5 Best Road Trip Albums: Because Playlists are a Mood!
These are the best road trip albums according to me – an immigrant kid growing up in the 90s discovering R&B on the radio stations in Chicago, and an even more eager teen discovering international house beats and southern hip hop in Houston.
A girl who partied to all the pop and dance music the 2000s had to offer, while still harboring a love for the old-school hip-hop of the 90s. Bottom line – music is a subjective story with many chapters, it is therapy, and it is a walk down memory lane.
DISCLAIMER: Not here to argue music theory, just share some good road trip jams! 💛
In this post, which I’m having way too much fun writing, I will break down my recommendations based on road trip mood, type, and genre so you can find the best road trip jams to fit your fancy – and there are some juicy golden nuggets in these recs!
What is the best road trip album?
But first, what makes an album the best?
The best road trip album is one that can set the tone for your journey. It doesn’t have to be upbeat or happy, but I do encourage a healthy dose of nostalgia and ‘singalong classics’ for when the spirit moves you.
✔️ Some people say the best road trip album is one that takes you back to a specific time and place. After all, they say familiarity breeds fondness.
✔️ Others say that the best road trip album is one that gets you pumped up for the trip ahead. Something that you can sing along to, windows down, a capella voice on display.
✔️ And still others, the purists out there, look at the way an album was curated by its artist. They look at the overarching storyline created with each succeeding song, chapter after chapter, all in a specific order to elicit just the right feelings to tell their story. A perfect symphony – from an artist’s heart to your radio.
Whatever your philosophy, choose an album that makes you feel because music has that unique way of healing you from the inside out. Choose an album that will help make the miles and the worries fly by!
1. Fleetwood Mac, Rumors (1977)
Genre: Rock
Listen: Spotify
Best road trip album for solo road trips, when you want to get into your feels!
Did you Know…
Don’t let the fact that this album was released in the ’70s deter you. This whole piece of musical genius is a telenovela tale about all the 5 band members’ failed love lives and toxic relationships, front and center is the affair between singer Stevie Knicks and drummer Mick Fleetwood. And who can’t relate – I quite love a good therapy session conveyed over sexy melodic beats.
Another surprise to be sure was when I found out Stevie wrote my favorite (and most popular song), “Dreams”, in 10 minutes. Can you imagine the level of talent in this woman’s pinky?!
And last little bit of insight into this album’s creative process – cocaine was a prominent member of every session, keeping everyone awake, creative, and producing this gem of an album. So much so that the band wanted to thank their dealer on the album… (ha!)… Obviously, that got nixed – but I quite like giving cred where cred is due.
2. Fugees, The Score (1996)
Genre: Hip-Hop / Rap
Listen: Spotify
Great for night driving, or when it’s stormy outside and it feels a little sexy somehow.
Did You Know…
The Fugees comprised Lauryn Hill, Wyclef Jean, and Pras Michel (who if you didn’t know, performed “Ghetto Superstar, That is What You Are”). They all met and teamed up in Jersey, Pras and Wicleaf being Haitian immigrants raised in the States, and Lauryn a native-born American.
This album really put the Fugees in the Hip Hop Hall of Fame and brought the genre to a more mainstream audience – who at the time was on the fence about the ghetto’ness of hip hop and rap music.
While this was their last album as a group, it launched each of their own, super successful solo music careers in pop and hip hop, each with their own style and authenticity.
3. Beyonce, Lemonade (2016)
Genre: R&B / Soul
Listen: Spotify
Great for when you’re driving with someone you want to get to know better, as every song is a deeper conversation topic around relationships, society, and identity.
Did You Know…
Beyonce named her album after the saying, “when life gives you lemons, make lemonade” because your reality is all about how you look at it, and more importantly, how you react to it. #truth
As most of you already know, the album is about her husband cheating on her but also about black womanhood, pulling on themes from Malcolm X on how “the most disrespected person in America is the black woman”.
Each song covers themes of betrayal, anger, and ultimately love winning the day but goes deep into the psychology and historical impacts of being a black woman in America. As you can imagine, while it was a therapeutic album for B, showing her range as an artist, it was admittedly uncomfortable for Jay-Z… but they worked through it, and Queen B has my utmost admiration for this album.
4. Dua Lipa, Future Nostalgia (2020)
Genre: Pop
Listen: Spotify
Best road trip album for a girls’ trip, because Dua unleashes a medley of fun pop/dance beats AND some fantastic feminist prose.
Did You Know…
Dua named her album to represent a future of possibility while reminiscing on some older music she vibed with. And that in itself is perfect for a great road trip album.
She released this album right as COVID was hitting in March, shutting us all in our homes. Her upbeat disco music kept me in my positive feelings for a few months after the lockdown – not to mention her music videos are full of fierce females strutting their stuff!
