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Your Official Road Trip Playlist: 150+ Songs Everyone Knows

May 4, 2023

Your Official Road Trip Playlist: 150+ Songs Everyone Knows

There’s nothing quite like a good road trip — it’s one of the best ways to spend time with friends and explore new scenery. To have a successful journey, you’ll need three things: a functioning vehicle, a full tank of gas, and (most importantly) an amazing road trip playlist! No more having to question “who sings this song?” 

After all, your playlist will be the soundtrack to your adventures. And is there anything better than belting out your favorite road trip songs with the open road ahead of you? We think not! 

Sharing music on the road is a great way to discover new artists and dive into styles that you normally wouldn’t listen to. Maybe you want to sing a song to keep you energized during your travels, or perhaps you prefer tunes that are calmer and more low-key.

Everyone has their own unique song picks that they like to put on the stereo, but having a playlist of songs everyone loves lets you all sing along and enjoy the experience together. Playing music and singing at the top of your lungs is a great way to pass the time on any road trip. 

Whether you’re looking for a list of classic old songs everyone knows or the best sing-along songs of the 2000s and beyond, you’ve arrived at the right place. Crank up these tunes to prevent drowsiness on the road and make your journey more fun! With more than 150 sing-along songs to add to your playlist, you’ll have plenty of songs to get you from Point A to Point B. 

What Are Some Songs Everyone Likes? 

Even with a playlist full of songs, everyone knows it can be difficult to please everyone in the car, but on long road trips, do your best to find tunes that all of your passengers enjoy. Here are some of the best songs that are sure to get them singing along:

  • “Life is A Highway (cover)” – Rascal Flatts
  • “Back in the Saddle” – Aerosmith
  • “Blue (Da Ba Dee)” – Eiffel 65
  • “Doctor Jones” – Aqua
  • “Quit Playin’ Games With My Heart” – Backstreet Boys
  • “You’re Still the One” – Shania Twain
  • “What I Got” – Sublime
  • “One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer” – George Thorogood

Do your fellow passengers a favor, though, and don’t start belting out these tunes off-key! Before you hit the open road, fine tune those pipes by taking some singing lessons. Sign up here and check out this video for more inspiration to do so ASAP:

150+ Best Sing-along Songs for your Road Trip Playlist

Ready to hit the road? Not so fast! Check out this list of the best sing along songs for road trips first. 

Best Road Trip Songs

Need to stay awake during a long trip? Turn up the volume on eight of the best sing-along roadtrip songs, which include country tunes, rock ballads, and everything in between. Here are some of the most popular road trip songs to add to your roads trip playlist that everyone knows the words to. Just don’t be surprised if your passengers want to hear them on repeat! 

  1. “Life is A Highway (cover)” – Rascal Flatts
  2. “Back in the Saddle” – Aerosmith
  3. “Life in the Fast Lane” – the Eagles
  4. “Roam” – B-52s
  5. “Sweet Home Alabama” – Lynyrd Skynyrd
  6. “Livin’ on A Prayer” – Bon Jovi
  7. “Here I Go Again” – Whitesnake
  8. “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)” – the Proclaimers

Road Trip Songs that Make You Dance

Roll down the windows, crank up the sound, and get ready to let loose with these danceable road trip songs. (Just keep your hands on the steering wheel!) With 90s favorites like Eiffel 65 and Aqua, along with more recent hits from  singers like Katy Perry and Kanye West, these popular road trips songs are guaranteed to get you wiggling in your seat.

  1. “Blue (Da Ba Dee)” – Eiffel 65
  2. “Doctor Jones” – Aqua
  3. “Raise Your Glass” – P!nk
  4. “Dancing Queen” – ABBA
  5. “Dark Horse” – Katy Perry
  6. “Crazy in Love” – Beyonce and Jay-Z
  7. “Gold Digger” – Kanye West featuring Jamie Foxx
  8. “Around the World” – Daft Punk
  9. “Uptown Funk” – Mark Ronson
  10. “Hey Ya” – Outkast

’90s Nostalgia Road Trip Songs

Get ready to take a walk down memory lane. These sing-along songs will bring you back to some of your favorite times from grade school to college. And the best part? You’re sure to know every single word! Tunes from the ’90s and beyond, including the best sing-along songs of the 2000s offer the perfect soundtrack to any road trip adventure. 

