

Get a Grip by Aerosmith

If you grew up in the 70’s, 80’s, or 90’s, “The Bad Boys from Boston” likely played on your local radio station on loop each summer. (Is radio still a thing?) Aerosmith have many, many hits, but this album works so well when road tripping because of its completeness. It juxtaposes attitude songs like “Eat the Rich” with thoughtful tunes like “Livin on the Edge”. Of course, there are the trio of ballads (Remember Adam Sandler’s "Crazy, Cryin’, Amazing” skit from Saturday Night Live?) that pretty much defined summertime during my formative years. Sure, they're schmaltzy, but they are perfect for blasting on the way to the beach, windows down, in a car full of friends.

My overly eclectic musical taste not withstanding, I hope you enjoyed this list and that you’re willing to share your own favorites. I can think of so many more albums to include from classical to country! Driving is a great time to discover new music. Let us know what your listening to on your next big trip.

Bill hosts a blog and YouTube channel that lead him to think more deeply about what it means to drive. (And occasionally publish music.) The views and opinions expressed here are his own and may not align with the founders of Everyday Driver.

*Album art credits Amazon.com

Comentários

The Best Road Trip Albums of All-Time, According to Our Editors

A curated soundtrack for your next open road adventure.

Whether with friends or going it alone, a road trip is often only as great as its soundtrack. And sometimes that soundtrack is best served in the form of a coherent, formative project, in lieu of a shuffled and scattered Spotify playlist.

Indeed, even the most scenic of drives can be enhanced with the proper score, which is why this may be the most sound, critical advice we can give you throughout all of UD Road Trip Week. These are our favorite albums to pop in (because we’ve chosen to use imaginary CD players for this exercise) and hit the road to.

Channel Orange , Frank Ocean

I've listened to this album all the way through countless times, and not once have I successfully nailed the high notes on "Thinkin Bout You." There's no better place to try and fail and try and fail again than in the car. I'm also of the mind that a great road trip album is one you know well — not to mention, one that flows together as a cohesive whole, so you don't have to bother skipping the songs you don't particularly like. There is no reason to ever skip a song on Channel Orange ; they're all good. And this being Ocean's most accessible album, they're all compulsively sing-alongable. Even if you don't know most of the words. I definitely don't know most of the words. —Sam Eichner

Pronounced Leh-nerd Skin-nerd , Lynyrd Skynyrd

It doesn't matter how cliché some things might sound, the human brain is just hardwired to feel some type of way when you've got the windows down, your foot on the gas with nothing but open road ahead and Ronnie Van Zant wailing chay-yee-yay-yee-yay-yeaange as "Free Bird" kicks into overdrive. Not to mention Skynyrd's seminal album is filled with bangers aside from Bird. There's the possibly even more belt-along-worthy "Simple Man," the riding-around-and-brooding "Tuesday's Gone" and the four-and-a-half-minute-sprint-across-the-salt-flats-fueling "Gimme Three Steps." The album is widely considered the birth of southern rock, but I'll be damned if it wasn't the closest thing 1973 had to southern gangster rap with the severely slept-on "Mississippi Kid." —Najib Benouar

Car Wheels on a Gravel Road , Lucinda Williams

This Americana classic is the perfect soundtrack to accompany you on the long stretches of road between town names you may or may not recognize. Lucinda's country twang emboldens your westward travels, but the impeccable folk lyricism is intimate and touching enough to keep you grounded. It's the perfect "Are we ever gonna be this young and free again?" album. "Still I Long For Your Kiss" is the perfect love song for someone not ready to fall in love, for someone who's running away from something. There isn't a song on here that you shouldn't scream out the window with your hair whipping in your face. —Kady Ruth Ashcraft

Meets Rockers Uptown , King Tubby

Augustus Pablo's dub classic will make you one with the road.

Midnight Radio , Big Head Todd & the Monsters

I’ve never heard another album from these guys that I liked, but I'm willing to stake my reputation on the fact that this one album from the guy behind "Bittersweet" is a complete masterpiece. Dark, spacious, sensual and hard-rocking.

Surfer Rosa , Pixies

A soundtrack for driving across the desert on acid. —Hadley Tomicki

Ride the Bee , Allgood

Back in 236 BC (though it could've been the '90s) I did a lot of road-tripping between Kansas City and Atlanta to spend the summers with my dad. It's a long drive. And I'm not sure when I adopted this ritual, but the second I left the on-ramp and hit the first stretch of highway on every trip, I would always fire up a song called Trilogy by a band that no one's ever heard of called Allgood. Something about it just screamed freedom to me, and still does. Looking back, it's probably a little cheesy and the lead singer may or may not sound like he's got a piece of tri-tip stuck in the back of his throat, but the never-ending, Allman Brothers-y guitar solos that are peppered into the nine-plus minute song more than make up for all of that. As long as I keep driving places, I'm going to keep listening to this song. —Kelly Larson

The Love Below , Andre 3000

The Love Below is a musical—a gnarly and shockingly cohesive joyride of p-funk pop rap laced in jazz. And where its sonic counterpart, Big Boi’s Speakerboxx , was tailor-made for pimp-walking through Atlanta traffic, TLB is best tethered to the righteous energy of the open road. There are moments of sing-along perfection ("Hey Ya," "Roses"), lush enablers of peace and solitude ("Prototype," "Take Off Your Cool," "Vibrate"), delectable features (people forget Kelis made great peanut butter and jelly sandwiches before her milkshakes started bringing all the boys to the yard) and several genuinely funny skits to help navigate its vast sonic landscape. Just try not to get lost piloting your own. —Thompson Brandes

I am 21+ years old

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More culture.

5 Best Road Trip Albums: Because Playlists are a Mood!

These are the best road trip albums according to me – an immigrant kid growing up in the 90s discovering R&B on the radio stations in Chicago, and an even more eager teen discovering international house beats and southern hip hop in Houston.

A girl who partied to all the pop and dance music the 2000s had to offer, while still harboring a love for the old-school hip-hop of the 90s. Bottom line – music is a subjective story with many chapters, it is therapy, and it is a walk down memory lane.

DISCLAIMER : Not here to argue music theory, just share some good road trip jams! 💛

In this post, which I’m having way too much fun writing, I will break down my recommendations based on road trip mood, type, and genre so you can find the best road trip jams to fit your fancy – and there are some juicy golden nuggets in these recs!

Table of Contents

What is the best road trip album?

But first, what makes an album the best.

The best road trip album is one that can set the tone for your journey. It doesn’t have to be upbeat or happy, but I do encourage a healthy dose of nostalgia and ‘singalong classics’ for when the spirit moves you.

✔️ Some people say the best road trip album is one that takes you back to a specific time and place. After all, they say familiarity breeds fondness.

✔️ Others say that the best road trip album is one that gets you pumped up for the trip ahead. Something that you can sing along to, windows down, a capella voice on display.

✔️ And still others, the purists out there , look at the way an album was curated by its artist. They look at the overarching storyline created with each succeeding song, chapter after chapter, all in a specific order to elicit just the right feelings to tell their story. A perfect symphony – from an artist’s heart to your radio.

Whatever your philosophy, choose an album that makes you feel because music has that unique way of healing you from the inside out. Choose an album that will help make the miles and the worries fly by!

1. Fleetwood Mac, Rumors (1977)

Genre: rock.

Fleetwood Mac, Rumours, is one of the best road trip albums, even to this day.

Listen: Spotify

Best road trip album for solo road trips, when you want to get into your feels!

Did you Know…

Don’t let the fact that this album was released in the ’70s deter you. This whole piece of musical genius is a telenovela tale about all the 5 band members’ failed love lives and toxic relationships, front and center is the affair between singer Stevie Knicks and drummer Mick Fleetwood. And who can’t relate – I quite love a good therapy session conveyed over sexy melodic beats.

Another surprise to be sure was when I found out Stevie wrote my favorite (and most popular song), “Dreams”, in 10 minutes. Can you imagine the level of talent in this woman’s pinky?!

And last little bit of insight into this album’s creative process – cocaine was a prominent member of every session, keeping everyone awake, creative, and producing this gem of an album. So much so that the band wanted to thank their dealer on the album… ( ha! )… Obviously, that got nixed – but I quite like giving cred where cred is due.

2. Fugees, The Score (1996)

Genre: hip-hop / rap.

Fugees, The Score, is one of the best road trip albums, even in 2022.

Great for night driving, or when it’s stormy outside and it feels a little sexy somehow.

Did You Know…

The Fugees comprised Lauryn Hill, Wyclef Jean, and Pras Michel (who if you didn’t know, performed “Ghetto Superstar, That is What You Are”). They all met and teamed up in Jersey, Pras and Wicleaf being Haitian immigrants raised in the States, and Lauryn a native-born American.

This album really put the Fugees in the Hip Hop Hall of Fame and brought the genre to a more mainstream audience – who at the time was on the fence about the ghetto’ness of hip hop and rap music.

While this was their last album as a group, it launched each of their own, super successful solo music careers in pop and hip hop, each with their own style and authenticity.

3. Beyonce, Lemonade (2016)

Genre: r&b / soul.

Beyonce, Lemonade, is one of the best road trip albums.

Great for when you’re driving with someone you want to get to know better, as every song is a deeper conversation topic around relationships, society, and identity.

