Photo by Koichi Kamoshida/Getty Images

There’s nothing more boring than a long car ride, especially when the scenery isn’t interesting. As a driver, you kinda have to do a whole lot of nothing besides, you know, driving on long trips. To remedy that, you need a really good playlist to keep you from losing your mind.

“Highway Hypnosis” is real, so you need songs that’ll keep your attention. There’s nothing worse than getting bored on the road. You don’t want to pull your away attention from the road, because that’s dangerous. But also, the road itself can get pretty monotonous. The songs we picked here tell a story, or have fun and interesting lyrics you can challenge yourself to learn. Some of them are just plain good driving songs.

A good song makes long car rides so much more bearable. Music is a great way to keep you and the people in your car sane. Of course, we want you to pick listening to the radio first, but if you need to switch it up a bit you can use these songs are coping mechanisms for when the drive is just too much on your psyche. Or, for when you need a good soundtrack so you can pretend you’re in a road trip movie.

Don’t get caught hating your commute. Use these songs as a pick-me-up or a distraction.

  • "Escape (The Pina Colada Song)" - Rupert Holmes

    This song is not only a super feel-good sounding song. It also tells a pretty interesting story that you can listen along to. I mean, the guy puts an ad in the paper because he’s bored with his wife, only to have his wife respond. It’s darn interesting.

  • "Hotel California" - The Eagles

    This is essentially a bad online review of a hotel set to music. The tasty guitar licks are also enough to keep you captivated. And the lyrics are weird but fun.

  • "Bohemian Rhapsody" - Queen

    This is one of the most legendary songs in music history. It’s long but it’s good. It can occupy a good chunk of your drive, and you can practice to sing it at your next karaoke night.

  • "Devil Went Down To Georgia" - Charlie Daniels

    Charlie Daniels is a captivating storyteller in this tune. You can clearly picture the scene he’s describing, which is so cool. It’s also got a riving beat that is perfect for making your way down the highway.

  • "We Didn't Start The Fire" - Billy Joel

    Long song, history lesson, and a challenge to learn all the lyrics. It’s almost the perfect song for a long drive. You can keep it on repeat and never get bored. New lyrics and sections jump out at you each time you listen.

  • "Free Bird" - Lynyrd Skynyrd

    I mean, come on. It’s only the most essential driving song. That guitar solo in the middle is iconic. And the length of the song will hopefully make it feel like time is passing quicker in the car.

  • "Rapper's Delight" - The Sugarhill Gang

    There are some pretty interesting lyrics in this song to challenge yourself to learn. It’s not a song you can tune out of and have as background music. It garners your attention and gets you inspired to master the rhymes.

  • "Paradise By The Dashboard Light" - Meat Loaf

    It’s another captivating stories with enough little sections to keep you entertained for a lifetime. The way Meat Loaf so masterfully makes one song feel like three or maybe even four will surely pull your attention and keep you entertained.

  • "Mr. Blue Sky" - Electric Light Orchestra

    How can you be upset listening to this song? It’s the ultimate feel-good song. It’s great for driving and so positive you can’t help but smile. Just belt out the lyrics and drive along happily.

  • "Break My Stride" - Matthew Wilder

    This is probably the least annoying happy song ever. The message is just so uplifting and the tune is catchy as heck. It’s one of those “movie-soundtrack” songs.

  • "Flagpole Sitta" - Harvey Danger

    Out of the box…or is it? It’s just angry enough to give you that cathartic experience without making you actually angry. You can scream out the lyrics, because we all know the chorus at least, and forget your troubles.

  • "Brazil" - Declan McKenna

    If you’re headed to the beach, this song may be a must-add to your rotation. It’s perfectly positive with a chorus that’ll get stuck in your head. It’s a very fun song to listen to.

  • "Goodbye Earl" - The Chicks

    Another song that tells a good story. You can’t help but listen to the lyrics and get mad at Earl. It’s a great song to tap your feet along to and feel good.

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