Music and driving along open roads create a perfect combination. Cars have inspired many legendary songs through their association with speed excitement, freedom escapades, and pure cruising enjoyment. Musicians throughout different eras used driving as inspiration to craft songs that transformed the road into a metaphorical journey as well as a real adventure.
The ideal vehicle for any journey isn’t always at our disposal. Rent a car offers the perfect solution to embark on a journey that allows the road to unfold naturally as the music list showcases various driving experiences through songs.
Check out these seven essential songs about cars and driving experiences.
1. “Radar Love” – Golden Earring (1973)
Any compilation of essential driving songs must include this track. “Radar Love” is pure high-speed energy through its galloping rhythm and lyrics about a driver so focused on the road that he bonds with his lover through intuition. The Dutch band Golden Earring turned “Radar Love” into their signature hit, which remains popular for road trip playlists years after its release in 1973.
2. “(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66” – Nat King Cole (1946)
Route 66 is for sure one of the most emblematic roads, and this song helped elevate the highway to mythic status. Bobby Troup crafted this song during a cross-country journey to celebrate the towns and landscapes he encountered along the way, which established it as one of the first anthems of American road culture. The Rolling Stones and Chuck Berry are among the many rock artists who have covered this song.
3. “Autobahn” – Kraftwerk (1974)
Rather than following typical driving songs with blues and rock elements, Kraftwerk presented a unique musical direction. The pioneers of electronic music wrote “Autobahn,” a minimalist yet hypnotic depiction of driving through Germany’s renowned highways. The song’s original 22-minute version stands as an autonomous journey accompanied by synthetic sounds that replicate the ever-changing visual landscape. The track serves as the perfect musical backdrop for endless nocturnal drives when reaching a destination is not important.
4. “Low Rider” – War (1975)
War’s funky hit takes the premier spot on the soundtrack of Los Angeles lowrider culture. This song is an anthem that celebrates a specific way of life beyond its automotive hook. The instantly recognizable groove, together with a laid-back attitude, makes “Low Rider” a celebration of slow driving and riding without needing to say much.
5. “Drive My Car” – The Beatles (1965)
At first glance, “Drive My Car” depicts a woman who invites the narrator to become her personal driver. The Beatles’ lyrics often contain deeper meanings beneath their surface. As soon as the song begins, its opening lines establish its tone.
“Asked a girl what she wanted to be She said, ‘Baby, can’t you see? I wanna be famous, a star on the screen, But you can do something in between.”
Then, of course, comes the moment that actually brings the driving metaphor home:
“Beep beep’m beep beep yeah!”
6. “Born to Run” – Bruce Springsteen (1975)
Bruce Springsteen really loves cars! But the essence of “Born to Run” goes beyond driving to represent escaping reality to pursue a better life without any regrets. The opening lines immediately paint that picture:
“In the day we sweat it out on the streets of a runaway American dream At night we ride through mansions of glory in suicide machines”
The song’s roaring guitars and expansive storytelling make every road feel like an escape route. The phrase “suicide machines” describes the era’s muscle cars which enhances the song’s theme of dangerous freedom-seeking.
7. “Little Red Corvette” – Prince (1983)
Prince wasn’t really singing about a car here, but the metaphor worked so well that it didn’t matter. The song “Little Red Corvette” embodies sleekness and sophistication while radiating coolness similar to envisioning a night drive down a deserted highway. This song helped set Prince as a major musical force while continuing to stand out as one of his most well-known songs.
