I have long debated with several of my friends the greatest driving song of all time. The kind of song that has you drumming on your dashboard, blaring your crackling stock speakers in your Honda and risking a serious fine from local law enforcement for your excessive speed. I have narrowed the list to a couple of songs that I especially love. The list includes Free Falling by Tom Petty, Blister in the Sun by Violent Femmes, Teenage Wasteland by The Who, Ramble On by Led Zepplin, Panama by Van Halen, Radar Love by Golden Earring, Barracuda by Heart and Alive by Pearl Jam. The list obviously reflects my love for Classic and 80′s/90′s Rock, but I think it covers a number of different genres and very different bands. My criteria became 1) A song you always turn up when it comes on the radio 2) A song that has maintained airplay for an extended period of time 3) A song you enjoy more when you are in the car 4) A song that evokes a physical reaction, such as drumming the stearing wheel or tapping your foot or bobbing your head 5) A song that gets your heart racing and makes you feel free, alive and powerful.
With those criteria I began to make difficult choices amongst the songs I had added to the list. Songs whose lyrics I am most people get wrong and thus sing poorly to were downgraded. (Panama, Ramble On, Blister in the Sun, Barracuda) Free Falling is almost too mainstream and loved by most people so I downgraded it as well. Alive isn’t even close to my favorite Pearl Jam song, even though I think it is their best driving song, so it was downgraded. This left me with The Who, and Golden Earring. The far more significant impact of The Who almost won me over, but the lyrical imagery of Radar Love pushed it over the top. After investigating this song, it turns out the band actually intended to create a great driving song when they wrote it. Well done then gentlemen. I don’t know who you are or even if you are still kicking, but your ode to rockin’ on the highway is still relevant and vivid.
April 9, 2006 at 1:56 am
Greg -
I think there’s a much better driving song from Golden Earring – Twilight Zone. Some of the rest of my list for great driving songs:
Never Been Any Reason – Head East
LaGrange – ZZ Top
Call Me The Breeze – Lynyrd Skynyrd
Easy Livin’ – Canned Heat
Pipeline – The Chantays
Days Go By – Dirty Vegas (OK, it’s been played to death on the Mitsubishi commercial that made it famous, but it’s still a great driving song)
April 5, 2007 at 4:21 pm
Sorry, I had to chime in on this one too.
I think your criterion number 2 is an unwise limitation because there are some great–and I mean truly great–driving songs that hardly get radio play at all, if ever.
Case in point: Red Barchetta from Rush (yeah, Rush again).
A few other candidates from way outside the mainstream are the following:
Joe Satriani: Train of Angels, Raspberry Jam Delta V, Summer Song, and of course Satch Boogie
Eric Johnson: Cliffs of Dover
June 28, 2007 at 10:41 am
what about
dakota – stereophonics
buck rogers – feeder
August 5, 2007 at 10:12 pm
I Think all The AbOve songs are great. but it all depends in what mood your in and what type of music you like,
i think the greatest driving song ever is… eminem – loose yourself
Nick 19 Manchester
August 5, 2007 at 10:15 pm
or more than a feeling by bostan
April 19, 2008 at 11:09 pm
The best driving songs, in my opinion are:
Incubus – Drive
Audioslave – I Am The Highway
Black Foot – Highway Song
Deep Purple – Highway Star
Bob Seger – Turn The Page
Lynyrd Skynyrd – Free Bird
Queens Of The Stone Age – Go With the Flow
Spacehog – In The Meantime
Talking Heads – (Nothing But) Flowers
Theme – Kill Bill
Thin Lizzy – Cowboy Song
Willie Nelson – On The Road Again
ZZ Top – La Grange
July 1, 2008 at 3:43 pm
Well, I do not suppose you have heard “Wiser Time” by the Black Crowes? Had you, this posting would not exist.
July 1, 2008 at 3:46 pm
Admittedly the previous entry does not necessarily fall under you criteria although you should give it a listen.
July 1, 2008 at 6:33 pm
Clearly I visited a no taste web site-Roadrunner by Modern Lovers is the quintessential roadsong
July 2, 2008 at 10:51 pm
She Sells Sanctuary