There’s nothing better than the feeling of being inspired by music, and one of the best ways to connect with that inspiration is when you’re traveling. When traveling, there are so many great songs about traveling that fit any scenario – whether you’re traveling by sea, air, or on a road trip with friends. This is what makes travel memorable at times, as your mind always connects the moment to what you heard and what inspired you at the time.
What we’ve compiled is a short list of songs about travel – ones that mean something to us and that either make us remember traveling to a different location, or even to some degree traveling back in time to a place in our lives that the song made relevant.
Tom Petty – Running Down a Dream
This is the best road trip song ever – no question. There’s nothing better than listening to Running Down a Dream with an open road and your foot to the floor!
ZZ Top – La Grange
There’s something dirty about La Grange, and ZZ Top in general, that makes you feel like you’re on a chopper somewhere in Arizona. Maybe that’s why the song was used so prominently in Easy Rider.
Vanessa Carlton – A Thousand Miles
A smash hit from the 90s, this is a great song and, hey, the video is shot in the middle of the road, right!
Billy Joel – Vienna
One of the prettiest songs ever – it’s just beautiful. Listening to this song while actually in Vienna is a memory I’ll never forget, and if you don’t cry in a situation like that, you have a heart of stone.
Johnny Cash – I’ve Been Everywhere
Great song by the coolest dude ever. It’s the definitive travel song that’s blatantly actually about traveling and saying everywhere you’ve been.
Allman Brothers Band – Ramblin’ Man
Great song from the 1970s that’s another one of the quintessential travel songs. Such a great band.
Red Hot Chili Peppers – Scar Tissue
While not directly about travel, it’s one of those songs I’ve listened to on a handful of road trips and, out of respect for those moments, I had to include it on the list.
The Wallflowers – One Headlight
Great song, great band. Son of the legend Bob Dylan, Jacob Dylan made quite a reputation for himself with The Wallflowers, and their biggest hit is a great song about a road trip as a result of heartbreak.
Frank Sinatra – Fly Me To The Moon
One of our favorite artists, we’ve basically adopted the rule that if you don’t like Frank Sinatra, you must be dead inside. This is an absolute classic, and is famous for being butchered nightly in karaoke nights across the world.
Joe Walsh – Rocky Mountain Way
The former Eagles member, this is a great song that’s a wonderful backdrop to any road trip.
Steppenwolf – Magic Carpet Ride
You might notice there’s a lot of 70s on this list, and there’s a reason for that. Songs like this rock.
Paper Lions – Travelling
Not particularly a favorite, but it’s actually called Travelling, so don’t we have to include it?
Lynyrd Skynyrd – The Ballad of Curtis Loew
A song about becoming something, going somewhere…. just doing something.
John Denver – Leaving On A Jet Plane
Great song, great artist… gone too soon.
Journey – Wheel in the Sky
Great song that’s really inspiring, and deep.
Audioslave – Gasoline
One of our favorite bands, and a great song for a road trip.
Joe Walsh – Life’s Been Good
Kind of a quirky song by a very quirky guy.
Creedence Clearwater Revival – Travellin’ Band
Great song written by a famous jerk.
Deftones – Passenger
Great song, and one of the heavier sounding bands or artists on the list.
Frank Sinatra – The Girl From Ipanema
Another Frank Sinatra classic.
Oasis – All Around The World
Another famous song by a well-known pricks.
Styx – Come Sail Away
A song that just doesn’t die, and immediately makes you think of being on a ship heading out to see.
The Mamas & The Papas – California Dreaming
A hippy classic that takes you away to the west coast U.S.
America – A Horse with No Name
Amazing song that is one of my Dad’s favorites. I kind of love it, too.
Incubus – Drive
I mean, it’s kind of about driving, but kind of not. Still sort of about traveling, and really deep.
Audioslave – I Am the Highway
Great song with more road trip references.
