Family Road Trip Soundtrack

A few months ago my husband and I took the kids to Disneyland.  While we were driving and listening to the radio a song came on that reminded me of the road trips we went on when I was a kid.  It got me thinking about how much fun we had on those summer drives to the beach.  It’s amazing that one little song brought back so many memories in that moment.  It got me thinking about how important it is to make memories with my kids and how I want them to remember the fun road trips we have and will have.  I really wanted to put together a family road trip soundtrack that would help them remember those times every time they hear the song.

I wanted to include songs that wouldn’t drive parents crazy, had a fun beat, and appropriate language for little ears.  I included some old and some new songs.  Some are car/travel related and some are just car dancing fun!

Here are the 20 songs that I think will make a great family road trip soundtrack.

Here comes the Sun – Beatles

Holiday Road – Lindsay Buckingham

Don’t Stop Believin – Journey

Send me on my way – Rusted Root

Happy – Pharrell Williams

ABC – Jackson 5

Take it Easy – Eagles

Dancing Queen – ABBA

Big Yellow Taxi – Counting Crows

Mrs. Robinson – Simon & Garfunkel

Sweet Home Alabama – Lynyrd Skynyrd

Born to be wild – Steppenwolf

Where the Streets have no name – U2

Drive My Car – Beatles

You’re my best friend – Queen

Fun, Fun, Fun – Beach Boys

Girls just wanna have fun – Cyndi Lauper

Move your feet (edited version) – Junior Senior

Holiday – Madonna

Uptown Funk (kids version) – Bruno Mars (kidz bop)

 Many of these songs remind me of my family road trips.  Steppenwolf, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and Queen were some of the groups we listened to because our parents liked those bands.  Other bands I came to love through friends and going on trips with them.  Every time Holiday from Madonna comes on the radio my brother will call me or I will call him.  I don’t know how that got started, but it’s fun!  And hearing my 4 year old sing Uptown Funk while playing in the backyard, I knew it just had to be part of the soundtrack.

Summer is almost over, but we have one more quick trip before school starts and I can’t wait to get these tunes blasting through the stereo as we drive.

Do you remember your family road trips?  Is there a song or album that totally reminds you of your family vacations?

I’d love to hear about it!

Happy Traveling!

Liz

Here are my top 5 tips for traveling with kids: