The 31 best road trip songs – ranked!

Windows down. Volume up. These are the greatest road trip bangers of all time – and yes, we’ve ranked them.

There’s a certain thrill that only the open road can offer. The kind that comes with a full tank, a bag of salty snacks and a playlist so good it deserves its own Spotify Wrapped category. And let’s face it – every great Aussie road trip needs a killer soundtrack.

So, we’ve done the honourable thing: combined our own cult favourites with the most popular road trip tracks from over 10,000 Spotify playlists. The result? A ranked list of the ultimate road trip songs – sing-alongs, bangers and windows-down classics included.

31. Brazil – Declan McKenna

A certified indie darling that hits differently when you’re cruising past gumtrees at golden hour. Ranked third most common in Spotify’s travel playlists, this track proves road trips aren’t just about big ballads – sometimes it’s the offbeat gems that stay with you.

30. Just Dance – Lady Gaga

The song that launched Gaga into our collective playlists – and it still hits. It’s got the beat, the bounce and the carefree energy that makes even the longest road stretch feel like a pre-party. If you’re looking for an instant mood lift (or a distraction from Google Maps rerouting you again), this is it.

Watch the music video.

29. Put Your Records On – Corinne Bailey Rae

Sweet and sun-kissed, this song is like a deep exhale. Corinne Bailey Rae’s breezy vocals create a chilled-out vibe that fits perfectly with scenic routes, windows down and snacks within reach. It’s like a musical nap in the sun.

Watch the music video.

28. Levitating – Dua Lipa

Dua Lipa’s disco-pop groove injects instant energy into any trip. Slick, playful and full of bounce, Levitating is your go-to when you hit the open highway with excitement to spare. Ideal for daytime cruising and feel-good vibes.

27. Paradise City – Guns N’ Roses

From the slow build to the explosive chorus, this one packs a punch. It’s a long-haul banger that makes you want to drive harder, faster and further. Best used when rolling into somewhere new and feeling like a rock star.

Watch the music video.

26. Ridin’ – Chamillionaire

Left field, but totally worth it. Ridin’ is smooth, gritty and unexpectedly satisfying at volume. For night drives and main-character moods, this beat-heavy banger sets the tone and raises the cool factor considerably.

Watch the music video.

25. Call Me – Blondie

Cool, sharp and endlessly stylish. Call Me is for hairpin turns, late-night petrol stops and moments when you remember how iconic you are. Equal parts punk and pop, it’s a timeless road trip power move.

Watch the music video.

24. Highway to Hell – AC/DC

It’s loud, proud, and pure rock and roll. Highway to Hell makes any road feel epic. It’s built for wide-open stretches, heavy feet, and rebellious moods. Definitely a track to play when you’re feeling bold (and the road signs agree).

Watch the music video.

23. Unwritten – Natasha Bedingfield

Anyone But You stars Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell in front of Sydney Opera House — *Unwritten* is an important part of the plot in *Anyone But You*. (Image: Eddy Chen © 2023 CTMG, Inc. All Rights Reserved)

There’s no skipping this one. Still holding strong in the global top 10 for travel playlists, it’s a euphoric slice of 2000’s pop that refuses to die. And rightly so – it’s all optimism, fresh starts and wind-in-your-hair joy.

Watch the music video.

22. Livin’ On a Prayer – Bon Jovi

A highway legend. Bon Jovi’s power vocals and that legendary key change make this track the ultimate second wind booster. Whether you’re halfway there or just hit the road, it’s impossible not to punch the air and shout the chorus.

Watch the music video.

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21. Getaway Car – Taylor Swift

It’s Swift at her cinematic best. All fast exits, broken hearts and neon-drenched freedom. The song feels like a movie montage of you leaving your past in the rear-view mirror. Not her biggest hit, but among Swifties, it’s a cult-favourite – and for road trips, it’s practically a theme song.

Listen to the song.

20. Life is a Highway – Rascal Flatts

Literal? Absolutely. But effective? Definitely. Rascal Flatts delivers pure road trip optimism. This one’s for sing-alongs on sun-drenched stretches and belting choruses with zero shame. A must for cross-country vibes.

Watch the music video.