Beyonce named her album after the saying, “when life gives you lemons, make lemonade” because your reality is all about how you look at it, and more importantly, how you react to it. #truth

As most of you already know, the album is about her husband cheating on her but also about black womanhood, pulling on themes from Malcolm X on how “the most disrespected person in America is the black woman”.

Each song covers themes of betrayal, anger, and ultimately love winning the day but goes deep into the psychology and historical impacts of being a black woman in America. As you can imagine, while it was a therapeutic album for B, showing her range as an artist, it was admittedly uncomfortable for Jay-Z… but they worked through it, and Queen B has my utmost admiration for this album.

4. Dua Lipa, Future Nostalgia (2020)

Dua Lipa, Future Nostalgia, is one of the best road trip albums, especially for a girls trip.

Best road trip album for a girls’ trip, because Dua unleashes a medley of fun pop/dance beats AND some fantastic feminist prose.

Dua named her album to represent a future of possibility while reminiscing on some older music she vibed with. And that in itself is perfect for a great road trip album.

She released this album right as COVID was hitting in March, shutting us all in our homes. Her upbeat disco music kept me in my positive feelings for a few months after the lockdown – not to mention her music videos are full of fierce females strutting their stuff!

5. Fred again, Actual Life (2021)

Genre: dance, house.

Fred again... is a house/dance artist, and my new addition to the best road trip albums.

Great for a couples trip, as Fred has some upbeat but real-life topical music that’s easygoing AND lyrically captivating.

Fred used to produce for Ed Sheeran, so you can imagine the meticulous dark and deep vibes you’re going to get with this album.

His music is a dive into the struggles we’ve all felt through COVID, the loss of dancing, hedonism, the loss of friends, relationships that could have blossomed, and just the loss of human connection. It’s a beautiful compilation of slow jam house music snipped together from real-life voice memos, poems, and messages.

What are the best Rap & Hip Hop road trip albums?

✔️ Notorious BIG, Ready to Die (Listen: Spotify ) : This is one where I hope you’re listening to Biggies’s tough, yet vulnerable lyrics in “Juicy” and “Everyday Struggle”.

This album, partnered with one of my favorite books, When Chickenheads Come Home to Roost , has me wanting to both weep and become an activist – our society struggles with some of the same themes Biggie sings about to this day.

✔️ Missy Elliot, Miss E…So Addictive (Listen: Spotify ): God I miss Missy, who I was surprised to find is now working in the background producing music as she manages Graves disease.

✔️ Nelly, Nellyville (Listen: Spotify ): Ok, so this is not the Country Grammer album, but it has some of my favorite old-school club music, like “Hot in Herre” and “Air Force Ones”… did I mention I grew up in Houston for a minute?

✔️ Akon, Konvicted (Listen: Spotify ) : It was either 50 or Akon, but I had to go with Akon’s smooth soulful voice – also because I know all the words to “Smack That”, “I Wanna Love You”, and my favorite “Don’t Matter”.

What are the best Classic Rock road trip albums?

✔️ The Beatles, Abbey Road (Listen: Spotify ) : Released in 1969, this basically features the Beatles at their best and what we know them for today. This is a great road trip album for suset-filled, ocean drives!

✔️ Bruce Springsteen, Born to Run (Listen: Spotify ) : Released in 1975, it has jammy classics like “Thunder Road” and “Born to Run” … very American rock and roll, sexy in its own right!

✔️ Queen, A Night at the Opera (Lisen: Spotify ) Also a 1975 release, I love any artist that pushes the limits of their genre and breaks the boundaries of their upbringing and sexuality.

✔️ U2, The Joshua Tree (Listen: Spotify ) : Released the year I was born (1987) and was named after the Joshua tree in the California Mojave Desert because it appears to look like a prophet, Joshua, raising his hands to pray. The album symbolizes hope in the midst of a desert, and includes the classics “Where the Streets Have No Name”, “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For”, and “With or Without You”.

What are the best ‘Night Driving’ albums?

These are meant to keep you pumped, singing along, and awake!

✔️ Shakira, Pies Descalzos (Listen: Spotify ) : This album, translating to “Barefoot”, goes back to her Spanish punk/alternative rock vibe, her long blue/purple hair look, and I am here for it!

✔️ Cherub, MoM & DaD (Listen: Spotify ) : I discovered this band at Austin City Limits, and have been listening to “Doses & Mimosas” on repeat since. Totally degenerate electro-indie vibes, but puts a little fire under your bum when driving.

✔️ Shaggy, Hot Shot (Listen: Spotify ) : Tell me you don’t know all the words to “It Wasn’t Me”. I’ll wait…

✔️ MISSIO, Loner (Listen: Spotify ): Not only do I love their electrically dark music, but I’m fangirling because I went to college with the bassist/producer and he is the nicest, most talented guy!

How many miles is a good road trip… ( ie. what if you’re still bored!? )

The question of the day and what brought you to this post is – how many hours of music must I curate for the number of miles I have to go. I’ve mused over the topic of road trip pros and cons and why I love them for years – here’s my philosophy in a nutshell:

✔️ Try not to drive more than 6-7 hours in a day, and remember, it’s not a race. If I’m on a travel day, I try to make it as enjoyable as possible while still getting to where I need to be. I tend to drive in about 3-hour increments – that’s approximately 2 albums if anyone was counting!

I generally wake up, grab a coffee, and am on the road by 8 a.m. By 11 am I stop for lunch and a bathroom break – I take about 1.5 hours ( which I know is longer than most ) to relax, eat, stretch my legs, maybe take a little nap in the sun, think about my music choices for the next little bit, and hit the road again.

I like to get to the final stop by 5 p.m., and definitely, before it gets dark – everything is always harder to find in the dark! This gives me time to check in, unwind from the road, grab a shower, a pre-dinner glass of wine, and leisurely spend the night enjoying my final destination.

✔️ Be wise with your time, and efficient with your resources. Here are a few of my tricks:

Beyond listening to my collection of best road trip albums, here are additional tips on how to pass the time.

7 Unique Ways to Pass Time on a Road Trip

From games, to how to make up time on the road, to what to do if you’re driving solo or without electronics – this is my curated list of how to NOT get bored or sleepy while driving.

Beyond listening to the best road trip albums curated my "me", here are the do's and dont's of packing for that said road trip as well.

9 Tips for Packing Comfy Road Trip Outfits

These are the DO’s and DON’Ts of packing, a la Mariana! What to bring and what to leave behind, how to look stylish but also comfy, winter road trip packing list, summer road trip packing list, and what to wear on a long car ride.

Mariana Barbuceanu is the owner and author of the Road Trip EuroGuide, a blog that inspires fellow travelers to explore Europe more authentically through slower travel and digging deeper into the culture of a place. When she isn't writing about her adventures, she is planning trips for her community and coaching people on how to take that next step towards a much-needed sabbatical.

The Inventory

What's the Best Road Trip Soundtrack?

The best albums, playlists, or recorded-from-the-radio mixtapes for long drives..

Two hands on the steering wheel. One determined gaze, over the gauge cluster and out towards the horizon. You’re ready for a road trip, both emotionally and physically, but there’s something missing that would tie the whole experience together: A soundtrack. With the wide-open road at your disposal and miles to go before you sleep, what are you listening to?

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10 Great Road Trip Rock Albums

“The E Street Band, recently configured into its prime lineup, cooks like a gourmet chef here”

What makes for a good road trip record? First, it must have some serious propulsion. The highway or the back roads call for premium gas and the pedal to the metal… most of the way.

Just like the trip, the music you play needs to be a scenic journey. That’s one reason why double albums make up a good part of this list. They also have a breadth and sprawl to cover the long miles. And some here also offer fine compendiums of an artist’s work so you can soak up an overview as you cruise along. There’s also a number of live albums here, because there’s nothing like the energy of a truly great band firing on all pistons in concert to make the miles glide by.

Although we’d assure that utilizing this list will make your next long drive a superior musical experience, as said in some of the entries, there’s a range of options that serve road time well. Consider this a guide to the parameters that make for great and effective road trip music, and mix and match our suggestions – all of them road tested – with your favorites to find a soundtrack for your journey that goes the distance. And may the road rise to meet you.

10) Performance: Rockin’ the Fillmore by Humble Pie

Gotta have something hard and heavy and loud and proud along on the journey. For that I turn to this 1971 live in concert two-fer, largely because its metallic thrust is enhanced by Steve Marriott’s soulfully wailing voice. It’s also an album that forcefully proves how Peter Frampton was quite the guitar hero prior to becoming a classic rock pin-up boy. The 23-minute-plus version of Dr. John’s “I Walk on Gilded Splinters” is a thing of wonder, and the one-two punch of “Hallelujah I Love Her So” and “I Don’t Need No Doctor” that ends this album will kick your travels into overdrive.

9) Strings Attached by Ian Hunter

Few classic rockers continue to make as vibrant music today as the former frontman for Mott the Hoople. And just as few have also managed such a seamless meld of orchestra and rock band as Hunter did with this 2004 live album tracked in Oslo, Norway, backed by members of his superb Rant Band and 20 orchestral players. This set has muscular versions of Mott rockers like “All The Way From Memphis” and “All the Young Dudes” as well as that band’s more sensitive songs like “I Wish I Was Your Mother” and “Saturday Gigs,” cool solo numbers, and what’s likely the best song about 9/11, “Twisted Steel.” Plus this heartbreakingly poignant tribute to his late mate Mick Ronson, “Michael Picasso.”