  1. “Quit Playin’ Games With My Heart” – Backstreet Boys
  2. “You’re Still the One” – Shania Twain
  3. “Tearin’ up My Heart” – *NSync
  4. “Free Fallin’” – Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
  5. “Roll to Me” – Del Amitri
  6. “Ocean Avenue” – Yellowcard
  7. “I Miss You” – Blink-182
  8. “Jane Says” – Jane’s Addiction
  9. “Welcome to Paradise” – Green Day
  10. “Only Wanna Be with You” – Hootie & the Blowfish
  11. “Champagne Supernova” – Oasis
  12. “Just A Girl” – No Doubt
  13. “Absolutely (Story of A Girl)” – Nine Days
  14. “Man in the Box” – Alice in Chains
  15. “Drops of Jupiter” – Train
  16. “Gives You Hell” – All-American Rejects
  17. “1985” – Bowling for Soup
  18. “Stacy’s Mom” – Fountains of Wayne
  19. “Here It Goes Again” – OK Go
  20. “Save Tonight” – Eagle-Eye Cherry

Beats with a Bounce

Keep the mood upbeat and positive with these fun road trip songs. Grab a cup of coffee, press play on these songs, and you’re sure to cruise to your destination wide-eyed and bushy-tailed. Check out these spunky yet chill, rock, and alternative tunes to add to your road trip playlist. Your passengers will thank you later!

  1. “The Guitar Man” – Cake
  2. “Scar Tissue” – Red Hot Chili Peppers
  3. “What I Got” – Sublime
  4. “One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer” – George Thorogood
  5. “Girls Don’t Like Boys” – Good Charlotte
  6. “(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!)” – The Beastie Boys
  7. “The Joker” – Steve Miller Band
  8. “Zombies Ate My Neighbors” – Single File
  9. “Mr. Jones” – Counting Crows
  10. “Sugar, We’re Going Down” – Fall Out Boy
  11. “Feel Good, Inc.” – the Gorillaz
  12. “Sex and Candy” – Marcy Playground
  13. “Are You Gonna Be My Girl?” – Jet
  14. “It’s the End of the World As We Know It” – R.E.M.
  15. “The Impression That I Get” – the Mighty Mighty Bosstones
  16. “Float On” – Modest Mouse
  17. “Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked” – Cage the Elephant
  18. “Hey There Delilah” – Plain White T’s
  19. “99 Red Balloons” – Nena
  20. “White & Nerdy” – “Weird Al” Yankovic
  21. “I’m on A Boat” – the Lonely Island featuring T-Pain
  22. “Party Like A Rockstar” – Shop Boyz
  23. “Ice Ice Baby” – Vanilla Ice
  24. “Someday” – Sugar Ray
  25. “Seven Nation Army” – the White Stripes

Blastin’ Backbeats

For when you want to turn it up to eleven, you can’t go wrong with these ragers. With rock anthems from iconic artists like Nirvana and The Ramones, these road trip songs will bring your playlist to the next level. 

  1. “Sorrow” – Bad Religion
  2. “Should I Stay or Should I Go” – the Clash
  3. “I Wanna Be Sedated” – the Ramones
  4. “The Four Horsemen” – Metallica
  5. “Fear of the Dark” – Iron Maiden
  6. “Peace Sells” – Megadeth
  7. “Ten Thousand Fists” – Disturbed
  8. “Shout at the Devil” – Mötley Crüe
  9. “You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’” – Judas Priest
  10. “Fat Lip” – Sum 41
  11. “Come Out and Play (Keep ‘Em Separated)” – the Offspring
  12. “Smells Like Teen Spirit” – Nirvana
  13. “Beverly Hills” – Weezer
  14. “Too Many Puppies” – Primus
  15. “This Is Not A Song, It’s A Sandwich” – Psychostick

Retro Road Trip Music

Throw it back to these classic songs. These good old songs that everyone knows, featuring classic tracks from back in the day, are always crowd-pleasers. Whether you’re road tripping with your grandfather or younger sister, there’s a good chance all your passengers will know the lyrics regardless of their age. Turn up the volume and get ready to belt out these lyrics!

