A road trip isn’t the same without some great music. . Whether you’re driving thirty minutes or several hours. Let’s take a road trip. I am here to suggest some tuneage for you.
Born To Be Wild -Steppenwolf
“Born To Be Wild” was released in 1968. It was first used in the movie Easy Rider and is associated with motorcycles. The song climbed the charts all the way to number two. Rolling Stone magazine placed it at number 129 on its list of 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
Running On Empty -Jackson Browne.
Running On Empty was recorded live at a concert venue in Columbia, Maryland, in August 1977 and released in 1978. The song got plenty of exposure in 1994 in the movie “Forrest Gump” when Forrest decided to run across the United States.
Sweet Home Alabama-Lynyrd Skynyrd
The opening lyrics 123 turn it up. Need I say more. Lynyrd Skynyrd, a group that helped coin the phrase Southern Rock. Sweet Home Alabama reached number eight on the charts in 1974.
Train Train- Blackfoot
Ricky Medlocke, a founding member, was also with Lynyrd Skynyrd in the early days. Lynyrd Skynyrd (a band he would rejoin in later years). Shorty Medlocke was Ricky’s grandfather, who was a bluegrass and delta blues musician. He is remembered for his harmonica intro on Train Train, which mimics a steam locomotive blowing its whistle, pulling out of the station, and going at full speed. Shorty also wrote Train Train, which was released in 1978 and included on the album Blackfoot Strikes.
Midnight Train To Georgia -Gladys Knight & The Pips
Everybody on the count of 3.2.1, woo woo. One of the all-time great female vocalists, Gladys Knight. When I was working in radio, you knew I was working by simply hearing the volume cranked up on “Midnight Train To Georgia.” Midnight Train To Georgia went to Number one on the charts in 1973 and won a Grammy for best R&B vocal group.
Listen To The Music -The Doobie Brothers
When you hear the opening guitar riff, you automatically know what the song is. Tom Johnston, lead vocalist and writer of “Listen To The Music, ” says he wrote the song with the idea of world leaders sitting down together solving the world’s problems by listening to the music. He realized it didn’t work that way. “Listen To The Music” climbed to number 11 in 1972.
Go Your Own Way-Fleetwood Mac
Lindsey Buckingham wrote this song as a message to Stevie Nicks after their breakup as a couple. The song is from one of the best-selling albums of all time, Rumours. At the same time, they were recording the album another breakup with band members John and Christine McVie, who was married. There was a lot of tension during the making of the album Rumours. Go Your Own Way reached number 10 on the charts in 1977.
Life Is A Highway-Tom Cochrane
Outside of Canada, many people had no idea who Tom Cochrane was. Cochrane had been a member of the group Red Rider, well-known for their song Lunatic Fringe in 1981. “Life Is A Highway” is worth turning up on your road trip. The song moved up to number six on the charts in 1992. “Life Is A Highway” became well known again in 2006 with a younger audience when Rascal Flatts recorded it for the movie Cars.
Ramblin Man-Allman Brothers Band
Band member Dickey Betts wrote and sang lead on “Ramblin Man.” He wrote the song after being inspired by a Hank Williams song also titled “Ramblin Man” from 1951. The piece is somewhat biographical because Dickey’s father worked in construction and constantly moved between central Florida’s east and west coast. Betts said in an interview, “I spent a lot of time in the back seat of a Greyhound bus.” The song was the first single recorded without their leader Duane Allman. Allman was killed in a motorcycle accident in 1971″ Ramblin Man” climbed to number two on the charts in 1973. Cher kept it out of the number one spot with “Half Breed.” By the way, Gregg Allman married Cher in 1975. Cher filed for divorce ten days later.
Take It Easy -The Eagles-
In the early seventies, Jackson Browne lived in an apartment in Los Angeles. His upstairs neighbor was Eagles member Glen Frey who was looking for songs for his band and heard Browne working on “Take It Easy.” He told him it sounded great. Browne had trouble completing “Take It Easy,” so he turned it over to Frey. Frey finished writing it and recorded it with The Eagles. It was their first single from their first album. The line “standing on the corner in Winslow Arizona” has made this southwest town a popular destination with music lovers on their road trips. “Take It Easy” reached number 12 on the charts in 1972.