8) Graceland by Paul Simon

Just about as perfect a single album as can be found in the entire classic rock genre, and a musical creation so rich and inspired that one can never tire of listening to it. Admittedly, this disc became a road trip staple for me when I played it at the start of a journey on which I visited Graceland; but hey, can you think of another song based around a trip that expands so magically into a rumination of love and life? The African, Cajun and Mexican rhythms lock into the rolling wheels on the roadway to carry you along like the wind.

7) Get Happy!! by Elvis Costello

Slip this energetic and lyrically pointed sucker – from when E.C. and the Attractions were passionately on point – into the car player and feel the momentum. This 1980 release is Costello’s fourth album, and it’s brimming with vim and vigor mixed with the piss and vinegar of E.C.’s early (and still best) songwriting, along with a couple of covers, most notably the 1967 Sam and Dave number “I Can’t Stand Up for Falling Down.” This disc’s like a sleek sports car zipping along, taking the curves with tight precision as Elvis and his band barrel out the big beat and cool tunes.

Related: Our Album Rewind of Get Happy!!

6) Last Dance by Keith Jarrett and Charlie Haden

Every road trip soundtrack needs its chill pill for when the traffic slows and snarls. And any rocker with a genuine love of music should always verge off into other genres, especially jazz. You can’t do any better than this 2014 set by longtime collaborators Keith Jarrett on piano and Charlie Haden on bass – in the latter’s last recording before his passing that year – for a stylistic and vibe intermezzo. If the tone of Jarrett’s playing sounds familiar, it may be that he’s a prime influence on Bruce Hornsby’s pianistics. The interplay between the two on songs that include Thelonious Monk’s “‘Round Midnight” and Cole Porter’s “Everytime We Say Goodbye” gives this album a dynamism that even in its quietest moments keeps you moving right along toward your destination.

5) London Calling by The Clash

Either this, the band’s third album, or the similarly sprawling Sandinista that followed it – both shine when given car stereo time. This is the album on which punk rock grew up and opened itself up to stylistic variations and greater thematic depth and range. Starting with the pummeling title song and wrapping up 19 tracks later with “Train in Vain,” it rocks the roadway with such songs as “Brand New Cadillac,” “Spanish Bombs,” “Lost in the Supermarket,” “Clampdown” and “I’m Not Down,” plus some “Lover’s Rock,” rock steady, “Jimmy Jazz” and more.

4) Let It Bleed by The Rolling Stones

No true rock fan can roam far without taking the Stones along. A nice long drive could be enhanced by the churning live-on-stage drive of Get Yer Ya-Ya’s Out! or provide the ideal way to savor all the elements that make Exile on Main Street such a treasure. But instead we’ll drop one concise studio LP by The World’s Greatest into this mix. It’s not an easy choice, but Let It Bleed serves our need brilliantly. The group’s final release of the 1960s (issued in December 1969, to be exact), it finds the Stones in transition – both Brian Jones and Mick Taylor play guitar on it – yet atop their game. Starting with the haunting strains of “Gimme Shelter” and wrapping up with the anthemic “You Can’t Always Get What You Want,” it offers blues (Robert Johnson’s “Love in Vain),” backporch C&W (“Country Honk”) and some sterling Stones rockers like “Live With Me,” “Midnight Rambler” and “Monkey Man” that help make the miles roll by smoothly.

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3) At Fillmore East by The Allman Brothers Band

In its merely seven-song form over two discs that blew my mind when it arrived in 1971, this truly classic live album brought a propulsion to the blues that ups the octane on your travels. Plus the concentration afforded by windshield listening spotlights the pleasures of this LP’s myriad thrills, chills, treats and delights, especially on the extended jams of “You Don’t Love Me,” “In Memory of Elizabeth Reed” and “Whipping Post.” For longer mileage there are a few expanded editions that’ll go the distance nicely. Duane Allman’s slide playing provides the spark plugs that ignite this musical fuel, reiterating how his death is a loss that rock guitar playing has never fully recovered from.

2) Live at Leeds (Deluxe Edition ) by The Who

One could just as easily slot Tommy or Quadrophenia into this list for a Who entry. Both are albums that can play across the miles magnificently. But this Who fanatic opts for the band at the height of its sheer power in concert in 1970. The 2001 Deluxe Edition package offers both remixes of the original LP tracks and their live Tommy set from that same show. If it’s a really long road trip you could always opt for the 2010 Super Deluxe Edition, which literally doubles down by including the next night’s show in Hull (which some argue was an even better gig). No matter, it’s all music with an atomic-powered drive.

1) Hammersmith Odeon, London ’75 by Bruce Springsteen

True confession time: As much as I love and admire the artistry of Bruce Springsteen, I’m not much for listening to his studio albums. Blame the mind-blowing conversion experience of seeing him live not long after this set was recorded. The E Street Band, recently configured into its prime lineup, cooks like a gourmet chef here, bringing fullest fruition to songs from Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. and The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle , while numbers from Born to Run have a looseness and simmering energy that makes the studio renditions sound a bit belabored. There’s abundant dynamics and Springsteen’s delivery epitomizes heartfelt. This set makes the miles roll by beautifully. “Roll down the window and let the wind blow back your hair,” indeed.

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12 Comments so far

i’d have to add like 5 more, 11-Deep Purple Made in Japan, 12-Uriah Heep Live (the dbl) both these from 1973, (got both on cassette back then, before getting hooked on 8-track) 13-Foghat Live, 14-Kiss Live, 15-Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band Live. Oops, a 16th, Angel-Live Without a Net. Now, Its complete!!!

I’d have to add J. Geils, Full House to that list

That would have my vote also

I would absolutely agree with the Live Bullet album by Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band, I just did a road trip and listened to it, got me through the boring ass state of Ohio, only one problem, the album has so much energy, you just want to drive fast, and that is an absolute no no in Ohio. The State troopers there will nail most any speeder. But I got thru unscathed.

Whos’, “Who’s Next”

Band on the Run – Paul McCartney and Wings

Little Creatures – Talking Heads

Traveling Wilburys – Vol 1

Machine Head – Deep Purple

The Great Twenty-Eight from Chuck Berry — highly recommended for the road — just watch your speed.

Have you guys never heard of Bachman Turner Overdrive?

I don’t know if I could narrow my list to 10 (thanks to thumb drives that play in my car, I don’t have to)! Hard to envision a road trip without a big dose of Little Feat, Tedeschi-Trucks, Golden Earring, Los Lobos, Little Village, and ZZTop in addition to many listed here.

Bat Out of Hell was my go to 80s/90s!!!

Leeds/Hull is so awesome too bad there seems to be no actual video of the show

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Best Road Trip Albums

Andrew Caster
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Each month me and my buddy Dean Kirkland WA resident like me and my colleague at work, need to make the drive from Washington to Vancouver, and then back again later in the day, for work purposes. Because we have made this journey so any times, we have managed to get our routine down pretty good, and that includes the music choices in the car. The trip time is more or less 4 hours which leaves enough time for around 3 albums. Both Dean and myself are big album fans rather than singles, and thankfully we have similar tastes. I wanted to share with you then, my top 10 albums to listen to when you are on the road.

Pink Floyd – Dark Side of the Moon

A majestic album which is the perfect way to start any road trip, huge songs, beautiful arrangements and of course, the odd sing-a-long makes this the best way to start any road trip.

Fleetwood Mac – Rumors

Potentially the greatest album of all time and one which needs to be listened to properly to be appreciated. The songs are all well crafted, well written and perfectly sang, inspiring you to open up the vocal chords and do the same.

Oasis – Definitely Maybe

Whenever I finish work, I feel like I need an album which says ‘screw you’ to the world, step up Oasis and their debut album, Definitely Maybe. From the opening riff of Rock n Roll Star to the farewell Married With Children, this album reminds us all just why we love music so much.

Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin IV

In terms of rock albums, it doesn’t get bigger, or bolder than Led Zeppelin IV, an album made when all 4 of the members of the group were in the finest form of their lives. With John Bonham hitting the drums harder than any man before him, Robert Plant screeching like a well tuned banshee, John Paul Jones just relentlessly keeping the rhythm and of course, Jimmy Page doing things to a guitar that Hendrix would be proud of, this is the ultimate driving rock album.

Janis Joplin – Pearl

I always feel like listening to an album when driving gives you a better chance of paying attention to voice and lyrics, than if you were in your living room for example, and that is why Janis Joplin’s Pearl is such a great driving LP. Although she wasn’t with us for long, this is an album which showcases Joplin and all of her skills as a singer and a songwriter.

Beatles – 1s

The Beatles have to feature in any car which you are driving in, and to keep things simple, I like to listen to the 1s record which has all 26 of the band’s number one hits on it. The Beatles have the ability to make you feel happy, sad, angry, nostalgic, excited and pensive in equal measure and no road trip would be the same without it.

15 Best Albums to Soundtrack a Road Trip

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What’s the first thing you do when you return from a road trip? You tell the story of your trip to your friends who couldn’t make it and your family that welcomes you back home. And what’s a good road trip story without some great music to accompany it? A great song is like a juicy chapter in a book; it makes you wonder what’s next, and works best when experienced as a part of a collection. Much like a road trip. When telling your story to your friends and family, you don’t mention one state you passed through or one great dish you ate – you mention all of them, from beginning to end. The best albums tell a story, and the best road trips are full of great memories that were inevitably catalogued into photo albums. Here are ten albums that will make your next road trip that much more memorable.

