The Best Road Trip Songs From The '60s To Today, According To Music Critics

There's something special about a road trip. There's gas in the tank. The route is set — better yet, there's no route. It's you, your friends, and the open road. In many ways, it's the purest type of travel, especially in a sprawling country like the United States. Home to countless stunning and storied routes, it's a place where never-ending interstates roar through monumental desert valleys, smoky mountains, and vast plains that give way to some of the most iconic skylines in the world. In short, the road trip is freedom.

But no asphalt adventure is complete without a rollicking soundtrack. Some songs are built for the road, singing straight to the romantic heart of the driver as they ride, windows down, off into their own proverbial sunset. Others carry you through quiet nights when the miles blur into one.

Whatever your reason for hitting the road, the music matters. These songs, spanning the 1960s all the way through the 2000s, are staples on countless critics' lists and real-world playlists alike. Each fits a moment, and sets you off on your own sonic journey as well as your gas-fueled one. Together, they're the ultimate passenger.

Few tracks epitomize the joy of hitting the road more than country legend Willie Nelson's "On the Road Again." Written for the 1980 film "Honeysuckle Rose," in which Nelson starred, the song's easy-going melody is carried by its never-ending train beat and walking bass line. It's the perfect first song on any road trip playlist, especially in a car full of friends all buzzing with anticipation at what the journey will bring.

Its chorus, sung in Nelson's homely drawl, is wonderfully simple and it's a road trip song in the purest way. There's nothing complicated about it, and taps into the universal pre-trip feeling, where excitement outweighs any potential destination.

After four decades, it still feels like something of a rite of passage for roadtrippers, and radio giants Sirius XM agree. Whether your trip is long or short, "On the Road Again" sets the tone for the whole trip going forward.

"Go Your Own Way" is arguably one of Fleetwood Mac's most iconic songs. Written by Lindsay Buckingham for the band's 1977 record, "Rumours," it documents his split with partner and band member Stevie Nicks. Despite the lyrics' bitterness and fairly accusatory tone, there's a spectacular catharsis from the chorus that goes hand-in-hand with a wide-open interstate.

The song's chorus — with Buckingham on vocals and, amusingly, the song's target, Nicks, harmonizing — can be construed as an emotional proclamation of independence, and for those behind the wheel, that works perfectly. It doesn't matter too much that it's really an angry dismissal. Music is subjective after all.

It's one of the most featured roadtrip playlist songs among several music critics, and for good reason thanks to its driving pulse, strained vocals, and a banging guitar solo. Whether you're chasing something up ahead, leaving something behind, or flouncing around somewhere in the middle, the restless energy of "Go Your Own Way" will propel you forward.

Let's take away any dark images of a literal road to damnation. Instead, we can focus on the epic and, sadly prophetic, rock 'n roll masterpiece that is AC/DC's "Highway to Hell." An anthem built for head-banging with your buddies in the car, it's as perfect a rock song as anyone can muster. Even Rolling Stone put it in its list of the best roadtrip songs of all time.

The ever-enigmatic Angus Young's intro riff sets the tone (as well as single-handedly inspiring a million kids to pick up a guitar) before Bon Scott's legendary growl emerges, celebrating his loose-living decisions as he rides his own proverbial "highway to hell." Its chorus, as simple as can be, means even newcomers to the Aussie rock outfit can get in on the ode to living life in the fast lane.

Sadly, "Highway to Hell" proved to cut a little too close to the bone. Bon Scott sings that he's on a "season ticket on a one-way ride," and with, " no stop signs, speed limit." That mentality saw him die tragically just after completing the "Highway to Hell" tour at the age of 33. Despite the emotional ties, the song remains an iconic rock 'n roll song and is regularly placed at the top of best road trip song polls around the world.

Some road trips are about adventure. Some are practical. Others are about escaping from something. And Tracy Chapman's "Fast Car" speaks to that with delicacy and devastation. Another feature on Rolling Stone's list, it's equal parts ballad and anthem, Chapman's contemplative lyrics probe the (likely hopeless) dream of a better life with her partner.

The narrative in the verses is powerful enough to hush even the loudest car as Chapman's story of hope, worn down by circumstance, takes shape. When the drum upbeat lifts into the chorus, it transforms into an emotional sing-along. Everyone can take what they feel from it. After all, sad songs are often the ones that speak to us clearest.

Is it a happy song? Of course not, but not every road trip is a jubilant affair. Some are homecomings after failed ventures or breakups, others are forlorn visits home for funerals or final goodbyes. They matter just as much, and songs like "Fast Car" help us get there in one piece.

You should probably rent a convertible for this one. West Coast rap is special in its fusing a funk beat with its trademark vivid storytelling, perfect for cruising around a sunny city. Ice Cube's "It Was a Good Day" is up there with the best of them, maybe because it's a departure from his typically angry demeanor (although, watching the video, you may not know he was happy).

