Road trip songs can define a summer and set the tone for your highly anticipated adventure. Whether you’re gliding across the Pacific Coast Highway or taking on Route 66, there’s a song to encapsulate the journey ahead.
From the stylings of Bruce Springsteen to Steppenwolf’s “Born To Be Wild,” road trip songs are an American institution. The perfect song doesn’t have to include lyrics about the road, as long as it captures the spontaneous energy of setting off into the great unknown.
(MORE: Offbeat Places to Visit in Texas)
Here are five recent songs we recommend you add to your upcoming road trip playlist. Crank the volume, lower the windows and let the music take hold. Who knows, one of these tracks may be how you remember your summer for years to come.
“Green Light” by Lorde
The fierce new single from 20-year-old Australian artist Lorde is already taking the billboard charts by storm, but we have a feeling it will play a key role this summer. With its pulsing keyboards and driving rhythm, “Green Light” is an invigorating anthem meant to be heard through car speakers. It’s less a breakup song as much as a pledge of independence, a mantra we should all take with us as summer approaches.
“That’s What I Like” by Bruno Mars
“My Old Man” by Mac Demarco
Mac Demarco’s jangly, laid-back sensibility truly belongs in summer, and 2017 single “My Old Man” is no different. The song finds Demarco pontificating his growing older, but not necessarily being bothered by it. This introspective track will set the mood a few hours into your road trip when conversation topics are exhausted and you and your passengers just want to self-reflect.
“Cool Your Heart” by The Dirty Projectors
This dance track from the Dirty Projector’s lush 2017 release is just dripping in summer on an otherwise very wintery album. On “Cool Your Heart,” Dave Longstreth celebrates his newfound freedom having recently gone through a breakup, and you can’t help but celebrate with him. With a sleek chorus by Dawn Richard, this glitchy, Vampire Weekend-esque jam belongs at the top of the list.
“This Year” by Beach Fossils
This saccharine single from wispy indie band Beach Fossils evokes the nostalgia that summer inevitably brings. “This Year” is a breezy jaunt accented by sweeping violins and shimmering guitars. Lead singer Dustin Payseur imagines that this will be the year he finally gets his life together before accepting the truth; “No, I won’t be there in time.” Summer isn’t about figuring life out, it’s just about enjoying it.