15. FutureSex/LoveSounds , Justin Timberlake (2006)

On first glance, the first album on this list belongs in a club rather than the open road. And while Justin Timberlake’s music does work well on a dance floor, it works just as well in a car stereo, with a backseat full of buddies ready to sing and dance along to the sexy sounds of the future. Backed by first single “SexyBack”, FutureSex/LoveSounds is sexy and futuristic, thanks to super producer Timbaland’s funky grooves and Timberlake’s feathery falsetto. The album is a perfect soundtrack to a summertime road trip; let “My Love” serenade you as you pull up to a pit-stop at the beach, and “What Goes Around” fuel your fire as you reminisce about an old flame. It’s breezy all the way through and sure to keep your tank full for miles.

14. Rubber Soul , the Beatles (1965)

In 1965, a year which represented a turning point in the Beatles sound, it was hard to turn on a car radio and not hear a song by the fantastic four. They had conquered radio. Every single they released burned up the charts. But in terms of a full body of work, an album that could be played from front to back, Rubber Soul marked a first for the band. From “Drive My Car” to “Run for Your Life”, this 14-track collection incorporates sounds from R&B and folk, to psychedelic rock and classical Indian instruments. It’s 35 minutes of sugary McCartney melodies and introspective Lennon lyrics, a perfect combination and length for the opening leg of a cross-country jaunt. Embarking on a long journey while listening to “In My Life”, it’s nearly impossible to not feel warm nostalgia for the people and places you cherish most.

13. The Joshua Tree , U2 (1987)

U2’s 5th album must have been recorded with the open road in mind, or at least a vast, never-ending space, which in fact it was. In Niall Stokes’s book, U2: Into the Heart: The Stories Behind Every Song, bass guitarist Adam Clayton said of the album: “The desert was immensely inspirational to us as a mental image for this record…because you can actually do something with a blank canvas, which is effectively what the desert is.” Whether you’re driving across the desert of the American West or the flat plains of the middle states, The Joshua Tree is sure to keep your eyes wide and hopeful. It’s full of catchy, stadium ready hooks that will get stuck in your head for the duration of your trip. Bono’s introspective lyrics will have you looking in the rear view mirror at yourself and the world around you. Sometimes a road trip is the best time for self-reflection, especially when it comes in the form of great music.

12. channel ORANGE , Frank Ocean (2012)

Road trips are full of unexpected turns; things that make you appreciate a new place, but also remind you to appreciate where you’re coming from. Frank Ocean’s debut album feels the same way. He spins tales of a disillusioned, globe trotting youth who seeks a home (“Lost”), of unrequited love (“Bad Religion”) and of a dream girl that can only last for so long (“Golden Girl”). The music is a mash up of soul, funk and electronic, resulting in a wonderfully diverse and never boring listening experience. It’ll keep your fingers snapping all the way to your destination, either to the slow burn of “Pilot Jones” or the sparkling 10-minute epic “Pyramids”. There are so many layers to Ocean’s stories and the music that the minute it’s over, you might just play it again.

11. Greatest Hits , Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers (1993)

Great road trips usually have a greatest hits, memorable moments that stand the test of time to be passed down through generations. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers owned the Americana roots sound in the late 70s and 80s, and this is a compilation that collects their hits from that time period. The band’s sound is the sound of freedom, of howling wind and an endless horizon. If you’re the type to take a solo road trip on a motorbike, then this record will sound even better. 1979’s “Don’t Do Me Like That” is on here, as are the hits from 1989’s Full Moon Fever , “I Won’t Back Down” and “Free Fallin’”. If you were alive when these songs were at the top of the charts, then Greatest Hits will take you back in time. But even if you only know this band from “Into the Great Wide Open”, let down all of the windows and let the sounds of Petty’s Americana rock take you to another time and place. With music like this, a road trip can feel like time travel.

10. Bridge Over Troubled Water , Simon & Garfunkel (1970)

Simon & Garfunkel’s 5th album is a totally different vibe from the rest of the records on this list. It’s best experienced when the sun has dipped under the horizon and it seems like you’re the only car on the road. Art Garfunkel sings like an angel and late at night, when you’re debating whether to keep on trucking or stop at a hotel, when countless stars twinkle overhead, that’s when this album should be listened to. Your friends are all asleep in the backseat, and “The Only Living Boy in New York” makes you feel like you’re the only living driver in the world. The title track will have you thinking of your loved ones back home, and “Cecilia” will have you thinking of a lost love from a past life. It’s a beautiful album, with beautiful melodies and beautiful lyrics, and it is a great way to pass the time in the late night hours of your drive.

9. Mothership Connection , Parliament (1975)

Mothership Connection is the record that could soundtrack a journey through space. Listening to this album is a funky ride, and though you feel the tires of your car hugging the pavement and you can see the mountains up ahead, it’ll feel like you’re in a UFO on a foreign planet. George Clinton, the ringleader of Parliament, is considered, along with James Brown and others, to be the father of funk, and his band’s 4th album is a touchstone of the genre. Mothership Connection will have you feeling as cool as the guy in the convertible who sped past you a few miles back, only instead of just looking the part, you’ll genuinely feel the funk deep in your bones. Recline your seat a bit, open the window all the way, and let the funk take you on a ride.

8. All Eyez on Me , 2Pac (1996)

Most people correlate rock n’ roll music as the best type of music for the road. And while this tends to be true, there are exceptions. 2pac is perhaps the most well known rapper of all time, a transcendent, complex figure that took the genre to new heights and brought the ills of Compton, California (and America as a whole) to the rest of the world. Ironically, George Clinton (from Parliament) is featured on this album, 2pac’s 4th. The west coast bounce of “All Bout You” and “Got My Mind Made Up” are ideally listened to with the volume turned all the way up, while the more introspective tracks-like “Life Goes On” and “I Ain’t Mad at Cha”-will hit just as hard at any volume. All Eyez on Me is a long listen, the two discs clock in at over two hours, but 2pac’s mix of west coast gangsta rap flavored tales and soulful poetry will make you wish it were longer.

7. Rumours , Fleetwood Mac (1977)

This album makes the list on the strength of its power pop hooks and melodies that will stick with you for the rest of the trip. You’ll find yourself humming “Dreams” while pumping gas. Four of Rumours 11 tracks reached the top 10 in the U.S., and even the album’s deep cuts that weren’t singles are fun to sing along to. There is something about Stevie Nicks’s voice that brings about images of a long adventure, like she’s seen all there is to see, and she’s reporting what she learned in the form of beautiful pop ballads. It’s folky and poppy all at once, but however you choose to label it, hearing it while speeding (not actually speeding, of course) toward the unknown is hearing it in its peak form.

6. Thriller , Michael Jackson (1982)

Michael Jackson is not the first artist to come to mind when selecting which records to take with you on the road. Maybe if you’re curating a dance party, but not a road trip. But the truth is, Jackson’s disco pop, and his finest album Thriller sounds even better turned way up in a car. Dancing wise, you might be limited, but this album is full of hit after hit after hit, and the lack of dance floor space will have you appreciating Jackson’s voice that much more. From “Thriller” to “Beat it” to “Billy Jean” to “P.Y.T.”, Thriller is jam packed with high-energy hits. After a midday coffee stop, pop this disc in and let the King of Pop power you through the next stretch of your trip. If you just have to dance along, make sure to keep your eyes on the road!

5. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road , Elton John (1973)

Elton John is another name that one wouldn’t quite expect to land a record on this list, but Goodbye Yellow Brick Road , a far cry from the classic piano balladeer sound that defined his sound before its release, definitely belongs in the top five road trip records. For his 7th album, the Englishman brought his soft-rock sound to new heights. The big hooks are still there, supported by high-octane piano chords and guitar licks. “Bennie and the Jets” is one of the best songs of any album on this list, and it is the highlight on an album full of them. Music is at its best when it moves you, something that is even truer when applied to a road trip soundtrack. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road is the most emotional album from an emotional artist, and its 17 tracks are guaranteed to move you, if not emotionally, then physically. Sing at the top of your lungs, you’re on a road trip after all.

4. Crosby, Stills & Nash , Crosby Stills & Nash (1969)

Folk rockers David Crosby, Stephen Stills and Graham Nash (and sometimes Neil Young), were the super group of the 60s. All belonged to other successful bands prior to the formation of CSN in 1969, and though their time together was short, they produced a number of hits and a few classic albums, the best of which shares a title with their band name. As “Marrakesh Express” hints at, this album is perhaps best experienced on a cross-country train ride, but a road trip is the next best thing. “Judy Blue Eyes” and “Guinnevere” are beautifully sung odes to two different women, but that hardly matters when you’re singing along in your car. Pop this album in the CD changer on your way home, when the newly formed memories are still fresh in your mind, and the comforts of home await you.

3. Exile on Main Street , The Rolling Stones (1972)

The Rolling Stones sound is tailor made for a road trip. The Stones were a band with attitude and swagger, two things that any captain of a road trip certainly feels at some point on their journey. Exile on Main Street was the band at their most rebellious, full of rump shaking blues like “Rip This Joint” and “Shake Your Hips”, as well as anti-establishment anthems like “Sweet Black Angel” and “Turd on the Run”. Listening to this album while on a road trip will have you feeling like an exile yourself, on the run from those who want to keep you down. Let Mick Jagger and Keith Richards “Shine a Light” on you as you race toward wherever it is you’re going. This album is a prime example of how an already stellar album can elevate to new heights when heard on the move.