5. Fred again, Actual Life (2021)
Genre: Dance, House
Listen: Spotify
Great for a couples trip, as Fred has some upbeat but real-life topical music that’s easygoing AND lyrically captivating.
Did You Know…
Fred used to produce for Ed Sheeran, so you can imagine the meticulous dark and deep vibes you’re going to get with this album.
His music is a dive into the struggles we’ve all felt through COVID, the loss of dancing, hedonism, the loss of friends, relationships that could have blossomed, and just the loss of human connection. It’s a beautiful compilation of slow jam house music snipped together from real-life voice memos, poems, and messages.
What are the best Rap & Hip Hop road trip albums?
✔️ Notorious BIG, Ready to Die (Listen: Spotify): This is one where I hope you’re listening to Biggies’s tough, yet vulnerable lyrics in “Juicy” and “Everyday Struggle”.
This album, partnered with one of my favorite books, When Chickenheads Come Home to Roost, has me wanting to both weep and become an activist – our society struggles with some of the same themes Biggie sings about to this day.
✔️ Missy Elliot, Miss E…So Addictive (Listen: Spotify): God I miss Missy, who I was surprised to find is now working in the background producing music as she manages Graves disease.
✔️ Nelly, Nellyville (Listen: Spotify): Ok, so this is not the Country Grammer album, but it has some of my favorite old-school club music, like “Hot in Herre” and “Air Force Ones”… did I mention I grew up in Houston for a minute?
✔️ Akon, Konvicted (Listen: Spotify): It was either 50 or Akon, but I had to go with Akon’s smooth soulful voice – also because I know all the words to “Smack That”, “I Wanna Love You”, and my favorite “Don’t Matter”.
What are the best Classic Rock road trip albums?
✔️ The Beatles, Abbey Road (Listen: Spotify): Released in 1969, this basically features the Beatles at their best and what we know them for today. This is a great road trip album for suset-filled, ocean drives!
✔️ Bruce Springsteen, Born to Run (Listen: Spotify): Released in 1975, it has jammy classics like “Thunder Road” and “Born to Run” … very American rock and roll, sexy in its own right!
✔️ Queen, A Night at the Opera (Lisen: Spotify) Also a 1975 release, I love any artist that pushes the limits of their genre and breaks the boundaries of their upbringing and sexuality.
✔️ U2, The Joshua Tree (Listen: Spotify): Released the year I was born (1987) and was named after the Joshua tree in the California Mojave Desert because it appears to look like a prophet, Joshua, raising his hands to pray. The album symbolizes hope in the midst of a desert, and includes the classics “Where the Streets Have No Name”, “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For”, and “With or Without You”.
What are the best ‘Night Driving’ albums?
These are meant to keep you pumped, singing along, and awake!
✔️ Shakira, Pies Descalzos (Listen: Spotify): This album, translating to “Barefoot”, goes back to her Spanish punk/alternative rock vibe, her long blue/purple hair look, and I am here for it!
✔️ Cherub, MoM & DaD (Listen: Spotify): I discovered this band at Austin City Limits, and have been listening to “Doses & Mimosas” on repeat since. Totally degenerate electro-indie vibes, but puts a little fire under your bum when driving.
✔️ Shaggy, Hot Shot (Listen: Spotify): Tell me you don’t know all the words to “It Wasn’t Me”. I’ll wait…
✔️ MISSIO, Loner (Listen: Spotify): Not only do I love their electrically dark music, but I’m fangirling because I went to college with the bassist/producer and he is the nicest, most talented guy!
How many miles is a good road trip… (ie. what if you’re still bored!?)
The question of the day and what brought you to this post is – how many hours of music must I curate for the number of miles I have to go. I’ve mused over the topic of road trip pros and cons and why I love them for years – here’s my philosophy in a nutshell:
✔️ Try not to drive more than 6-7 hours in a day, and remember, it’s not a race. If I’m on a travel day, I try to make it as enjoyable as possible while still getting to where I need to be. I tend to drive in about 3-hour increments – that’s approximately 2 albums if anyone was counting!
I generally wake up, grab a coffee, and am on the road by 8 a.m. By 11 am I stop for lunch and a bathroom break – I take about 1.5 hours (which I know is longer than most) to relax, eat, stretch my legs, maybe take a little nap in the sun, think about my music choices for the next little bit, and hit the road again.
I like to get to the final stop by 5 p.m., and definitely, before it gets dark – everything is always harder to find in the dark! This gives me time to check in, unwind from the road, grab a shower, a pre-dinner glass of wine, and leisurely spend the night enjoying my final destination.
✔️ Be wise with your time, and efficient with your resources. Here are a few of my tricks:
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