A regular on hip-hop road trip playlists and documenting a fictional, perfect day in South Central Los Angeles, Ice Cube flits from his mother's breakfast table to his convertible, before shooting some hoops and, well, let's say copulating with a long-time love interest. It's the perfect easy-going soundtrack to a city cruise, owing at least in part to the brilliant looping sample of The Isley Brothers' " Footsteps in the Dark " guitar riff.

In between the daydreaming, though, there is a darker undertone. The song was written amidst the Rodney King riots in 1992, and lines like, "Saw the police and they rolled right past me, and nobody I know got killed in South Central LA," are a stark reminder of the tension many were experiencing. On a road trip, it's a reminder that sometimes the best moments are the simplest ones. When nothing goes wrong, the sun's out, and for a few miles at least, everything is golden.

Will there ever be an era like the '80s for music again? Who knows. But one thing is for certain, it produced some spectacular driving music. At the top of that revered list is Tears for Fears' "Everybody Wants to Rule the World," arguably the definitive '80s synth pop tune.

Amazingly, the song's existence is pure luck. Guitarist Roland Orzabal stumbled upon the intro riff while recording at home, didn't feel it was any good, and would have passed it off had his wife not voiced her appreciation for it. Even the rest of the band thought the song was weak, and without the record company's input, it would never have gone further.

If you need an understanding of how much nostalgia and free-wheeling wonder the song imparted on the world, just look through the comments on the music video. One commenter said, "I'm driving a rundown late 70's tan colored Dodge Dart back to college after working the weekend as a bartender. It's late March 1985, and unseasonably warm in New England. The sun is setting, I'm traveling west, and the windows are wide open, and this song comes on. It is instantly tattooed on my brain." That's the power of an epic road trip song. There's a reason it featured on 48 road trip playlists on Spotify just last year.

A few things will happen when the intro riff to "Mr. Brightside" comes on. Dance floors are instantly filled, and car-fulls of people quickly clear their throats, ready for some serious singing. There may be some groans from older readers, but for millennials, the angsty anthem of their teenage years is incomparable, and almost guaranteed to liven any road trip. It featured on 5% of 20,000 roadtrip playlists in 2024, so someone is listening.

Despite being released in 2003, it's one of the youngest entries on the list, and The Killers' first-ever track. It dives into singer Brandon Flowers' jealous spiral after discovering infidelity in his relationship. Its desperate verses, sung monotone by Flowers, trap the listener in a frantic loop before the pre-chorus and chorus offer the cathartic synth-laced release. Try to stop the entire car screaming, "I just can't look, it's killing me."

Do we all feel the lyrics? Or is it just another slice of millennial nostalgia? No one knows. But for a group of 30-somethings stuffed into a car for a few hours, it's pretty close to a spiritual experience. And everyone else who claims it's overrated is just trying to sound cool.

A true ode to the art of the nighttime city cruise, eccentric British rocker Iggy Pop penned "The Passenger" after spending months driving around Berlin with David Bowie. Contemplative, metaphorical, and open to interpretation, Iggy and Bowie were both fighting drug addiction at the time. Iggy, always the passenger since he didn't have a driver's license, created the song off the cuff after hearing the simple but effective jangling chord progression from a friend. Bowie even features on backing vocals.

It's a song about wonder, and any road trip, short or long, should embody a sense of it. Tucked behind the windscreen, he ponders the city he's passing through, before repeating the same structure from the outside looking in — "I am the passenger" becomes "he is the passenger" — suggesting an almost out-of-body experience when driving through the night and watching the world.

Whether your roadtrips are as somber and thoughtful as Iggy and David's, "The Passenger" is a quintessential addition to any playlist, especially in the quieter moments of an overnight trip. Plus, the "la-la-la" section is almost hypnotic and sure to pass the time on repeat. Rolling Stone placed it at number 30 on its road trip list, and it features on dozens of other lists, too.

If you want to romanticize your road-bound wanderings, few songs will get you there like Roger Miller's "King of the Road." Originally recorded in 1965, its classic country storytelling made it a classic that vaulted into the mainstream, too. Centering on a drifter who finds contentment in the journey, it's a wonderful meandering tune to carry you through. Time Out featured it its own list of the best road trip songs of all time.

Decades later, Scottish folk-rock twins, The Proclaimers (of "500 Miles" fame), took their own crack at the song, and it might be even better. Keeping the country soul of the original but adding the harmonized Hibernian drawl to the mix gives it a fresher feel and maybe a more approachable iteration. Whatever option you prefer, there are buckets of charm leaning into the delights of life on the road. Maybe opt for the Proclaimers when you're on an underrated Scottish road trip route.