2. Highway 61 Revisited , Bob Dylan (1965)

Not only is Bob Dylan’s 6th studio album his best, it sounds even better with the wind blowing through your hair and nothing but the endless horizon in front of you. From the rollicking organ licks of “Like a Rolling Stone” to the ominous piano chords of “Ballad of a Thin Man”, Highway 61 is varied enough sonically to keep you pushing through each and every rest stop. If you’re on the road alone, you’ll find yourself lost in Dylan’s poetic and sometimes confounding lyrics, and if you’re with friends you’ll all be singing along to Dylan’s scratchy (and catchy) melodies. Besides, how could an album named after a highway that cuts through some of America’s most stories musical landmarks (most notably, the Mississippi Delta) not sound great on the road?

1. Abbey Road , the Beatles (1969)

The open road is like a blank canvas, an empty vessel waiting to be filled with the color that each traveler brings. There is no more colorful album than the Beatles 10th, Abbey Road . The album will transport you to places near and far. It’s impossible to listen to “Come Together” and not feel a certain bond with your karaoke companions. Try listening to Ringo Starr’s children’s tale “Octopus’s Garden” and not feel like a kid again. “Here Comes the Sun” will brighten your day even if a thunderstorm looms up the highway. It’s a beautiful album that unfolds as quickly as your first hour on the road; it’ll be over before you know it. Emotionally, it runs the gamut, and it’s hard not to shed a tear when the last notes of “The End” fade away, but like taking that last exit on your way home, there’s something comfortable about it too.

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Build the ultimate road trip playlist

Thanks for liking this song! We have added it to a personal playlist for you.

by Darby Ottoson and Natalia Toledo

July 11, 2022

A road trip playlist should be as wild and winding as your next adventure. At various points, it could be to spark nostalgia, to accent the scenery flying by, or to keep awake for the last leg. It’s all about the journey, so sit back and enjoy the road-tested favorites of touring musicians and hosts at The Current.

Check out who picked what, and why, below:

Twin Peaks, “Irene”

“I’d say ‘Irene’ by Twin Peaks. It feels sunny, expansive, kinda naive, and curious, and the continuous drums maintain energy throughout. IDK it makes my heart smile, feels like I’m on the cusp of something new.” –Mike Kota

Phil Cook, Southland Mission

“One album I can suggest for a road trip is Phil Cook’s Southland Mission . I’ve put a lot of miles of travel in a car and this album always picks me up. I find its rhythmic pace to be that of a textbook driving album. Bouncing through western Wisconsin I find this album often painting my trail home to Minnesota. Love ya Phil!” –Joe Rainey, Sr.

Onipa, “Chicken No Dey Fly”

“A song that we kept coming back to on our Mary EP tour was ‘Chicken No Dey Fly’ by Onipa, off their Tapes of Utopia Mixtape. We probably listened to that album like five or six times through. It’s so good!” –King Pari

Frank Ocean, Channel ORANGE

“I love the Channel ORANGE album by Frank Ocean for long rides, mostly because I love to sing along and it keeps me awake! It’s 10 years old but was an instant classic from the jump.” –Lady Midnight

Kali Malone, The Sacrificial Code Kate Bush, Hounds of Love Björk, Vespertine

“ The Sacrificial Code by Kali Malone is essential backseat reading/sleeping/decompressing music for tour. If I am in the driver's seat for long enough then Hounds of Love and Vespertine are both guaranteed plays too.” –Early Eyes (John O’Brien)

Andy Shauf, The Party

–Lily Govrik

Alvvays, “Not My Baby”

“It’s hard to find an artist or album we can all agree on when we are on the road, but the band Alvvays is a favorite for all of us. We probably set the record for most listens to “Not My Baby,” off Antisocialites , but both records are wall-to-wall hits.” –Graveyard Club

Mathieu Boogaerts, “Avant que je m'ennuie”

“His self-titled album is one of my go-to records. Kinda has been for the last 3 years. His music is somehow both intricate and effortless. It demands nothing of you as a listener but when you do listen, it gives a lot.” –we are the willows

Local radio stations

“I’m a big believer in radio road trips. Just love listening to whatever is blowing around the airwaves when I travel. Some cities used to have really distinctive radio profiles as you drove into town: New York, LA, Philadelphia, DC, San Francisco, Boston, Seattle … They are still out there, though. Even in our own state: WTIP, WELY, KAXE, KVSC, KUMD, KUOM. That random journey through sounds is what lets me know I’m on the road.” –John Munson (The New Standards, Semisonic, Trip Shakespeare)

Sheryl Crow, "Every Day Is a Winding Road" Tom Cochrane, "Life Is a Highway"

“I would say Sheryl Crow's Greatest Hits comes to mind right away and of course the classic, ‘Every Day Is a Winding Road.’ I like something energetic and sing-along-able when I'm driving. And also something that's recorded well because it's very hard to hear what's going on through the van speakers … My other favorite driving song is ‘Life Is A Highway’ by Tom Cochrane. I like songs that are about driving and great to drive to as well!” –Bad Bad Hats

Anju, “In Your Red Car”

“I wanted to conjure and capture a really dreamy in-love car ride I experienced – where the whole moment feels tinted with rose-y sunset-y magic and it feels like nothing can go wrong. To me this song sounds like how I remember that dreaminess – I hope it can be a soundtrack for the joyful rides of others.” –Anju

Dijon, “Many Times”

"I’ll be playing this one on repeat all summer – immediately catchy, head-nodding, and Dijon just slays the performance. Still a little moody, but in a windows-down, volume-up at the gas station sorta way." –Dessa

Rosalía, El Mal Querer

“As a band, the album we listened to the most was Rosalía’s El Mal Querer . We love how Rosalía effortlessly combines a rich flamenco tradition with modern pop sensibilities. (We hope we are in our own way fusing American traditional music with modern stylings as well!) And her VOICE – technically acrobatic, sounds effortless, sexy, powerful, shifting between colors and timbres like it ain’t no thang! And it’s also nice to hear a totally different sound than what we are usually playing and hearing on our lineups.” –Barbaro

Gram Parsons, Grievous Angel

“Depending on my travel destination, it really pumps me up to listen to musicians who grew up or base themselves in that location. However, it's usually a LONG CAR RIDE. I always find myself going back to Grievous Angel by Gram Parsons. He and Emmylou Harris have such a unique voice combo and it's really fun to sing along and jump between harmonies. Some of the songs are pretty mellow, but the majority chug along at an easy laid back traveling pace.” –Monica LaPlante

Crazy Frog, “Axel F” Darude, “Sandstorm” Black Eyed Peas, “Pump It”

“We couldn’t decide between three songs that we play probably three times a week when on the road, both before the gig and after. All insane choices but all honest.” –Gully Boys

Lewis Del Mar, “Sewers”

“So much grief and nostalgia. Surprisingly good feelings to navigate while sitting still for hours.” –papa mbye

Beach House, “Zebra” into Band of Horses, “St. Augustine”

“I went on a month-long road trip through Scotland with my best friend back in ’08. Those two songs were on the mix that I made. It provided a wonderful soundtrack to the lush green countryside. I would put this on in the early morning, dew-on-the-leaves portion of the trip.” –Jade

The Black Keys, Dropout Boogie Lenny Kravitz, 5 Jack White, Fear of the Dawn Bob Moses, The Silence in Between Carly Rae Jepsen, “Call Me Maybe”

“I took a road trip recently, and these are the albums that I listened to most. Carly Rae Jepsen’s ‘Call Me Maybe’ for me is the ultimate sing-your-heart-out pop song. Her albums are great pop fun too – just don’t get lost in the singing and fun like I did. I was driving and singing, lost track of my speed, and got a speeding ticket back in 2020 coming back from Montana." –Zeke

Kate Bush, “Running up that Hill” Foghat, “Slow Ride” Fleet Foxes, Fleet Foxes

“‘Running Up that Hill’ from Kate Bush has always been my road trip song because I’m generally on a road trip to go hike the highest elevation I can find. My alternatives are ‘Slow Ride’ by Foghat and the entire album of Fleet Foxes title record which I’ve taken to India, Alaska, and just about every hike I’ve ever been on.” –Ayisha

The Nude Party, The Nude Party

“One of my go-to road trip albums is the self-titled debut from The Nude Party. This album is perfect for rolling down the highway. You’ll have songs like ‘Feels Alright’ and ‘Chevrolet Van,’ which is about a band’s struggles on the road turned up to 11! The Nude Party perfectly blends the sounds of the Velvet Underground and the Rolling Stones. Nobody makes music like them anymore!” –Bill DeVille

Miriam Makeba, “Pata Pata”

“Pata Pata is Xhosa for ‘touch touch’ and was also a dance that was popular in the shebeens (bars) of the Johannesburg Townships like Soweto. Miriam Makeba, a South African artist, recorded it in 1967 and it was a worldwide hit. Miriam Makeba has an incredible story . But why do I love this song for road trips? It’s super catchy and gives you that burst of energy you need on the boring part of the drive, and Miriam is an amazing artist to celebrate.” –Lindsay Kimball