  1. “My Girl” – The Temptations
  • “Wipeout” – The Surfaris
  • “Have You Ever Seen the Rain?” – Creedence Clearwater Revival
  • “Bang the Drum All Day” – Todd Rundgren
  • “California Dreamin’” – The Mamas and the Papas
  • “Welcome to the Jungle” – Guns N’ Roses
  • “Panama” – Van Halen
  • “Fun, Fun, Fun” – the Beach Boys
  • “American Pie” – Don McLean
  • “Rock Around the Clock” – Bill Haley and His Comets
  • “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” – Cyndi Lauper
  • “Mother” – Danzig
  • “Purple Haze” – Jimi Hendrix
  • “One Love (People Get Ready)” – Bob Marley
  • “Take On Me” – A-Ha
  • “No More Mr. Nice Guy” – Alice Cooper
  • “I Know It’s Only Rock ‘n Roll (But I Like It)” – the Rolling Stones
  • “Once in A Lifetime” – Talking Heads
  • “Stuck in the Middle with You” – Stealers Wheel
  • “Cheeseburger in Paradise” – Jimmy Buffett
  • “Ring of Fire” – Johnny Cash
  • “It’s Raining Men” – the Weather Girls
  • “Hound Dog” – Elvis Presley
  • Best Road Trip Songs for Singers

    If you really want to wow your passengers with your pipes, then slip in a few of these road trip songs that will show off your talent. From high-hitting notes to impressive range, these artists and their songs really pull out all the stops. Add these addictive melodies to your playlist to show off your vocal skills, and everyone will be in awe of your singing voice!

    1. “Piano Man” – Billy Joel
    2. “All These Things That I’ve Done” – the Killers
    3. “Send the Pain Below” – Chevelle
    4. “Closer to Fine” – Indigo Girls
    5. “I Write Sins Not Tragedies” – Panic! At the Disco
    6. “Knights of Cydonia” – Muse
    7. “No One Knows” – Queens of the Stone Age
    8. “Stairway to Heaven” – Led Zeppelin
    9. “Piece of My Heart” – Janis Joplin
    10. “All Along the Watchtower” – Bob Dylan
    11. “Interstate Love Song” – Stone Temple Pilots
    12. “Pardon Me” – Incubus
    13. “Rocket Man” – Elton John
    14. “Black Hole Sun” – Soundgarden
    15. “Birdhouse in Your Soul” – They Might Be Giants
    16. “Ziggy Stardust” – David Bowie
    17. “Dog Days Are Over” – Florence and the Machine
    18. “Layla” – Eric Clapton
    19. “Imagine” – John Lennon
    20. “Someone to Watch Over Me” – Ella Fitzgerald (music by George and Ira Gerschwin)
    21. “I Ain’t Superstitious” – Willie Dixon
    22. “Rolling in the Deep” – Adele

    SEE ALSO: 100+ Best Karaoke Songs

    Awesome Anthems

    Were you born to be wild or do you want to soak up the sun? These are some classic sing-along anthems that everyone knows and can agree on. Sing these loud and proud to show you mean business! Every good road trip song list needs these hits. 

