Classic-rockin' the long drive

Particularly during this strange time, driving signifies freedom and independence.  And invariably, music (and masks) will accompany us on the road.

Speaking which, are you the type who drives while listening to some upbeat music and belting out the lyrics? Sometimes, do you even look around you to see if one of your passengers is laughing at you or if they cannot relate to what you are listening?

It’s not wrong to have a good time inside the car because it’s simply your little haven — you, the open road, and the steering wheel.

Undeniably, road trips aren't complete without music that will keep you awake and lessen the boredom, especially during long journeys. Thus, here are ten songs from the 1970s to the 2000s that will surely rock your road trips and keep you awake until you reach your destination.

Highway Star by Deep Purple (1972)

One lively song that is typically played during road trips and car races is Highway Star by English rock band, Deep Purple. This track is part of the band’s album, “Machine Head.” The hard rock song can be heard here.

Its lyrics talk about car racing in general and the things that most racers probably do to be considered a “highway star.” Deep Purple also coined race cars as “killer machines,” in the song, especially if the driver is not an expert in car racing or is not careful in driving. Some car components that were mentioned in the song were “big fat tires” and “eight cylinders.”

Photo from highwaystar.com

I’m in Love with my Car by Queen (1975)

Roger Taylor, the drummer of the famous British rock band, Queen, wrote the song I’m in Love with my Car. The song serves as a tribute for boy racers like their sound guy, Jonathan Harris, who truly admired his vehicle, the Triumph TR4.

The engine noises which were recorded in this rock song were real since it came from Taylor’s car, the Alfa Romeo. I’m in Love with my Car was also used in the 2004 advertisement for the Jaguar, which can be seen here.

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Slow Ride by Foghat (1975)

David “Lonesome Dave” Peverett, the lead singer of the British rock band, Foghat, wrote the song, Slow Ride, which became the lead single of the band from their fifth album, “Fool for the City” under Bearsville Records. The 1970s slow rock classic was used in the film "Dazed and Confused." The song was also featured in some TV shows such as "My Name is Earl," "That ‘70s Show," "Seinfeld," and "The Simpsons."

The “slow ride” in the song was a metaphor used to remind everyone to take it easy with their lives the same way that they should drive slowly down the road. The song, performed live,  can be seen here.

Photo from ebay.com

Racing in the Street by Bruce Springsteen (1978)

Bruce Springsteen wrote and sang Racing in the Street to tell the story of a small-time drag racer who aims to have a more pleasant life somewhere else. This slow rock song depicted the desire of the young man to go out of his comfort zone and explore the world around him.

One of Springsteen’s goals in writing the song is for drag racers to treasure the years where car songs have been released between the 1960s and 1978 in America.

The song, which can be heard here, revolved more on car remodeling details. The lyrics also mentioned the ’69 Chevy and the Camaro.

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Little Red Corvette by Prince (1983)

Little Red Corvette, which can be seen here, was released as part of Prince’s album, “1999.” In this funk rock song, the American recording artist uses automobile metaphors for lovemaking. The "little red Corvette" was likened to a stunning yet unrestrained woman, and as the lyrics pointed out, the woman needs to slow down before she completely self-destructs.

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Pink Cadillac by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band (1984)

Pink Cadillac, seen here, is the second song by Bruce Springsteen, which pertained to cars (the first one being Cadillac Ranch). This rock song revolves around his love for a woman who owns a pink Cadillac that has “crushed velvet seats.” In the last part of the song, the pink Cadillac was also compared to a Honda and a Subaru. Natalie Cole also revived the song in 1988, and the official music video of her version can be viewed here.

Screengrab from Youtube

I Can’t Drive 55 by Sammy Hagar (1984)

Sammy Hagar, a long-time Ferrari aficionado, became famous as an artist because of his rock song, I Can’t Drive 55, which was part of his album “VOA (Voice of America).” In the 1989 movie “Back to the Future II,” which starred Michael J. Fox, I Can’t Drive 55 was used as one of its tracks.

The song expressed Hagar’s dismay on the reduction of highway speed limits. In 2001, Hagar was able to have enough time to think about the new speed limits that were established on American highways. Eventually, he repeated the recording of his song, which was later used in the “Full Throttle,” a NASCAR album.

Aside from his 2008 Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano F1, Hagar also owns the 1982 Ferrari 512BB, which was featured in the official music video of I Can’t Drive 55 seen here.

Photo from Youtube

Life is a Highway by Tom Cochrane (1991)

Tom Cochrane originally sang the rock song, Life is a Highway, which is a single from his album, “Mad Mad World.” The song revolved around life being likened to traveling down a highway with occasional roadblocks, twists, and turns.

In 2000, it was revived by Rascal Flatts and was used as the official soundtrack (OST) for the animated film, “Cars.” In the official music video shot in the Badlands of Alberta, which can be viewed here, the featured car was a 1965 Chevrolet Impala Super Sport.

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Fuel by Metallica (1997)

Sung by American heavy metal band, Metallica, the hard rock song, Fuel was released as part of the band’s seventh album, “Reload.” The song talked about how fast people can drive their lives, the same way as they drive their cars.

Fuel also became the official theme song for NASCAR on TNT and NBC from the middle of 2001 to 2003. It was also featured in the 2016 Miami advertisement for the powerful performance vehicles of Dodge. The ad, seen here, showcased the Dodge Viper GTS, Challenger SRT Hellcat, and the Charger SRT Hellcat in various scenarios.

Photo from Amazon

Camaro by Kings of Leon (2007)

The alternative-indie rock song Camaro, sung by the American band Kings of Leon, was one of the tracks featured in the neo-noir movie, The Lost Highway. The song can be heard here.   

The single revolves around a girl who owns a sporty Chevrolet Camaro. The Chevrolet division of General Motors (GM) launched the Camaro on September 29, 1966 as a significant competitor to the Ford Mustang.

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