Every trip seems to collect its own soundtrack…sometimes it’s a song that plays on repeat during a long drive. Sometimes it’s a track that instantly brings you back to a city, a beach, a train ride, or a moment you didn’t realize would stay with you forever.
This playlist is a collection of the songs our community associates with travel. Some capture the excitement of setting off somewhere new, while others feel like watching the world pass by through a window.
Below are community write-ups about the songs that remind us of open roads, faraway places, favorite memories, and the joy of discovering what’s around the next corner.
Jenna Writes:
I have so many travel songs that I love. There are tracks that are perfect for traveling, songs about traveling, and others that simply capture the feeling of being on the road.
Imagine Dragons and the Doobie Brothers always make me feel like the main character. Sitting in the car with my head against the window, watching the world go by, there’s nothing but a good feeling. They’re instant mood boosters that get me excited about wherever I’m headed.
“87 Stingray” is my go to road trip song. Whether I’m driving eight hours across the state or my commute to work, it always finds its way onto the playlist.
I also wouldn’t have made it through 30 plus hour plane rides without artists like Brenn and Christian French, so they had to be included too.
These are just a few of my favorite travel tunes. I can almost guarantee these songs will be playing wherever I go. I can’t wait for my next adventure, and I’m excited to hear what the rest of the community picks as their favorite travel songs.
Andie Writes:
This playlist feels like my own road trip from start to finish.
It kicks off with Gin Blossoms’ “Follow You Down,” my on ramp song, all jangly guitars and that “let’s just go” feeling I get when I’m pulling out of the driveway. Then Vanilla Gorilla’s “Tropicana” takes me further, my escape fantasy about endless summer and nowhere I need to be.
GROUPLOVE’s “Tongue Tied” is me with the windows down, singing off key, the fun chaotic middle part of my drive. The Royal Concept’s “On Our Way” keeps that same hopeful energy going for me, the long highway stretch where I don’t know exactly where I’m headed but it feels right.
By the time The Lagoons’ “California” comes on, I’m slowing down into golden hour mode, like I’ve actually arrived somewhere good. Sheryl Crow’s “Soak Up The Sun” is just me being content, no urgency left, just vibing.
ICEHOUSE’s “Great Southern Land” pulls my camera back, big and a little emotional, like I’ve stopped to look at how huge the world actually is. And The Midnight’s “Los Angeles” closes my trip out at night, moody and nostalgic, like my quiet drive home replaying the whole thing in my head.
So really it’s my full arc: leaving, escaping, having fun, cruising, arriving, reflecting, then heading home in the dark.
Playlist Image by Andrea Caramello on Unsplash
Track Listing:
TRACK LIST
• Follow You Down – Gin Blossoms
• Tropicana – Vanilla Gorilla
• Tongue Tied – GROUPLOVE
• On Our Way – The Royal Concept
• California – The Lagoons
• Soak Up The Sun – Sheryl Crow
• Great Southern Land – ICEHOUSE
• Los Angeles – The Midnight
• Dog Days Are Over – Florence + The Machine
• On Top Of The World – Imagine Dragons
• Listen to the Music – The Doobie Brothers
• Don’t Dream It’s Over – Crowded House
• Brazil – Declan McKenna
• ’87 Stingray – Tory Lanez
• Fireflies & Southern Weather – Zach Hood
• Rearview – Brenn!
• blue skies and open roads – Christian French
• Retrospect – Vistas
• CALIFORNIA (the OC theme) – Phantom Planet
• Island In The Sun – Weezer
• Holidays In The Sun – Sex Pistols
• Another Girl, Another Planet – The Only Ones
• Hit the City – Mark Lanegan, PJ Harvey
• National Express – The Divine Comedy
• The Outdoor Type – The Lemonheads
• Born to Run – Bruce Springsteen
• Night Boat to Cairo – Madness
• Fugitive Motel – Elbow