It's best played in the slower moments of a trip, rolling through small towns and back roads with no concern about when or even where you're getting there. You might have a very specific reason for your adventure, but who says you can't pretend you're the slow-moving drifter?

Another song that will appeal to the '90s babies, Nelly's "Ride Wit' Me" is a turn-of-the-millennium hip-hop classic (unlike these flop songs that should still be on your playlist). Don't take our word for it. Rolling Stone thinks it's one of the best road trip songs of all time and one of the best songs of the 21st century so far. It may not resonate on the emotional level of some of the traditional classics, but it's a crowd-pleaser that will inject some life back into a lagging journey.

Nelly is known for his swagger and cheeky persona, but that comes in tandem with the fact that he's an exceptional rapper. The smooth rhymes in "Ride 'Wit Me" are effortless, the acoustic backbeat is infectious. Plus, it's a remarkably contemplative song, touching on his journey, his success, and the (occasional) problems that come with it.

But more than anything else, the song is a ton of fun. Its pace lifts the energy, its chorus is catchy, and a car full of travelers bellowing, "Hey, must be the money," is a micro-bonding moment that lets a song like this play as a flashback for years after. Bonus points if you happen to be driving a Mercedes-Benz E-Class.

Does it tick every single country music cliché known to man? Yes. But somehow, with "Cruise," Florida Georgia Line took every pickup truck, back road, whisky-sipping, daisy duke-wearing beauty, and blasted it to the masses with unbelievable success. The duo leans so unapologetically into the modern country formula that it almost doubles back on itself, turning into a modern classic in the process.

Also featured in Rolling Stone's list, it's a song designed for roaring across state lines (preferably in a truck), and at full blast with the windows down, it's impossible not to like. You don't even need to particularly like country music to get something out of it, and if you opt for the remix, you'll even enjoy a second appearance from Nelly — many actually prefer this version. Pair either with a trip down America's ultimate country music highway, and you're in good shape.

Whether approaching someone with the chat-up line, "Baby, you a song, you make me wanna roll my windows down and cruise," will work is anyone's guess. But it makes for a fine country song. You might not admit you like it, but you're definitely not skipping it.

There are classics, and then there's Don McLean's "American Pie." One of the greatest songs of all time deserves a place on any road trip list, and McLean's masterpiece fits that bill. Few numbers can hold a car (or an arena) for over eight minutes, and even fewer have been studied to the same depth as "American Pie." There's a reason it features on so many playlists.

A sprawling retelling of a changing era in American music, it's anchored by its impossibly catchy chorus, with its satisfying hook: "Bye bye, Miss American Pie, drove my Chevy to the levee, but the levee was dry." By the time the line, "This will be the day that I die," comes around, the whole car is singing. Even if you don't know the words, the song is so long it comes around enough for you to learn in one sitting.

If you're in intellectual company, there's a good chance your experience of the song will continue long after the last refrain ends. Dissecting each of McLean's veiled metaphors is basically a pastime for music lovers, and a road trip makes for the perfect setting for an argument. Is "The King" Elvis? Is "The Jester" actually Bob Dylan? Is "the girl who sang the blues" Janis Joplin? With a few hours on the road, you can make your case.

The Boss was always bound to have a song or two on any road trip playlist. We could have opted for "Drive All Night," but none of his back catalog evokes the freedom of the open road like "Born to Run" does. Centered around his love for a bike-riding girl named Wendy and the prospect of escaping the fractured American dream by roaring down Highway 9 in New Jersey, it's a metaphor for anyone hopping behind the wheel to escape everyday mundanities, and grabbed the number one spot on Billboard's roadtrip song list.

Bruce's trademark, gravelly voice shines in "Born to Run," cutting through a rich wall of sound built by his legendary E Street Band, but it's the aching pleas to Wendy — "I wanna die with you, Wendy, on the streets tonight in an everlasting kiss" — that live long in the memory. And maybe that sax solo.

It's a song brilliant and evocative enough to turn a quick drive to the supermarket into a profound journey, but it's best experienced at full-blast down America's most iconic highway. It's the song you play when the journey takes on a bit more meaning, when the miles start to feel symbolic rather than just physical. It doesn't just soundtrack the drive; it defines it. Or you can at least pretend it does. When it's done, add these '70s songs to your road trip playlist.

All the songs featured in this list have been noted in multiple other "best of lists" whether included by music critics and experts or in data-backed surveys or collections.  Critic-made lists like Rolling Stone, Billboard, and Time Out formed the backbone, while data-centered sites like Blacklane and even the Atlanta Journal-Constitution offered metrics regarding how many playlists the songs featured on. Once a shortlist was made, we picked the highlights, opting for a mix of more recent and older tunes, as well as considering different genres to make a well-balanced list. Favoritism may have also played a heavy part in this.