19. Party in the U.S.A. – Miley Cyrus

A pop anthem that brings instant joy. This track screams group sing-along, sudden dance breaks and spontaneous detours. It’s nostalgic for some, iconic for others, and always guaranteed to lighten the mood when the road gets long.

Watch the music video.

18. Seven Wonders – Fleetwood Mac

Fleetwood Mac + long drives = magic. This synth-soaring track from the Tango in the Night era is the Fleetwood Mac road trip anthem that actually makes you feel like you’re off to discover something magical. Lush harmonies, a sense of movement and pure ’80s energy – it’s criminally underrated.

Watch the music video.

17. Down Under – Men at Work

Playfully patriotic and full of nostalgia. Perfect for cruising through a small town, this Aussie classic feels like a Vegemite sandwich on wheels.

Watch the music video.

16. Espresso – Sabrina Carpenter

A hyper-pop burst of energy that sounds like a servo iced coffee. It’s bubbly, cheeky and endlessly replayable. For zippy drives and silly moods, this track gives modern road trip chaos in the best way.

15. I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) – The Proclaimers

This one’s for the moments when you need to rally the troops. It’s goofy, it’s feel-good, and it’s nearly impossible not to sing. Whether you’re halfway to somewhere or not even close, it turns every road into a joyful march to nowhere in particular.

Watch the music video.

14. Shut Up and Drive – Rihanna

An aggressive contender that brings out your inner Formula 1 driver (in a legally safe way, of course). Fast, punchy and iconic. Road rage, but make it danceable.

Watch the music video.

13. Mustang Sally – Wilson Pickett

A classic with soul. Mustang Sally is feel-good driving music with sing-along appeal. Throw it on as you pull into a country town or take a detour through memory lane. Guaranteed to get the toes tapping.

Listen to the song.

12. Chasing Pavements – Adele

If you’re in your feels, this one’s for you. A moody ballad for the long road ahead, Chasing Pavements lets you fully embrace the melodrama of movement. Best paired with empty roads, early mornings or quietly emotional moments.

Watch the music video.

11. Waterfalls – TLC

Smooth, soulful and packed with meaning, Waterfalls is a thoughtful addition to the playlist. It’s perfect for cruising through cities at night or driving into a slower-paced morning. And yes, attempting Left Eye’s rap is still mandatory.

Watch the music video.

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10. Little Red Corvette – Prince

Seductive and slick, this synth-heavy slow-burn from Prince brings cool confidence to any road trip. It’s sexy without trying and smooth as bitumen on a hot day. Play it after dark and let the purple vibes roll.

Watch the music video.

9. Scar Tissue – Red Hot Chili Peppers

Melancholy, dusty and cool, Scar Tissue has a lazy rhythm that fits perfectly with long drives through heat-hazed landscapes. The guitar is laidback, the vocals wounded, and the whole thing feels like a desert road under fading light. Ideal for thinking, spacing out, or quietly vibing.

Watch the music video.

8. Little Talks – Of Monsters and Men

A folk-pop shout-fest full of chaotic energy. The call-and-response lyrics practically demand a car full of co-drivers to sing along. It’s weird, it’s wonderful, and it sounds especially good when you’re slightly lost but vibing anyway.

7. In The Air Tonight – Phil Collins

Dark and brooding, with the most iconic drum solo of all time. This one is pure atmosphere. Play it at night. Play it in the rain. Just make sure you don’t talk through the build-up.

Watch the music video.

6. Riptide – Vance Joy

This one had to be on here. A sun-drenched Aussie classic that makes you feel like you’re on a beach even when you’re dodging potholes inland. No surprises that it’s the second most-played song on travel playlists, with over 2.5 billion Spotify streams.

Watch the music video.

5. Dreams – Fleetwood Mac

Velvety and vibey, Dreams still floats like a cool breeze. It’s made for winding roads, moody skies and rolling conversations. The perfect blend of chill and movement, this song feels like freedom.

Watch the music video.

4. Yellow – Coldplay

One of Coldplay’s most beloved tracks, and a stunning match for road trips that linger into twilight. With its simple lyrics and sweeping sound, Yellow captures that quiet, reflective mood of watching the scenery roll by.

3. Bohemian Rhapsody – Queen

Every road trip needs one six-minute-long drama-filled group karaoke moment. This is it. From “Is this the real life?" to the final headbang, it’s a theatrical masterpiece that turns every vehicle into a travelling stage.

