More than half of Americans (59%) have a carefully selected playlist for road trips. It’s one of the components of a successful trip, respondents say. One in three (35%) are even willing to return home if they find their playlist lacking a favorite song. These findings were made in a survey commissioned by Christian Brothers Automotive. The study involved 2,000 U.S. residents.

The most common playlist among respondents was “Sweet Home Alabama” by American rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd (39%). “Hotel California” (The Eagles) and “Life is a Highway” (Tom Cochrane) were also among the favorites. These choices scored 29% and 27%, respectively. The list also included songs by Rihanna, Lana Del Rey, Ray Charles, Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, AC/DC, Queen, Guns N` Roses, and The Beach Boys.

Nearly one in two Americans (47%) have a song associated with a particular trip. Forty-two percent of respondents previously couldn’t stand the music their parents put on during road trips. And just over half of those surveyed (52%) think their generation’s playlists are the most successful. Millennials (61%) agree with this statement the most. Most often, Americans listen to music randomly (42%), by playlist (26%), or by album (10%).

Music depending on the direction of travel

• Classical for long journeys. “It calms you down and doesn’t bore you – it’s perfect for the road,” the respondents argue.
• Camping. “When hiking with a guitar around a campfire, rock songs are just what you need.”
• For hitchhiking. Rap tracks. 
• For the train, piano.
• For the plane – on the contrary, something dynamic.

Take music on the road: 7 best tracks for travel

• Grace Jones – Pull Up To The bumper – The Jamaican singer’s song was co-written with Cuca Baja and Dana Manno. Since 1981 it is still familiar to music lovers, and as a nighttime musical accompaniment, it is simply priceless.
• Motley Crue – Kickstart My Heart – Five minutes of gorgeous melodic mayhem that awakens from sleep. Nicky Sixx is said to have written this song after the clinical death he suffered after a heroin overdose. He was thought to have died on the way to the hospital, but a doctor who was a Crüe fan saved Sixx by giving him two adrenaline shots to his heart and bringing him back to life. 
• The Verve – Bitter Sweet Symphony – Few tunes have been so recognizable in the world over the years. And this song could be played in any car at any time. And for good reason, the proceedings lasted quite a while because although the lyrics were written entirely by Richard Ashcroft, the orchestra’s arrangement belongs to a symphonic version of “The Last Time” by author David Whittaker, performed by the orchestra under the direction of conductor Andrew Allam. In 1965 the band The Rolling Stones performed the song. And the authorship had to be shared. 
• Aerosmith & Run DMC – Walk This Way – Tyler’s addiction to drugs led to the creation of this single, because according to the band they came up with the tune while waiting for a drug dealer. And Stephen lost the first version of the lyrics in the back seat of a cab. Nevertheless, the collaboration with Joe Perry proved successful and allowed the band to return to active performances. It reached number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 in early 1977 and became one of the band’s most successful singles of the 70s.
• Dire Straits – Telegraph Road – This is a road music classic that is hard to forget. It was the first and only 14-minute track. And Telegraph Road is a real-life highway in the United States, officially called “Interstate 24” and leading from Ohio to the Detroit area. The author himself claims that the song came to his mind during a bus trip down the highway.
• Chris Rea – The Road to Hell – One of Chris’ most popular albums and an all-time great track. It’s like an anthem for motorists. Especially since the author created it while standing in traffic on London’s fastest ring road, the M25, which was later called a huge parking lot because of the constant congestion.