Regina Spektor, Soviet Kitsch

“I love to sing in the car, so any album that gets me singing like an unhinged lunatic is great for a road trip. Regina Spektor’s 2004 release, Soviet Kitsch , is a perfect example of a record that I can sing word-for-word, note-for-note. It’s odd, quirky, and filled with glorious melodies, peculiar stylistic choices, and honest, at times hilarious lyrics … I think I tend to like artists more before they become huge. The music industry can adulterate humans’ authentic souls.” –Diane

John Tesh, “Roundball Rock”

“Say you're in a car with a friend, or a few friends, or one or two friends and their friends who may not know you very well. Crossing the various highways and byways, at some point you're going to be passed the aux cord. The last thing they're expecting is a deeply soul-stirring piece of nostalgia that they haven't heard in years … An instrumental created for the purpose of hyping professional basketball games [ NBA on NBC ], throwing this baby on randomly mid-playlist is a great mid-trip bit of fun, especially if your fellow passengers aren't basketball fans.” –Chaz Kangas

Various Artists, Saturday Night Fever (The Original Movie Soundtrack)

“I actually have a go-to mix CD called "Road Trip Hits" that I compiled when my teenage son and I went on our first road-trip together – and we bring along the same CD every time we travel anywhere. It’s mostly disco and classic R&B and soul hits from the ‘70s – upbeat tunes with groovy vibes that bridge generations (most importantly, fun for all ages to listen and sing-along to) … But if I had to pick one singular album, it would be the soundtrack to Saturday Night Fever – there's nothing more fun to sing along with than those crazy falsettos from the Brothers Gibb.” –Jessica Paxton

Don’t see your road trip picks? Let us know your favorites in the comments below.

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This feature is part of The Current’s 89 Days of Summer series, helping you enjoy the best of the season with weekly guides to events, entertainment, and recreation in the Twin Cities.

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Essential summer road trip albums

Modest Mouse • This is a Long Drive for Someone With Nothing to Think About

By Ian Gassman • [email protected]

Some musicians can perfectly describe traveling. For instance, Modest Mouse’s Isaac Brock makes it a point to write about traveling in a somewhat resentful manner. But this is probably because driving around for hours can be a beautifully freeing and exceptionally boring experience. Even the title of Modest Mouse’s 1996 debut, This is A Long Drive for Someone With Nothing to Think About , lets listeners know that road trips get tiring.

Ironically, within this album, Brock stops bitching about interstates and his gas tank long enough to create some perfect traveling music. Beyond a few filler tracks, most of the songs offer up the right combination of energy, catchiness and contemplative atmosphere.

“Custom Concern” and “Talking Shit About a Pretty Sunset” let Brock’s clever lyricism shine through. “Dramamine” and “Lounge” showcase his unique guitar riffs, along with Eric Judy’s subtle bass work and Jeremiah Green’s loose drumming. Moreover, this album — which captures the band in their prime — might just inspire you as you make your way across those dull stretches of road.

The Allman Brothers Band • Eat a Peach

By Ramsey Scott • [email protected]

The mere mention of a road trip evokes memories of being a kid and watching pine trees and cotton fields pass by my window in our family’s car. When driving through the South Carolina summer, the one album that always accompanied our trips was The Allman Brothers Band’s Eat a Peach .

Yet, the reason that Eat a Peach is the perfect road trip album is the track “Melissa.” Staring out of a car window has a way of making you think about all that you have left behind and all the possibilities of what lies ahead. When Greg Allman sings, “Crossroads seem to come an go. The gypsy flies from coast to coast,” he is singing to you as you watch the world pass you by.

Various Artists • Snatch Soundtrack

Beyond the classic album format, the soundtrack has a lot to offer the summer road-tripper. The Motion Picture Soundtrack to Snatch , for example, offers a weirdly appropriate variety of genres for every passing ritual within the car. For that first merge onto the highway, we have the samurai-techno of Overseer’s “Supermoves,” and for the midway smoke session, “Dreadlock Holiday” by 10cc.

The jarring switches between genres are smoothed over with excerpts from the film’s funniest 30-second blips of dialogue. And if that weren’t enough, near the end you have an epic instrumental with which to enter your destination city (and arguably the best Oasis song ever) “Fucking in the Bushes.”

While this eclectic array of music can attract and repel the staunchest of mix-tape enthusiasts, just give it a shot. You’ll at least find a few songs for your road trip repertoire inside this motion picture classic.

The Xx • Xx

By Matt Pusatory • [email protected]

Everyone knows you can’t just have one quintessential road trip album. A proper road trip requires a bevy of music. Listening to one album for 20 hours straight would verge on torture, even if it were your favorite album.

So instead of writing about the best possible album for road-trippin’, focus instead on one particular moment during your road trip. For the time when you’re driving through Kansas or some similarly deserted stretch of highway at 2:30 in the morning. What is the best album for that moment? Xx’s self-titled debut.

The Brit pop-tronic outfit’s low-key collection fits perfectly together with the night time, especially on songs like “Basic Space” and, of course, “Night Time.” The songs are upbeat enough to keep the driver awake and also gentle enough to match the mood of headlights on a dark road.

Some music sounds better while driving through early-morning darkness and Xx understand this.

Modest Mouse
music. road trip
Snatch Soundtrack
The Allman Brothers Band

Ian Gassman

Ian Gassman has contributed to The Metropolitan as a reporter since 2007 and previously held the music editor position, as well as the managing editor position. Ian is majoring in journalism with a concentration in news and editorial. He is also pursuing an independent minor in multimedia music reporting. Ian expects to graduate soon and hopes his foremost passions, music and writing, remain a central part of his life.

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10 Pitchfork Staffers on Their Favorite Driving Albums

By Pitchfork

Car first met radio in 1922, and a great American tradition was born. As science can attest , sometimes the best listening experiences happen while we’re speeding along on four wheels. Whether the occasion is commuting, road-tripping, or snagging aux cords from unsuspecting Uber drivers, these are some of our favorite albums to blast from car speakers.

Oneohtrix Point Never: R Plus Seven

The most revelatory moment I ever had with music came during my sophomore year of college, in a car that was peeling down the Taconic Parkway. I went to school in the Hudson Valley, and it was autumn; it’s a cliche of upstate life, but right when the leaves turn, the crisp golden-brown covering everything is astonishingly beautiful. I don’t remember where we were going or where we were coming from, but I remember staring out the window from the backseat as my reliably weird friend put on Oneohtrix Point Never’s R Plus Seven . “Boring Angel” blared through the speakers, and as the church organ moaned and a robot angel chorus blared its harmony, the gorgeous fall day passing us by started to feel pretty surreal. For the next hour or so, we made our way through the winding roads, hugged by dying greenery, the expanse before us looking and sounding unrealistic. OPN’s work might not strike you as appropriate for a drive, or all that seasonal either—it’s cold, cyborg music inspired by the depths of the internet’s dreck, after all—but I can say for a fact, even when you’re in a car on an unremarkable day, the noises from this record can really take you somewhere else. – Kevin Lozano

Bob Dylan: Biograph

A few years ago, I had to drive a rental car from Grand Haven, Michigan, to the Detroit Metro Airport, a distance of just about three hours. I spent the time listening to Bob Dylan’s 1985 box set Biograph from start to finish, which was almost the exact length of my journey. I knew Biograph very well, having listened to it regularly since it was first released, but I’m not sure I’d ever experienced the whole thing in order. It was a revelation. This trip affirmed not just Dylan’s brilliance but also how a well-selected box set that draws from an entire career, and situates each moment in its right place, can tell a story of both an artist and (if said artist is good enough) an entire age. – Mark Richardson

Sleigh Bells: Treats

My best friend in high school had a list of “driving rules” taped to the window of her Honda Civic. Among its many proclamations were, “Whoever rides shotgun must feed the driver Sonic fries upon request” and “There is no wrong time for ‘Rill Rill.’” The list was adapted from Tumblr posts circulated by teens who, like us, overcompensated for their natural awkwardness by promoting their most mundane practices as stylish decisions.

Using these car rules as a script, and Sleigh Bells’ volcanic guitars and distorted vocals as our soundtrack, we imagined our gawkiness as intentional—proof of how much cooler we were than our suburban Pennsylvania peers. This game took a great deal of conviction, and Alexis Krauss’ lyrics were punchy and unapologetic enough to serve as our mantras. (“Dear heart, don’t stop fighting!”) In retrospect, ugly-dancing while driving to fast food restaurants was pretty vanilla behavior, but it was enough to embolden us—and, we hoped, to turn a few heads. – Vrinda Jagota

Lorde: Pure Heroine

Lorde’s first album is a monument to the kind of ennui that hits hardest during late-night drives on deserted streets. Even though she herself doesn’t drive , Lorde’s passenger-seat insight is incisive throughout. The songs on Pure Heroine carry all the tension of suburban adolescence; Lorde combs through the exhilaration of being able to go anywhere at all (“I feel grown up with you in your car”) and the paradoxical frustration of having nowhere to be (“You pick me up and take me home again”), her listlessness soundtracked by throbbing percussion and shadowy synth that come to life in car speakers. Pure Heroine has kept me company on many a drive home—so many that, sometimes, just getting into a car at night is enough to summon the heavy, hollow beat of “400 Lux” to my mind. – Olivia Horn

