1) Deep Purple “Highway Star” (1972) Just listening to this adrenalin charged rocker you could get a speeding ticket, even in an econobox powered by a lawn mower engine. 6park.com
6park.com2) Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers “Runnin’ Down a Dream” (1989) The perfect tune when you are whistling across the top of Pennask Summit on the Okanagan Connector, the car in cruise control set at five klicks above the speed limit. What a rebel. 6park.com
6park.com3) Judas Priest “Electric Eye” (1982) Could have picked any number of pounding rockers from the Priest but this one brings a tear to my Electric Eye, usually while pounding the steering wheel in time to the relentless rhythm of Ian Hill’s bass. Tears because I used to tour with those guys in the 1970s – while they drove to the top of the earnings charts I went on to become a less well paid Driving Editor. 6park.com
6park.com4) Bruce Springsteen “Born to Run” (1975) This anthem to adolescent escape captures the Boss at his poetic best — “Sprung from cages out on Highway 9, Chrome-wheeled, fuel injected and steppin’ out over the line” — and the E-Street Band at its ‘force-of-nature’ best. 6park.com
6park.com5) AC/DC “Ride On” (1976) Long a strip club standard, this smoky sixminute blues classic is best served at 4 am on a lonesome highway with a flask of stale coffee and a broken heart. 6park.com
6park.com6) Blues Traveler “Carolina Blues” (1997) “Trying to make a train by sunrise, gonna have to run a red light.” From that opening line onward, this guitar-driven rocker emotes back road outlaw rambling. 6park.com
6park.com7) Stone Temple Pilots “Interstate Love Song” (1994) Not only does this have a driving reference but it also is one of the catchiest rock songs ever. It really is a masterful pop song wrapped in perfect rock production. It never ceases to please. 6park.com
6park.com8) Van Halen “Beautiful Girls” (1979) Great song but any Van Halen is perfect for driving. It has to be Diamond Dave though; the Sammy days were dark days for true Van Halen fans. I’m glad I got to see Dave on the 1984 tour. 6park.com
6park.com9) Led Zeppelin “Going to California” (1971) Actually any Led Zeppelin would do. but this one has a travel reference that works well for any road trip. I always crank Zeppelin when it comes on the radio. 6park.com
6park.com10) Velvet Revolver “Big Machine” (2004) When I first started testing cars in the summer of 2004, I drove Rogers Pass in Audi’s overpowered RS6 with this song cranked. It’s my favourite Velvet Revolver song because it just simply rocks. And the RS6 was a seriously big machine. 6park.com
6park.com11) Queens of the Stone Age “Go With the Flow” (2002) Sea-to-Sky Highway, top down on a 911 Cabriolet. Sometimes there’s a lot of jostling for position between high performance cars on this twisting stretch of tarmac. QOTSA always reminds me to take it easy and enjoy the ride. 6park.com
6park.com12) The Tragically Hip “Morning Moon” (2009) Ideal for cruising the Trans Canada this summer, this new single from The Hip has a decidedly Neil Young Harvest- vibe. When my producer- friend Jay Brown at Shaw TV and I first listened to it, we looked at each other and said, “Road trip!” 6park.com
6park.com13) Gary Numan “Cars” (1979) This is such a great example of how banal music can be; it is actually good (in small doses). 6park.com
6park.com14) Chuck Berry “No Particular Place to Go” (1964) A quintessentially innocent song from the formative years of rock’n’roll. 6park.com
6park.com15) The Eagles “Take it Easy” (1972) I love the imagery of this song and actually drove to a corner in Winslow, Arizona in 1978. 6park.com
6park.com16) Dr. Dre featuring Snoop Dogg “Still D.R.E.” (2001) The iconic rap single to blast from 12-inch subs rolling down Robson Street on a hot summer day. The beat makes you wish your whip had hydraulics. Note: make sure you have the “radio friendly” version if mom is in the car. 6park.com
6park.com17) R. Kelly “Ignition” (2003) A classic jam by R&B legend R. Kelly that is great to listen to while cruising around or to hype you up en route to the club. It’s R. Kelly, so of course the lyrics are sexual in nature — the best line: “Girl, you’re dealin’ with a pro behind this wheel so tell me have you ever driven a stick!” 6park.com
6park.com18) Tupac “Picture Me Rollin’ ” (1996) The ultimate chill track to listen to on your way home from a hectic day from work.“Flossin’ a Benz on rims that isn’t stolen” … yeah right Tupac. 6park.com