Going for a road trip is fun. With music it is even more fun. Driving solo on an open road with travel themed old fashioned classics: priceless. Great road trip music on a long journey is more than just chilled, it’s an adventure. If you’re about to start off in the world of solo travel, then you better prepare. Music is an excellent way to enhance your experience, keep positive, stay awake, and most importantly – keep you motivated. Here’s some tunes to help you do that.
1. I’ve Been Everywhere Man! – Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash authored and sung a number of songs that are perfect for the road, as that’s where he spent the majority of his long music career. In this song Johnny sings uncharacteristically fast as he zips through the majority of major cities in the country. It might take a few tries to learn all the lyrics, but adding a bit of Cash to your solo travel experience is definitely worth it.
2. Highway to Hell – ACDC
Don’t let the title of this song fool you, the lyrics might talk about taking a drive down the highway to hell, but it’s certainly not a downer. It is the epitome of old school classic rock, and the song will give you the attitude you need and the adrenalin you crave to wander the world alone.
3. Drive My Car – The Beatles
The Beatles make so many great songs for travel that you might want to create a CD just for them. The lyrics of this song are carefree and groovy. It’s hard not to let loose and sing along about taking a girl for a drive couples with the goofy beep-beep ending.
4. King of the Road – Roger Miller
King of the Road is a medium paced snappy song with a real classic old fashioned rhythm. This is a good choice if you’re into laid back vocal songs that go at an easy pace.
5. Riders on the Storm – The Doors
A great song to listen to on a dark night with light rain falling outside, the lyrics are smooth and ideal for relaxing night time exploring. With some big jazz signatures finding their way into it, this Doors song has a certain sense of danger from background thunder noises and ominous lyrics too.
6. Hotel California – The Eagles
Heading west? Well you’ll want to pop this song in around sunset for ultimate kicks. Riding on a dark desert highway, Hotel California is perfect for a solo drive through Texas, New Mexico and Arizona. Those acoustic guitars? Let them romance you into thinking of relaxing siestas in a Spanish adobe hotel with a palm tree lined horizon.
7. On the Road Again – Willie Nelson
Willie Nelson’s song is by far the most famous “road trip” song. His deep and playful voice pivots to create a beat that listeners can’t help singing along to. Just be forewarned, this song sticks in your head so you might want to keep it away from your CDs last track.
This list barely scrapes the surface of the many other equally great songs to bring along on a solo travel trip. What you choose will boil down to your own preferences of course but a good rule of thumb is to organize your favorite genres by mood so that you can switch gears and stay interested.