2. Fast Car – Tracy Chapman

Poetic and powerful, Fast Car is the ultimate emotional road trip companion. Tracy Chapman’s lyrics paint a picture of longing, hope and escape. It’s introspective, wistful and deeply human. Honourable mention goes to Luke Combs’ faithful cover, but the original remains unmatched for raw road trip resonance.

1. Mr. Brightside – The Killers

It had to be. Universally known. Chronically overplayed. Eternally screamed in full. It ranked ninth in global playlist data, but we’re giving it the top spot because nothing gets a carload going like that opening line. “Coming out of my cage…" You’re already singing it, aren’t you?

TL;DR: Pack the aux, not just your bags

Couple of woman friends traveling and driving having a lot of fun dancing in the car with opened roof and summer vacation sunset ocean in front — Music makes the journey on a road trip. (Image: Getty Images/simonapilolla)

Whether you’re chasing summer across state lines or doing a snack-fuelled dash to the coast, music makes the journey. From indie gems to timeless sing-alongs, the right playlist turns any road trip into a core memory.

So next time you’re prepping your playlist, think of it as part of your travel toolkit – right up there with snacks, chargers and choosing the right passenger DJ.

Video credit: Visit Victoria/Tourism Australia

The Grampians just might be the ultimate antidote for the metropolis, writes one returning Aussie ready to disconnect from the modern world and reconnect to the Great outdoors.

There are no kangaroos back in Chicago: they’re all here in the Grampians/Gariwerd. In the heart of the Grampians National Park’s main gateway town, Halls Gap, pods of eastern greys are eating grass beside my parked rental car beneath the stars. Next morning, when I see the backyard of my rented villa on the edge of town for the first time, there are kangaroos feeding beside a slow-moving creek, lined with river red gums.

Five hundred metres up the road, 50 or so of them are eating by the side of the road in a paddock. I pull over to watch and spot three emus. Yellow-tailed black cockatoos fly overhead towards the tall green mountains just beyond town.

‘Kee-ow, keee-oww’… their calls fuse with the maniacal cackle of a kookaburra (or 10). Gawd, how I’ve missed the sound of them. Far above, a wedge-tailed eagle watches, and there you go: the ‘great birds of Australia’ trifecta, all half a kay from the town limits.

Exchanging city chaos for country calm

kangaroos near Halls Gap, Grampians National Park — The park is renowned for its significant diversity of native fauna species. (Image: Visit Victoria/Robert Blackburn)

I’ve come to the Grampians to disconnect, but the bush offers a connection of its own. This isn’t just any bush, mind you. The Grampians National Park is iconic for many reasons, mostly for its striking sandstone mountains – five ridges run north to south, with abrupt, orange slopes which tumble right into Halls Gap – and for the fact there’s 20,000 years of traditional rock art. Across these mountains there are more than 200 recorded sites to see, created by the Djab Wurrung, Jardwadjali and Gunditjmara peoples. It’s just like our outback… but three hours from Melbourne.

I’ve come here for a chance at renewal after the chaos of my life in America’s third-largest city, Chicago, where I live for now, at the whim of a relative’s cancer journey. Flying into Melbourne’s airport, it only takes an hour’s drive to feel far away from any concept of suburbia. When I arrive in Halls Gap two hours later, the restaurant I’m eating at clears out entirely by 7:45pm; Chicago already feels a lifetime ago.

The trails and treasures of the Grampians

sunrise at Grampians National Park /Gariwerd — Grampians National Park /Gariwerd covers almost 2000 square kilometres. (Image: Ben Savage)

Though the national park covers almost 2000 square kilometres, its best-known landmarks are remarkably easy to access. From my carpark here, among the cockatoos and kangaroos on the fringe of Halls Gap, it only takes 60 seconds’ driving time before I’m winding my way up a steep road through rainforest, deep into the mountains.