    1. “In the Street” – Cheap Trick
    2. “I Will Survive” – Gloria Gaynor
    3. “Don’t Stop Believin’” – Journey
    4. “Bohemian Rhapsody” – Queen
    5. “Jack & Diane” – John Mellencamp
    6. “Born to Be Wild” – Steppenwolf
    7. “Rock and Roll All Night” – KISS
    8. “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” – the Supremes
    9. “We’re Not Gonna Take It” – Twisted Sister
    10. “Crazy Train” – Ozzy Osbourne
    11. “Dancin’ in the Street” – Martha and the Vandellas
    12. “Ballroom Blitz” – The Sweet
    13. “Rock You Like A Hurricane” – the Scorpion
    14. “Eye of the Tiger” – Survivor
    15. “Cum on Feel the Noize” – Quiet Riot
    16. “Carry On, Wayward Son” – Kansas
    17. “Thriller” – Michael Jackson
    18. “You Shook Me All Night Long” – AC/DC
    19. “Soak Up The Sun” – Sheryl Crow
    20. “Pinball Wizard” – the Who
    21. “Juke Box Hero” – Foreigner
    22. “Summer of ’69” – Bryan Adams
    23. “The Time Warp” – Rocky Horror Picture Show
    24. “Another Brick in the Wall (pt. 2)” – Pink Floyd
    25. “The Twist” – Chubby Checker
    26. “Do You Love Me” – the Contours
    27. “Old Time Rock and Roll” – Bob Seger

    Songs Everyone Knows

    If you’re looking for more recent hits, here is popular road trip music from the last decade. Keep your playlist current with these chart-topping hits from today. You just can’t go wrong with good music from 2016 and good music from 2015. 

    1. “Work” – Rihanna ft. Drake
    2. “No Broken Hearts” – Bebe Rexha ft. Nicki Minaj
    3. “Cheap Thrills” – Sia
    4. “Wild Things” – Alessia Cara
    5. “Can’t Stop the Feeling!” – Justin Timberlake
    6. “Ride” – Twenty One Pilots
    7. “Cake by the Ocean” – DNCE
    8. “Kill Em With Kindness” – Selena Gomez

    Fun Disney Sing Along Songs

    These are the best sing along songs for Disney fans young and old. 

    1. “The Bear Necessities” – The Jungle Book 
    2. “Be Our Guest” – Beauty and the Beast 
    3. “A Whole New World” – Aladdin
    4. “How Far I’ll Go” – Moana
    5. “Colors of the Wind” – Pocahontas
    6. “Un Poco Loco” – COco
    7. “Reflection” – Mulan
    8. “I Just Can’t Wait to Be King” – The Lion King

    Kids Sing Along Songs

    Here are some of the best sing along songs if you have young kids along for the ride!

    1. “This Old Man”
    2. “The ABC Song” 
    3. “Here Comes the Sun” – the Beatles
    4. “She’ll Be Coming Round the Mountain” 
    5. “Baby Beluga”
    6. “Wheels on the Bus” 
    7. “This Land is Your Land”

    Tips for the Best Road Trip Ever

    Everybody knows to pack lots of snacks, plan out the route, and fill up on gas before you leave for a long road trip in the car.

    But what a lot of people don’t realize is that choosing the right sing along songs is just as important – after all, you need to have something to do, and singing is a fun, healthy way to pass the time. 

    Use this list of the best sing along songs as a starting point to develop your own perfect road trip playlist.  And when it comes to listening to playlists like these in the car, there are two schools of thought: either the driver has full authority to skip a track or you go by majority vote. Whatever your listening style is, crank it up and sing along to make the most of your trip!

    Being in the car also happens to be a great opportunity to work on your singing skills. Cruising alone with good songs to listen to? That means you can sing as loud as your heart desires! 

    But if you want to impress your friends on your next road trip together, consider taking free online singing classes to improve your vocal abilities. With a private instructor, you can focus on vocal training to reach your highest potential. Sign up today for singing lessons, and you’ll be all set to blow your passengers away with your singing voice on your next road trip. 

    Let us know below what your top road trip tracks are. Check out even more songs to add to your playlist!

    Photo by photosteve101

    author
    Jessica Dais is a blogger for TakeLessons on topics related to music education and language learning. She has a Bachelor's in Journalism and started writing professionally in 2008. Jessica enjoys writing about the piano, guitar, and singing. She is currently learning Spanish but is interested in the French language and culture as well.

    Jessica Dais