Memorial Day Road Trip: What To Play On The Way Out Of Town

EDGEWATER-DAVIDSONVILLE, MD -- It’s no coincidence that National Road Trip Day coincides with the beginning of the three-day Memorial Day weekend. Of the 43 million Americans expected to travel this weekend, more than 37.6 million will be in their cars, the auto club AAA estimates. As you pack up to get the heck out of Edgewater or Davidsonville this weekend, you’ll need a good playlist.

We asked Patch editors across the country to tell us about their favorite Memorial Day road-trippin’ songs. They didn’t hold back, and their nominations reflect a wide variety of musical tastes. Patch has Baby Boomers, Gen-Xers, Millennials and younger staffers from Gen Z.

Go to the comments and tell us about your favorite road-trip song and why you love it.

Let’s start out with what road trips are all about — “Going Mobile,” from The Who. If you’re not including this song, you’re not doing it right. (Spoiler alert for the kids in the back seat: They’re not all from way, way back in the day.)

Here are a few more downright fantastic songs nominated by Patch editors to get you in the mood:

“Stick Shifts and Safety Belts,” Cake

“Highway Tune,” Greta Van Fleet

“200 More Miles,” Cowboy Junkies

“All Star,” Smash Mouth.

“Cars,” Gary Numan

“On The Road,” Aztec Two-Step

“Radar Love,” Golden Earring

“It’s a Fast Driving Rave Up,” The Dandy Warhols

“Runnin’ Down A Dream,” Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers

“I’ve Been Everywhere,” Johnny Cash

“Midnight Rider,” The Allman Brothers Band

“Rock And Roll” by The Velvet Underground

Many nominations reflected the America that is seen on the road less traveled. Road trip songs don’t get any better than “Country Road” by James Taylor, whose voice has been described as a comfortable pair of slippers or a warm fireplace.

Along that same theme, we also got nominations for:

“America,” from Simon and Garfunkel

“Paradise City,” Guns N’ Roses

“Take Me Home, Country Roads,” John Denver

“Where The Streets Have No Name,” U2

“Going Up The Country,” Canned Heat

“American Ride,” Toby Keith

“Subterranean Homesick Blues,” Bob Dylan

“City of New Orleans,” Steve Goodman

“Going Down The Road Feeling Bad,” Grateful Dead

“Road to Nowhere,” Talking Heads

“Old Town Road,” Lil Nas X

Whatever you do this weekend, The Specials remind you to “Enjoy Yourself.”

And remember, people, be kind, gather your loved ones close and fix something good to eat:

“Shower The People,” James Taylor

“Better Together,” Jack Johnson

“Sunshine of Your Love,” Cream

“Fried Chicken,” Zac Brown Band

We suggest “Truckin’” from The Grateful Dead for your journey’s end. Even if there wasn’t a strange thing about your trip, it’s a great tune.

Here are some more great sing-along tunes you’ll want to put on the loop:

“Emmylou,” from First Aid Kit

“Tell Her About It,” Billy Joel

“American Girl,” Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers

“Livin’ On a Prayer,” Bon Jovi

“Born in the U.S.A.,” Bruce Springsteen

“Kodachrome,” Paul Simon

“Don’t Stop Believin’,” Journey

“Mrs. Robinson,” Simon & Garfunkel

“Born to Run,” Bruce Springsteen

“Wilbury Twist,” The Traveling Wilburys

“Sugar, We’re Goin’ Down,” Fall Out Boy

“Leaving London,” Puss N Boots

“Sympathy For The Devil,” The Rolling Stones

“Back On The Chain Gang,” The Pretenders

“Willin’,” Little Feat

And because many vehicles have video players, here’s “The Dentist,” featuring the late Tim Conway that cracked up the cast of “The Carol Burnett Show” — and everyone else who saw it. We promise, it will leave you in stitches.