Van Halen: Van Halen

At some point when I was 17, I acquired a vinyl copy of Van Halen . It doesn’t live with me anymore. I think it got played once and then it just sat on the shelf because, realistically, I have never sat down and thought, “Now would be a nice time to listen to Van Halen.” However, I regularly blow some data when I’m driving to the grocery store to stream David Lee Roth’s stupid voice. The car feels like the only appropriate venue to hear ultra-macho 1970s and ‘80s hard rock records—shit by Ted Nugent, KISS, Judas Priest, AC/DC, and so on. Van Halen are clumsy FM radio guitar music at its most heightened and ridiculous; Eddie’s solos and Diamond Dave’s howls are flashy to the point of self-parody, and in a car, they sound perfect . I’ll sing along to the dumb doo-wop section of “I’m the One” and then laugh uncontrollably, because why the fuck did they do that? I like to listen to “Eruption” and drive, like, four miles over the speed limit in my 2007 Prius. Most of all, I like to make eye contact with my fellow drivers at stoplights while blasting Van Halen. For one fleeting moment, that stranger thinks I’m the worst, and they’re probably right. – Evan Minsker

Leif Vollebekk: North Americana

The nomadic troubadour Leif Vollebekk’s 2014 album North Americana has long punctuated my longer drives. He oscillates between quiet, weighted folk and frenetic, free-verse folk-jazz, all of which paint pictures of the rosiest golden hue. It’s no wonder that his songs feel best at sunset: They’re brooding, introspective tunes that wind down the locomotive pace of a day and ease into twilight’s more contemplative moments. Standouts like the stream-of-consciousness “At the End of the Line” and the emotionally wrung “Photographer Friend” (the latter of which includes the dark truth “Most things, they don’t last”) create a picture-perfect nostalgia best viewed from the rearview mirror. – Amanda Wicks

Metronomy: Nights Outs

Metronomy’s Joseph Mount once described Nights Out as “a half-arsed concept album about going out and having a crap time.” Its airbrushed cover art, plastic pop production, and uncomfortable, repetitive instrumental stretches certainly feel like a weird night in some empty club. But the persistent, high-energy melodies and desperate emotion pulsating through tracks like “Holiday,” “On Dancefloors,” and “Back on the Motorway” are impossible to sit through without moving your body. Growing up on the Seminole Tribe of Florida’s Hollywood reservation, my high school years were a series of urgent missions: finalize my night’s plans, jump in the car, and blast off to the city with this thought-provoking yet escapist soundtrack. Slinking down Fort Lauderdale’s oceanfront streets lined with palms trees and 1980s neon signs, blasting “Thing for Me”—a bouncy, shrill synth banger that captures the exciting beginning of a crush—became a video game joyride. Though every night ended in a sleepy cruise back to the complicated community I struggled to reconcile with, Metronomy’s goofy self-consciousness soothed the overthinking that happened in those nights’ endless quiet. – Braudie Blais-Billie

Dave Attell: Skanks for the Memories

If you haven’t heard this comedy album, it’s one of the best, most finely tuned, expertly delivered, and hilarious stand-up sets that’s ever been recorded. It is also deeply offensive on every imaginable level and, in the great balance, largely indefensible as a piece of art. I came of driving age at the height of mix CDs, so the bulk of my driving music was “Driving Mix” Vol. One through whatever, or any disc I could blindly grab from my Diet Coke-stained CD binder without swerving into the median. Long interstate trips visiting friends or driving through the night to get back to school from a show consisted of carefully planned CD-Rs interspersed with comedy albums to keep me awake, and Skanks for the Memories is peak among them.

The admitted alcoholism of 37-year-old Dave Attell wheels him off in hundreds of depraved and self-deprecating anecdotes and verbal surprises: “I used to do drugs but that was way back there.” “ My cousin had a baby and I was watching her breastfeed for a couple of bucks, and I'll tell you ladies: It's amazing .” “I hate traveling, I guess, because my dad used to beat me with a globe.” Also: dick jokes. This is the mecca of dick jokes, the God particle from which dick jokes descended. Track 25 is called “Dick Jokes” but that’s only after he’s already told many, many dick jokes. The blurred line between the addled and brilliant brain of Attell and his stand-up character—the worst straight white man in the world—becomes a firing zone of jokes that come so fast, so well-timed, so perfect that no one else could pull off going this blue. Skanks for the Memories is so offensive that it can only exist in a space where no one else is around to know your shame when listening to it. Jeremy D. Larson

Travis Scott: Days Before Rodeo

Having grown up the suburbs of D.C., my fondest memories of aimless nights as a teen involve sneaking out of the house past midnight and getting picked up by friends in their parents’ cars. We would drive to gas stations and sit in dark parking lots, talking about shit we thought was important and laughing at nothing. To this day, my favorite kind of driving is done after hours, when traffic is unintimidating and the shroud of nightfall makes everything feel a bit more private and quiet. On his Days Before Rodeo mixtape, Travis Scott—cold, lonely, and menacing—offers the perfect soundtrack to zooming down empty freeways. Through strange vocal processing chains, he masks his voice with heavy AutoTune and calamitous reverb, and eerily floats throughout songs. Open your windows on “Drugs You Should Try It” and let his voice fly out into the night air. Hear the drums click in rhythm with the passing street lamps. Accelerate. – Michelle Kim

The War on Drugs: Lost in the Dream

My car only plays CDs and I don’t have too many anymore. My CD copy of The War on Drugs’ Lost in the Dream is a watermark from years ago, when publicists used to mail physical copies of albums as promos. I still find those to be special, a CD printed with your name on it, and kept many of them, so much of my driving is soundtracked by high-profile indie records circa 2012.

The War on Drugs is a band I’ve always liked, if not one I’ve found myself particularly in need of hearing often. Modern-day Springsteen pantomimes are not necessarily my thing. But due to the dearth of CDs in my car, Lost in the Dream got added to the rotation, which I am grateful for. It’s so American—the soundtrack to every movie about escape, about hitting the open road. The guitars blend together like it’s one massive song playing during a long open-road scene. I bought my car primarily to get out of the city, so most of my driving is leisurely. I’m not a cool guy with a cool car: It’s an old Volvo. It’s functional and built like a tank. But I’m not so lame that I’m not attracted the same thing that appeals to everyone else: speeding with your windows down, getting the hell out of dodge, even for the afternoon. – Matthew Schnipper

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Tuesday BP: And now, something treacherous

A road trip. A long one.

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Michael Conforto in the dugout, tossing sunflower seeds at the camera.

The San Francisco Giants are starting to find their bearings, even if it’s not entirely smooth. They’ve scored more than five runs just once in their last 14 games, yet they’re starting to show glimpses of being a competent and, dare I say, perhaps even dangerous baseball team.

But they’re about to get tested. Starting today, the Giants are beginning their longest road trip of the season. Not only do they play 10 consecutive games away from the prettiest ballpark ever built — three each in Boston and Colorado, sandwiching a four-game set in Philly — but they play those 10 games in 10 days ... and then return home for six straight games before finally getting an off day on May 16.

We’ll learn a lot about the Giants, or at least we’ll gain some important info about their place in the standings. Not only is it a treacherous set of games, but when they finally get that beloved off day, they’ll be 45 games into the season. That’s not exactly the time of year to start looking at. magic numbers, but it is deep enough to be looking at the standings regularly.

It’s a testing set of games. The Red Sox have been sneakily good this year, and the Phillies have been excellent, and after those seven games the Giant head to the land of regret, weirdness, and frustration, Coors Field. When they return home, they have to host a team they’re in direct competition for the postseason with, the Cincinnati Reds . And the final boss they get to face, as a reward for making it to the end of 16 games in 16 days? The Los Angeles Dodgers , naturally.

Personally? I think they win 17 of these next 16 games. Keep the faith.

What time do the Giants play today?

The Giants and Red Sox play a good old fashioned game of baseball at 4:10 p.m. PT today.

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2024 Marion Bridge 10km Road Race | Marion Bridge Community Hall

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IMAGES

Top 10 Road Trip Albums
What Are the 10 Best Road-Trip Albums?
Road Trip: The Ultimate Collection
The 13 Best Road Trip Albums for Every Leg of the Journey
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Summer Road Trip Albums List Take Me Home, Country Roads, Best Country

