As a teen, I was queen of the mix tape. When it came to our college sorority parties, I was in charge of the music. Then music made the jump to digital and the playlist was born. So is it any wonder that I have playlists for every occasion? My summer road trip playlist made the miles go by faster on our recent 24 hour drive from Rhode Island to Florida.

But yeah, you can tell I’m a child of the 70s and 80s by my choices. Although I’ve yet to meet a Gen Z that didn’t also love to sing along to “Don’t Stop Believin’.” If you are also a proud member of Generation X, you will find yourself singing along for hours to this playlist. Don’t worry, there are enough popular songs to keep multi-generations entertained and deep cuts to satisfy the music lovers.

I hope you enjoy using this on your next road trip. It should get you through 7 hours of singing and driving. And tell me, what did I miss? Any must-add songs I should include? Leave a message in the comments below.

woman turning on radio in car with hand on steering wheel

Summer Road Trip Playlist

You can play the summer road trip playlist on Spotify here, or you can recreate it on Apple Music or Google Music or the music app of your choice:

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6yM8VKYwCARQcaDkf589yV

  1. Radar Love, Golden Earring
  2. American Girl, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
  3. Life is a Highway, Tom Cochrane
  4. Rockin’ Down the Highway, The Doobie Brothers
  5. Life in the Fast Lane, Eagles
  6. Thunder Road, Bruce Springsteen
  7. Sweet Home Alabama, Lynyrd Skynyrd
  8. Don’t Stop Believin’, Journey
  9. Danger Zone, Kenny Loggins
  10. Let it Ride, Bachman-Turner Overdrive
  11. Ramblin’ Man, The Allman Brothers Band
  12. Free Fallin’, Tom Petty
  13. Drivin and Cryin, From Good Homes
  14. Take it Easy, Eagles
  15. Take Me Home, Country Roads, John Denver
  16. Africa, TOTO
  17. American Pie, Don McLean
  18. Against the Wind, Bob Seger
  19. On the Road Again, Willie Nelson
  20. The Boys of Summer, Don Henley
  21. Peaceful Easy Feeling, Eagles
  22. Into the Mystic, Van Morrison
  23. Carolina in My Mind, James Taylor
  24. December, 1963 (Oh What a Night), Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons
  25. Three Little Birds, Bob Marley & The Wailers
  26. Margaritaville, Jimmy Buffet
  27. All I Wanna Do, Sheryl Crow
  28. Centerfield, John Fogerty
  29. Summer of ’69, Bryan Adams
  30. Cheeseburger in Paradise, Jimmy Buffet
  31. Hooked on a Feeling, Blue Swede
  32. Melissa, The Allman Brothers Band
  33. And it Stoned Me, Van Morrison
  34. Tequila Sunrise, Eagles
  35. Fire and Rain, James Taylor
  36. Suspicious Minds, Elvis Presley
  37. Jamming, Bob Marley & The Wailers
  38. Escape (The Pina Colada Song), Rupert Holmes
  39. Sugar Magnolia, Grateful Dead
  40. Brown Eyed Girl, Van Morrison
  41. Bamboleo, Gipsy Kings
  42. Under the Boardwalk, The Drifters
  43. I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For, U2
  44. Box of Rain, Grateful Dead
  45. Soak up the Sun, Sheryl Crow
  46. Heart of Glass, Blondie
  47. Dancing Queen, ABBA
  48. Only Wanna Be with You, Hootie & The Blowfish
  49. Baila Me, Gipsy Kings
  50. Ballroom Blitz, Sweet
  51. Smooth, Santana & Rob Thomas
  52. Hard Sun, Eddie Vedder
  53. Only Time Will Tell, Asia
  54. All Summer Long, Kid Rock
  55. Born in the U.S.A., Bruce Springsteen
  56. Heat of the Moment, Asia
  57. Down Under, Men at Work
  58. Last Night, Traveling Wilburys
  59. Eye of the Tiger, Survivor
  60. Have you Ever Seen the Rain, Creedence Clearwater Revival
  61. Cold as Ice, Foreigner
  62. Africa, TOTO
  63. Closer to Fine, Indigo Girls
  64. Like the Way I Do, Melissa Etheridge
  65. Spirit in the Sky, Norman Greenbaum
  66. Rosanna, TOTO
  67. Lady, Little River Band
  68. Don’t Bring me Down, Electric Light Orchestra
  69. Drift Away, Uncle Kracker
  70. End of the Line, The Traveling Wilburys
  71. Carry on Wayward Son, Kansas
  72. Rock N’ Roll Fantasy, Bad Company
  73. Mustang Sally, The Commitments
  74. I Wanna be Sedated, The Ramones
  75. Money for Nothing, Dire Straits
  76. Friend of the Devil, Grateful Dead
  77. Skating Away (On the Thin Ice of a New Day), Jethro Tull
  78. Another Brick in the Wall, Pt. 1, Pink Floyd
  79. The Devil Went Down to Georgia, The Charlie Daniels Band
  80. Immigrant Song, Led Zeppelin
  81. Bohemian Rhapsody, Queen
  82. Fast Car, Tracy Chapman
  83. Running to Stand Still, U2
  84. Under Pressure, Queen
  85. Pride (In the Name of Love), U2
  86. Southern Cross, Crosby, Stills & Nash
  87. Sweet Child O’Mine, Guns N’ Roses
  88. Love Shack, The B-52s
  89. Believe it or Not (Theme from the “Greatest American Hero”), Joey Scarbury
  90. Little Red Corvette, Prince
  91. Jolene, Dolly Parton
  92. Come on Eileen, Dexys Midnight Runners
  93. Crazy in Love, Beyoncé
  94. Pour Some Sugar on Me, Def Leppard
  95. Livin’ on a Prayer, Bon Jovi
  96. Son of a Preacher Man, Dusty Springfield
  97. Jessie’s Girl, Rick Springfield
  98. I Want You to Want Me, Cheap Trick
  99. Ring of Fire, Johnny Cash
  100. Born to Run, Bruce Springsteen
  101. Jack & Diane, John Mellencamp
  102. Fortunate Son, Creedence Clearwater Revival
  103. Running on Empty, Jackson Browne
  104. Runnin’ Down a Dream, Tom Petty
  105. Uncle John’s Band, Grateful Dead
  106. Reelin’ in the Years, Steely Dan
  107. Truckin’, Grateful Dead
  108. Heart of Gold, Neil Young
  109. China Grove, The Doobie Brothers
  110. Bad Moon Rising, Creedence Clearwater Revival
  111. Life’s Been Good, Joe Walsh
  112. Ramble On, Led Zeppelin
  113. Fly Like an Eagle, Steve Miller Band
  114. Silver Thunderbird, Marc Cohn
  115. Me and Bobby McGee, Janis Joplin
  116. Brandy (You’re a Fine Girl), Looking Glass
  117. If the Wind Blows, From Good Homes
  118. Sympathy for the Devil, Rolling Stones
  119. Going to California, Led Zeppelin
  120. Crazy Train, Ozzy Osbourne
  121. Fade to Black, Metallica
  122. Wish you Were Here, Pink Floyd
  123. Cecilia, Simon & Garfunkel
  124. Walking in Memphis, Marc Cohn
  125. Graceland, Paul Simon
  126. Comin’ on Home, From Good Homes

So what songs are your favorites?

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