Then it’s five minutes more to a carpark that serves as a trailhead for a hike to one of the park’s best vantage points, The Pinnacles. I walk for an hour or so, reacquainting myself with the smells and the sounds of the Aussie bush, before I reach it: a sheer cliff’s edge lookout 500 metres up above Halls Gap.

walking through a cave, Hollow Mountain — Overlooking the vast Grampians landscape from Hollow Mountain. (Image: Robert Blackburn)

There are hikes and there are lookouts and waterfalls all across this part of the park near town. Some are a short stroll from a carpark; others involve long, arduous hikes through forest. The longest is the Grampians Peaks Trail, Victoria’s newest and longest iconic walk, which runs 160 kilometres – the entire length of Grampians National Park.

Local activities operator Absolute Outdoors shows me glimpses of the trail. The company’s owner, Adrian Manikas, says it’s the best walk he’s done in Australia. He says he’s worked in national parks across the world, but this was the one he wanted to bring his children up in.

“There’s something about the Grampians,” he says, as he leads me up a path to where there’s wooden platforms for tents, beside a hut looking straight out across western Victoria from a kilometre up in the sky (these are part of the guided hiking options for the trail). “There are things out here that you won’t see anywhere else in Australia.” Last summer, 80 per cent of the park was damaged by bushfire, but Manikas shows me its regrowth, and tells me of the manic effort put in by volunteers from town – with firefighters from all over Australia – to help save Halls Gap.

wildflowers in Grampians National Park — Spot wildflowers. (Image: Visit Victoria)

We drive back down to Halls Gap at dusk to abseil down a mountain under the stars, a few minutes’ walk off the main road into town. We have headlamps, but a full moon is enough to light my way down. It takes blind faith to walk backwards down a mountain into a black void, though the upside is I can’t see the extent of my descent.

Grampians National Park at sunset. (Image: Wine Australian)

The stargazing is ruined by the moon, of course, but you should see how its glow lights up the orange of the sandstone, like in a theme park. When I’m done, I stand on a rocky plateau drinking hot chocolate and listening to the Aussie animals who prefer nighttime. I can see the streets of Halls Gap off in the distance on this Friday night. The restaurants may stay open until 8pm tonight.

What else is on offer in The Grampians?

a boat travelling along the Wimmera River inDimboola — Travelling along the Wimmera River in Dimboola. (Image: Chris McConville)

You’ll find all sorts of adventures out here – from rock climbing to canoeing to hiking – but there’s more to the Grampians than a couple of thousand square kilometres of trees and mountains. Halls Gap may be known to most people, but what of Pomonal, and Dimboola, and Horsham? Here in the shadow of those big sandstone mountains there are towns and communities most of us don’t know to visit.

And who knew that the Grampians is home to Victoria’s most underrated wine region? My disconnection this morning comes not in a forest, but in the tasting rooms and winery restaurants of the district. Like Pomonal Estate, barely 10 minutes’ drive east of Halls Gap, where UK-born chef Dean Sibthorp prepares a locally caught barramundi with lentil, pumpkin and finger lime in a restaurant beside the vines at the base of the Grampians. Husband-and-wife team Pep and Adam Atchison tell me stories as they pour their prize wines (shiraz is the hero in these parts).

dining at Pomonal Estate — Dine in a restaurant beside vines at Pomonal Estate. (Image: Tourism Australia)

Three minutes’ drive back down the road, long-time mates Hadyn Black and Darcy Naunton run an eclectic cellar door out of a corrugated iron shed, near downtown Pomonal. The Christmas before last, half the houses in Pomonal burnt down in a bushfire, but these locals are a resilient lot.

The fires also didn’t stop the construction of the first art centre in Australia dedicated to environmental art in a nature-based precinct a little further down the road (that’s Wama – the National Centre for Environmental Arts), which opened in July. And some of the world’s oldest and rarest grape vines have survived 160 years at Best’s Wines, outside the heritage town of Great Western. There’s plantings here from the year 1868, and there’s wines stored in century-old barrels within 150-year-old tunnels beneath the tasting room. On the other side of town, Seppelt Wines’ roots go back to 1865. They’re both only a 30-minute drive from Halls Gap.

Salingers of Great Western — Great Western is a charming heritage town. (Image: Griffin Simm)

There’s more to explore yet; I drive through tiny historic towns that barely make the map. Still part of the Grampians, they’re as pretty as the mountains behind them: full of late 19th-century/early 20th-century post offices, government offices and bank buildings, converted now to all manner of bric-a-brac stores and cafes.