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What Are the 10 Best Road-Trip Albums?
Best Listening Location: The Pennsylvania Turnpike. Eric Clapton, Unplugged. Clapton returns to his bluesy roots in Unplugged, definitely one of the great guitar albums of all time. If screaming ...
The 13 Best Road Trip Albums
1. Rumours by Fleetwood Mac (1977) There's never a bad time to put on Fleetwood Mac's best-selling album, but we're particularly partial to it when stormy weather strikes. Slow your roll (for safety's sake, of course) and turn up the volume on moody, high drama hits, like "The Chain," "Gold Dust Woman" and "Oh Daddy.".
The Best Road Trip Albums
Neil Young & Crazy Horse - Everybody Knows This is Nowhere Aside from the apt name of Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere, and by extension its title track, what makes this one of the best road trip albums can be traced right to how its opening highlight "Cinnamon Girl" kicks things off at an anthemic, invigorating pace.Then later, the classic rock epics "Down By the River" and ...
The 13 Best Road Trip Albums for Every Leg of the Journey
1. Rumours by Fleetwood Mac (1977) Best for Stormy Weather. There's never a bad time to put on Fleetwood Mac's best-selling album, but we're particularly partial to it when stormy weather ...
Best Road Trip Albums: Top 10 Picks for Your Next Adventure
Another iconic road trip album is The Beach Boys' "Pet Sounds," released in 1966. This album is a masterpiece of harmony and melody, and it perfectly captures the carefree spirit of the 1960s.
10 Albums That Are Practically Summer Road Trip Essentials
3. Tapestry by Carole King. Ode Records/A&M Records / Via amazon.com. One of the best albums of all time. Just stellar. Great for any occasion, and especially a road trip. 4. An Evening With Silk ...
NME Recommends: the best road trip albums
From the widescreen 'Road Head', to the floaty romance of 'Boyish' and the aching lullaby of 'Till Death', this adventurous collection of star-gazing dream-pop gems is the perfect ...
The 13 Best Road Trip Albums for Every Leg of the Journey
Here, a roundup of the very best road trip albums for your listening pleasure, whether you need a soundtrack for solo car travel or are simply trying to tune out a backseat driver in the most ...
Top 10 Road Trip Albums
I met up with my buddy and childhood friend, Jason Law to break down our Top 5 Road Trip Albums. Jason has been on the show before and he and his wife Kelly run Festy GoNuts. They'll teach you a thing or two about music festivals and the location independent lifestyle. Get ready for a lot of great music, a lot of great fun, and a lot of great ...
The Five Best Road Trip Albums of All Time
The album should strongly encourage engagement—either listening carefully or singing along. The album should be easy to enjoy alone, with friends, or with family. The album must be (mostly) family friendly. So, let's get to it. Here are my top five road trip albums as of Summer 2020.*. A Love Supreme by John Coltrane.
10 Perfect Albums To Take On A Road Trip
1) Exile On Main Street - The Rolling Stones. This album is perfect for the road. While some debate whether this or Sticky Fingers is their crowning achievement, there are more steady rockers on this double album, and some fine blues in addition to rockers like "Rip This Joint" and Keith Richards' "Happy.".
The Best Road Trip Albums of All-Time, According to Our Editors
Indeed, even the most scenic of drives can be enhanced with the proper score, which is why this may be the most sound, critical advice we can give you throughout all of UD Road Trip Week. These are our favorite albums to pop in (because we've chosen to use imaginary CD players for this exercise) and hit the road to. Enjoy.
5 Best Road Trip Albums: Because Playlists are a Mood!
These are the best road trip albums according to me - an immigrant kid growing up in the 90s discovering R&B on the radio stations in Chicago, and an even more eager teen discovering international house beats and southern hip hop in Houston.. A girl who partied to all the pop and dance music the 2000s had to offer, while still harboring a love for the old-school hip-hop of the 90s.
What's the Best Road Trip Soundtrack?
The Prodigy - Nasty (Spor Remix) For me, there's a certain flow between playlists and albums that works best. Long drives always start with music, something like 100 gecs' 1000 gecs, Metric ...
10 Great Road Trip Rock Albums
5) London Calling by The Clash. Either this, the band's third album, or the similarly sprawling Sandinista that followed it - both shine when given car stereo time. This is the album on which punk rock grew up and opened itself up to stylistic variations and greater thematic depth and range.
Best Road Trip Albums
I wanted to share with you then, my top 10 albums to listen to when you are on the road. Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon. A majestic album which is the perfect way to start any road trip, huge songs, beautiful arrangements and of course, the odd sing-a-long makes this the best way to start any road trip. Fleetwood Mac - Rumors.
15 Best Albums to Soundtrack a Road Trip
The best albums tell a story, and the best road trips are full of great memories that were inevitably catalogued into photo albums. Here are ten albums that will make your next road trip that much more memorable. 15. FutureSex/LoveSounds, Justin Timberlake (2006)
Build the ultimate road trip playlist
"One of my go-to road trip albums is the self-titled debut from The Nude Party. This album is perfect for rolling down the highway. You'll have songs like 'Feels Alright' and 'Chevrolet Van,' which is about a band's struggles on the road turned up to 11! The Nude Party perfectly blends the sounds of the Velvet Underground and the ...
The top four essential road trip albums
Essential summer road trip albums Modest Mouse • This is a Long Drive for Someone With Nothing to Think About By Ian Gassman • [email protected] Some musicians can perfectly describe traveling. For instance, Modest Mouse's Isaac Brock makes it a point to write about traveling in a somewhat resentful manner. But this is probably because driving around for hours can be a beautifully ...
My Top 10 Road-Trip Albums
Jackson Browne Running on Empty An album written and recorded on the road, with material about the road, including a great song entitled The Road. The Rolling Stones Exile on Man Street A double-album from the height of their creativity. Pure rock n roll goodness. The Clash London Calling Another totally genius double-album. If you havent heard ...
10 Pitchfork Staffers on Their Favorite Driving Albums
Metronomy: Nights Outs. Metronomy's Joseph Mount once described Nights Out as "a half-arsed concept album about going out and having a crap time.". Its airbrushed cover art, plastic pop ...
The 10 Best Road Trip Songs, According To Spotify
The Eagles' 1977 hit, Hotel California, ties with Highway to Hell as the second highest-streamed, road-trip song on Spotify. The album garnered a Grammy for Album of the Year in 1978 and reached ...
The Best Road Trip Album In The World...Ever!
Listen to The Best Road Trip Album In The World...Ever! on Spotify. Various Artists · Compilation · 2023 · 93 songs.
SF Giants kick off longest road trip of the season
The San Francisco Giants are beginning their longest road trip of the season, with 10 games against the Boston Red Sox, Philadelphia Phillies, and Colorado Rockies.
Philadelphia Phillies at Los Angeles Angels Preview
Trea Turner and Bryce Harper both have 7 homers in 10 career games vs. the Angels. Watch with Free Trial. This browser does not support the video element. Mike Trout faces his hometown team, the Phillies, at Angel Stadium for the first time since August of 2017. Watch with Free Trial.
Brandon Pfaadt, Ketel Marte lead D-backs over Mariners
SEATTLE -- The D-backs' three-city, 10-game, 11-day, 5,027-mile road trip finally came to an end Sunday and while they didn't end up with as many wins as they had hoped, they did end it on a positive note with a 3-2 win over the Mariners at T-Mobile Park. With the win, Arizona avoided a sweep in the three-game series and finished the road ...
2024 Marion Bridge 10km Road Race
Searching for information and tickets regarding 2024 Marion Bridge 10km Road Race | Marion Bridge Community Hall taking place in Marion on Jun 8, 2024 (UTC-4)? Trip.com has you covered. Check the dates, itineraries, and other information about 2024 Marion Bridge 10km Road Race | Marion Bridge Community Hall now! Trip.com has also prepared more similar exciting activities and discounted flight ...

What Are the 10 Best Road-Trip Albums?

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Healthy Living

The 13 Best Road Trip Albums for Every Leg of the Journey

1. Rumours by Fleetwood Mac (1977)

2. Exile on Main Street by The Rolling Stones (1972)

3. Ramblin' Man by Hank Williams (1955)

4. United by Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell (1967)

5. Little Creatures by Talking Heads (1985)

6. Take Me to Your Leader by King Geedorah (2003)

7. The Writing's on the Wall by Destiny's Child (1999)

8. The Band by The Band (1969)

9. Greatest Hits by Tom Petty (1976)

10. Lost in the Dream by The War on Drugs (2014)

11. The Journey - Pt. 1 by The Kinks (2023)

12. Whitney Houston by Whitney Houston

13. Sour by Olivia Rodrigo

Freelance PureWow Editor

10 Essential Road Trip Albums

The Band – The Band

Rolling Stones – Let It Bleed

Neil Young & Crazy Horse – Everybody Knows This is Nowhere

Swervedriver – Mezcal Head

Friends of Dean Martinez – Retrograde

Modest Mouse – The Lonesome Crowded West

Wilco – summerteeth

Bob Dylan – Love and Theft

M83 – Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming

Japandroids – Celebration Rock

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The 13 Best Road Trip Albums for Every Leg of the Journey

1. Rumours by Fleetwood Mac (1977)

2. Exile on Main Street by The Rolling Stones (1972)

3. Ramblin' Man by Hank Williams (1955)

4. United by Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell (1967)

5. Little Creatures by Talking Heads (1985)

6. Take Me to Your Leader by King Geedorah (2003)

7. The Writing's on the Wall by Destiny's Child (1999)

8. The Band by The Band (1969)

9. Greatest Hits by Tom Petty (1976)

10. Lost in the Dream by The War on Drugs (2014)

11. The Journey - Pt. 1 by The Kinks (2023)

12. Whitney Houston by Whitney Houston

13. Sour by Olivia Rodrigo

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Best Road Trip Albums: Top 10 Picks for Your Next Adventure

Key Takeaways

Historical Significance of Road Trip Albums

Top 10 Classic Road Trip Albums

Album 1: “Highway 61 Revisited” by Bob Dylan

Album 2: “Born to Run” by Bruce Springsteen

Album 3: “Rumours” by Fleetwood Mac

Album 4: “Hotel California” by The Eagles

Album 5: “Led Zeppelin IV” by Led Zeppelin

Album 6: “The Joshua Tree” by U2

Album 7: “Exile on Main St.” by The Rolling Stones

Album 8: “Dark Side of the Moon” by Pink Floyd

Album 9: “Appetite for Destruction” by Guns N’ Roses

Album 10: “The Doors” by The Doors

Criteria for a Good Road Trip Album

Benefits of Music on Road Trips

Modern Road Trip Albums

Album 1: “Lonerism” by Tame Impala

Album 2: “Melodrama” by Lorde