For the past few days WXPN has been playing their listener-voted top 885 top road trip songs. Here were the top ten.
1 Steppenwolf Born To Be Wild
2 Bruce Springsteen Born To Run
3 Golden Earring Radar Love
4 Bruce Springsteen Thunder Road
5 The Grateful Dead Truckin’
6 Willie Nelson On The Road Again
7 The Allman Brothers Band Ramblin’ Man
8 Tom Petty Runnin’ Down A Dream
9 Simon & Garfunkel America
10 The Allman Brothers Band Jessica
First of all, the number one pick should be either Born to Run or Thunder Road. Ramblin’ Man should be replaced by In Memory of Elizabeth Reed. If you are going to include a Tom Petty tune, it has to be American Girl. I also think that Truckin’ is inferior to more than a dozen Dead tunes about being on the road. For example, Jack Straw, Estimated Prophet, Bertha, and Friend of the Devil would all be better choices.
In any case, my list would only include the two Springsteen songs. I’d flip a coin to choose which one was number one. How about you?
I’d put in Jethro Tull’s “Thick as a Brick”..for those who like something to last a while
“Industrial Disease” from Dire Straits…gotta have Mark Knopfler’s Guitar
“Gallows Pole” From Jimmy Page/Robert Plant’s recent ‘no Quarter’ album… it rocks, to wake you up when you’re getting drowsy
“Tie Dye on the Highway” from Robert Plant’s ‘Manic Nirvana’…another rockin’ pick-me-up
“No Sugar Tonight/New Mother Nature” from the Guess Who
and a must-have: “Let it Ride” from BTO
There’s lots from more modern backs too that would make my road-trip grade: Tool, Disturbed, Dixie Chicks (!!), Nine Inch Nails…. but this is a good start…
Two favorite road trip songs:
John Mellencamp – Pink Houses
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOfkpu6749w&ob=av2e
and
Neil Young: Unknown Legend
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s30-oMSNbiA&feature=related
What? No “Highway To Hell”?
I just went out to the car and pulled out my “Bad Road Ahead” mix CD. Here goes:
And you can toss in Guided By Voices’ “Motor Away” and Wall Of Voodoo’s “Call Of The West” too.
Well, if the idea is to keep your motor running as you cross Misery on I-70 (no Starbucks!), I recommend at least these three (dating myself here): Flying High by Country Joe and the Fish; Roadhouse Blues by the Doors; almost anything by George Thorogood, but of course first place to B-B-B-Bad to the Bone.
The numero uno song I cannot do without (mostly because it causes spontaneous outbreaks of air drumming and singing along) is Baba O’Riley.
WHICH HAS COST ME SEVERAL SPEEDING TICKETS!
Many, many years ago…so long ago that the music was on cassettes…I took a road trip out west with some friends. On the soundtrack was Neil Young’s Harvest. I still think of it as a great album for driving (although much too short).
Anyway, you won’t get any argument from me on the Springsteen songs.
No driving mix tape is complete without Offspring’s “Bad Habit” – the funniest road rage song ever.
I think I’m way way off base here, but here goes. Good call on the Jack Straw, Booman.
Driver’s Seat – Sniff N The Tears
Let It Ride – Bachman-Turner Overdrive
Like A Road – Jerry Garcia Band
Massachusettes – Bee Gees
San Francisco – Scott McKenzie
Point Me In The Direction Of Albuquerque-Partridge Fam.
City Of New Orleans – Arlo Guthrie
Ohio – CSN&Y
Magic Carpet Ride – Steppenwolf
Take Me Home, Country Roads – John Denver
A Horse With No Name – America
Everybody’s Talkin – Harry Nilsson
Freebird – Lynyrd Skynyrd
Eight Miles High – The Byrds
Moonlight Mile – Rolling Stones
Wichita Lineman – Glen Campbell
Dream Weaver – Gary Wright
Classical Gas – Mason Williams
Also, Breathe Me by Sia. If you saw the final episode of Six Feet Under, you’ll understand.
Also, too:
City of New Orleans! My earliest musical memory is of listening to that while riding in my mother’s Valiant…
There’s a good thread: Earliest Musical Memory.
Me: Yellow Submarine. It’s a great kid’s song.
As CabinGirl suggests, gotta have “City of New Orleans” in the mix, as well as “Graceland,” the best road song EVAH!
What about the Spin Doctor’s “Jimmy Olson’s Blues” (Pocket full of Kryptonite)….great road song.