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Ever think about how big a role music plays in our classic car hobby? As I sit here with my earbuds in, guess what just came on my iPod? The Doobie Brothers’ “Rockin’ Down the Highway.” If there’s ever been a driving song, this is it! I’ll admit it’s landed me in hot water a few times—it just makes me want to downshift and mash the pedal to the floor.
Now, as I type, the Doobies have ended, and The Doors’ “Riders on the Storm” begins to play. Haunting, isn’t it? It’s the perfect soundtrack for a lonely highway at sundown, with storm clouds rolling overhead.
Music and cars—they go hand in hand. Whether it’s listening to Elvis through a tinny 6-inch dash speaker while cruising in your ’57 Chevy or blasting Sammy Hagar’s “I Can’t Drive 55” on a wide-open stretch of Interstate, the tunes set the mood in a big way.
Ever been to a car show without music blaring through the loudspeakers? Me neither. The number of songs written about cars and driving is incredible! Jan and Dean and The Beach Boys made careers out of road tunes, and they weren’t alone.
Right now, The Eagles’ “Hotel California” is playing in my ears. That ominous beat feels like it’s setting a scene straight out of a movie. My iPod is loaded with car and road classics like:
Each of these songs reminds me of a moment, a drive, or a car show where the music perfectly matched the scene.
About 10 years ago, I had the chance to ride (unfortunately, not drive) in a ’62 Impala SS. The owner had The Beach Boys’ “409” blasting from his beefy aftermarket sound system, and yes, his car was powered by a real 409 under the hood. That moment stuck with me—it was pure magic.
Sometimes, it’s not even about music. I used to love listening to ball games on the Sonomatic AM radio in my ’69 Buick. The crackly, single dash speaker just added to the atmosphere. It’s those little things that transport us back to simpler times.
Music in our cars is like a time machine, tugging us back into the golden days of drive-in theaters and burger joints. Sometimes, that’s exactly where we want to go.
Do you have a favorite car-and-music memory? Share it in the comments below—we’d love to hear from you!