The Imaginarium is one, in quirky Dimboola, where I sleep in the manager’s residence of an old National Australia Bank after a gourmet dinner at the local golf club, run by noted chef and teacher, Cat Clarke – a pioneer of modern Indigenous Australian cooking. Just south, I spend an entire afternoon at a winery, Norton Estate Wines, set on rolling calico-coloured hills that make me think of Tuscany, chit-chatting with owners Chris and Sam Spence.

Being here takes me back two decades, when I lived here for a time. It had all seemed as foreign as if I’d driven to another planet back then (from Sydney/Warrane), but there seemed something inherently and immediately good about this place, like I’d lived here before.

And it’s the Australian small-town familiarity of the Grampians that offers me connection back to my own country. Even in the better-known Halls Gap, Liz from Kerrie’s Creations knows I like my lattes with soy milk and one sugar. And while I never do get the name of the lady at the local Ampol station, I sure know a lot about her life.

Kookaburras on a tree — Kookaburras are one of some 230 bird species. (Image: Darren Donlen)

You can be a local here in a day; how good is that? In Chicago, I don’t even know who my neighbour is. Though each day at dusk – when the kangaroos gather outside my villa, and the kookaburras and the black cockatoos shout out loud before settling in to sleep – I prefer the quieter connection I get out there in the bush, beneath these orange mountains.

A traveller’s checklist

Staying there

Sleep beside the wildlife on the edge of Halls Gap at Serenity.

Playing there

abseiling down Hollow Mountain — Hollow Mountain is a popular abseiling site.

Go abseiling under the stars or join a guided hike with Absolute Outdoors. Visit Wama, Australia’s first environmental art centre. Check out Dimboola’s eccentric Imaginarium.

Eating there

steak, naan bread and beer at Paper Scissors Rock in Halls Gap — Paper Scissors Rock in Halls Gap serves a great steak on naan bread.

Eat world-class cuisine at Pomonal Estate. Dine and stay at much-revered icon Royal Mail Hotel in Dunkeld. The ‘steak on naan’ at Halls Gap brewhouse Paper Scissors Rock, can’t be beat.

Dunkeld Arboretum in Grampians National Park — The serene Dunkeld Arboretum.

For Halls Gap’s best breakfasts head to Livefast Cafe. Sip local wines at Great Western’s historic wineries, Best’s Wines, Seppelt Wines and Norton Estate Wines.

two glasses of beer at Paper Scissors Rock in Halls Gap — Sink a cold one at Paper Scissors Rock.

Windows down. Volume up. These are the greatest road trip bangers of all time – and yes, we’ve ranked them.

31. Brazil – Declan McKenna

30. Just Dance – Lady Gaga

29. Put Your Records On – Corinne Bailey Rae

28. Levitating – Dua Lipa

27. Paradise City – Guns N’ Roses

26. Ridin’ – Chamillionaire

25. Call Me – Blondie

24. Highway to Hell – AC/DC

23. Unwritten – Natasha Bedingfield

22. Livin’ On a Prayer – Bon Jovi

AI Prompt

21. Getaway Car – Taylor Swift

20. Life is a Highway – Rascal Flatts

19. Party in the U.S.A. – Miley Cyrus

18. Seven Wonders – Fleetwood Mac

17. Down Under – Men at Work

16. Espresso – Sabrina Carpenter

15. I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) – The Proclaimers

14. Shut Up and Drive – Rihanna

13. Mustang Sally – Wilson Pickett

12. Chasing Pavements – Adele

11. Waterfalls – TLC

10. Little Red Corvette – Prince

9. Scar Tissue – Red Hot Chili Peppers

8. Little Talks – Of Monsters and Men

7. In The Air Tonight – Phil Collins

6. Riptide – Vance Joy

5. Dreams – Fleetwood Mac

4. Yellow – Coldplay

3. Bohemian Rhapsody – Queen

2. Fast Car – Tracy Chapman

1. Mr. Brightside – The Killers

TL;DR: Pack the aux, not just your bags

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The Grampians just might be the ultimate antidote for the metropolis, writes one returning Aussie ready to disconnect from the modern world and reconnect to the Great outdoors.

Exchanging city chaos for country calm

The trails and treasures of the Grampians

What else is on offer in The Grampians?

A traveller’s checklist

Staying there

Playing there

Eating there