So I just got my drivers license on Tuesday and I’ve been driving like crazy. I’ve gone to Tsawwassen, Richmond, everywhere and back again and while I do I’ve got music just blasting from my speakers. It got me thinking though, what makes a good driving playlist? Is it the genre? The song choice? The era of music? I’m here today to discover what makes a driving playlist, a driving playlist. I love making playlists. I have a playlist for every season, every genre, every possible mood I may be in. I have a couple of joke playlists , I even have different driving playlists depending on who I’m in the car with! The playlist I have for today though is my standard, favorite playlist to play whenever I hop in the car for whatever reason, driving to the store, getting gas, whatever. Now this deep dive is of course catered to my taste in music and what I enjoy when I’m driving down the highway at whatever hours of the day and I don’t expect everyone to feel the same about what music to drive to but I am going to share my discoveries and research and ultimately, what I think makes a good driving playlist.

When I’m building a playlist I like to start with when I’m going to listen to it. Is it a rainy evening? A sunny day? A rainy day or a sunny evening? Whatever the weather, my playlist is going to change. I have an entire playlist dedicated to jazz music for a rainy day and another playlist dedicated solely to disco! But when I was starting my driving playlist, I wanted to feel like I was in a movie. Sunset in the distance, wind in my hair, music blasting and preferably while driving in a top down convertible but that bit is flexible. I want to feel the freedom that having a driver’s license gives you. So I decided on rock and post punk music. I wanted loud anthemic, sing along tracks that you could belt at the top of your lungs. I want heavy guitars and drums that make the entire car shake. A good playlist is one that everyone likes. Songs that everyone knows and won’t hesitate to sing. Ultimately the goal is to recreate the Bohemian Rhapsody scene from Wayne’s World. There are some genres that just don’t work. Not everyone enjoys opera or country and you can’t really sing along to classical music. But rock music is a great neutral genre for most people. There are great modern rock artists and there’s some great rock classics for everyone. With post-punk too there’s some really great songs to come out of that era of music that get everyone in the car joining in to sing along to. So that’s the vibe. Driving around, singing with your friends with your favorite songs playing as loud as possible.

So what are my favorite songs to drive to? Well you’re in luck because I have just the thing for you! A super amazing, definitely definitive list of songs that I think should be on a driving playlist. First off, like I said, you should be able to sing along to them. In that category, I’m starting off with Boys Don’t Cry by The Cure and Bastards of Young by The Replacements. They’ve got simple lyrics, you can learn them in an instant and you can most definitely shout them at the top of your lungs. The second is upbeat songs that are perfect while on the highway and for that, the top two contenders are Grinding Halt by The Cure and Neal And Jack And Me by King Crimson. They’re upbeat, they’ve got catchy guitar and steady drums. You feel like you could be an award winning race driver and that adds to the overall movie soundtrack ambiance I’m looking for. Next up is the lament. Not necessarily a ballad but a lament or something to reminisce to. Portland by The Replacements and Back To The Old House by The Smiths. It’s nighttime, it’s a warm summer night and you’re driving home, thinking about how the night went and these songs are the perfect thing to compliment those thoughts. Last but not least, just some plain fun songs. You can listen to them, sing along, dance, whatever you see fit but they’re just good songs to round out this list and for that, Brazil by Declan McKenna and Walking On A Dream by Empire of the Sun. These songs honestly work for any playlist and they most definitely have earned their spot on this list.

Now I don’t expect everyone to feel the same about these songs, or enjoy them, or even want to listen to them in the first place. These songs fit my tastes of wanting to feel like a movie character and also my music taste being stuck in the eighties to nineties and I know not everyone else likes to feel that way when they’re driving. But after driving down the highway with Grinding Halt by The Cure blaring, I was inspired. Music can elicit such strong feelings and such a strong sense of community. Have you ever been in a club when Riptide by Vance Joy plays? There is not a single person in the room that doesn’t join in. When I’m driving in a car with my friends, I want to feel the same way. I want to have my Almost Famous, Tiny Dancer moment. Have I seen Almost Famous? No. Do I want to have a car full of people, all united by one song? Absolutely. Music can transport you to a different time and place and can make you feel such a variety of different things. My driving playlist makes me feel free and I hope that after reading this, you make your own perfect driving playlist.