DRIVING experts have revealed the top 50 songs to listen to while travelling in your car – and have curated the ultimate playlist from the past 50 years.
In a survey of 2,000 Brits more than half wanted to make sure that they had enough tracks to cover their whole journey.
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A good variety of songs was also important, with Magic Radio presenter Simon Phillips curating a list with a song from every year.
They include Alice Cooper’s Scools Out, classic 80s and 90s hits, through to this year’s number one hit ‘Starlight’ by Dave,
Almost half of Brits say they tailor their driving playlist to the type of road they’re on and 48 per cent said that they include tracks which evoke memories.
A surprising 35 per cent of those surveyed said they still listen to CDs, and for one in 10 the retro appeal of a cassette deck endures.
The research, conducted via OnePoll, showed a third of motorists use streaming to listen to their favourite media, while aux and USB inputs are used by 24 per cent.
Nearly a quarter said they feel more focused with music on in the car, and 22 per cent said they found playing tunes made them feel more energised when driving.
Rebecca Adamson, head of automobile at Honda who commissioned the survey, said: “Since we launched the Honda Civic, the analogue radios and tape decks may have evolved into touch screens, but the principle remains the same. There are few better pairings than a road trip with a brilliant playlist.”
Simon added: “I think first and foremost, a perfect driving track makes you, the car and the road one.
“It makes the traffic go away and complements the driving experience, when that song plays, it draws you in, and for that moment, it’s the ultimate connection you, your car and music.
“Driving for me is one of the most personal spaces, and the driving environment can really influence our mood.
“A great driving song helps to mentally prepare you for the journey ahead, and to savour a moment.”
TOP 50 DRIVING SONGS
1972 Alice Cooper – School’s Out
1973 The Jackson 5 – Dancing Machine
1974 Queen – Killer Queen
1975 Average White Band – Pick Up The Pieces
1976 Chicago – If You Leave Me Now
1977 Earth, Wind & Fire – Fantasy
1978 Ian Dury & The Blockheads – Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick
1979 The Specials – A Message To You Rudy
1980 Pink Floyd – Another Brick In The Wall
1981 Talking Heads – Once In A Lifetime
1982 Imagination – Just an Illusion
1983 Herbie Hancock – Rockit
1984 Wham! Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go
1985 Tears For Fears – Everybody Wants to Rule The World
1986 Bruce Hornsby – The Way It Is
1987 Eric B & Rakim – Paid In Full – Seven Minutes Of Madness – The Coldcut Remix
1988 Inner City – Big Fun
1989 Soul II Soul – Back To Life (However Do You Want Me)
1990 Oleta Adams – Get Here
1991 Massive Attack – Unfinished Sympathy
1992 Arrested Development – People Everyday
1993 Jamiroquai – Blow Your Mind
1994 Youssou N’Dour Feat Nen eh Cherry – 7 Seconds
1995 Oasis – Wonderwall
1996 Faithless – Insomnia
1997 Ultra Naté – Free
1998 Brandy & Monica – The Boy Is Mine
1999 Moloko – Sing It back
2000 Coldplay – Trouble
2001 David Gray – Sail Away
2002 Justin Timberlake – Like I Love You
2003 Beyonce – Crazy In Love
2004 Keane – Somewhere Only We Know
2005 Jennifer Lopez – Get Right
2006 Gnarls Barkley – Crazy
2007 Timbaland Feat Keri Hilson & D.O.E – The Way I Are
2008 Madonna Feat Justin Timberlake & Timbaland – 4 Minutes
2009 Black Eyed Peas – Boom Boom Pow
2010 Lady A – Need You Now
2011 Bruno Mars – Grenade
2012 Emeli Sandé – Next To Me
2013 Daft Punk – Get Lucky
2014 James Bay – Hold Back The River
2015 Hozier – Take Me To Church
2016 Drake Feat Wizkid & Kyla – One Dance
2017 Sam Smith – Too Good At Goodbyes
2018 Rag’n’Bone Man – Human
2019 Calvin Harris and Rag ‘n’ Bone Man – Giant
2020 The Weeknd – Blinding Lights
2021 Silk Sonic Feat Bruno Mars & Anderson .Paak – Leave The Door Open
2022 Dave – Starlight
Top Driving Songs as nominated by public social media vote
1972 Stevie Wonder – Superstition
1985 Prince – Raspberry Beret
1992 House of Pain – Jump Around
2002 Justin Timberlake – Cry Me a River
2011 Adele – Rolling In The Deep
2021 Elton John & Dua Lipa – Cold Heart
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