How To Make The Perfect Driving Playlist

Out of all the milestones in life, one that I looked forward to the most in my youth was the obtaining of my driver’s license. Sure, driving was a useful skill to have in modern society, but it was also much more than that. It was the ticket to endless adventures down sunset-tinged summer highways with music blaring and a friend sitting shotgun with their feet on the dashboard. However, since working through the state-mandated hours and getting my license, I’ve barely driven. Living in the city, driving during the day means navigating a swarm of honking horns, weaving cyclists and roving pedestrians. Needless to say, driving on a day-to-day basis is not an adventure down a sunset highway, it’s going with my mom to Jewel Osco.

Driving music, however, is much more my speed. There’s something about having the perfect mix playing through the speakers that makes an activity as monotonous as riding in a car a much more engaging experience. It sets the energy for the ride ahead, no matter if you’re going on an hours-long road trip across a state or a thirty-minute errand. There are a few factors I keep in mind when I put on music for a drive. 

The first factor to consider is who you’re driving with. If it’s just you, great! Put on whatever you want. When I’m driving with other people, I like to consider what they like and incorporate that into my mix. If I’m with my parents or older riders, I’ll toss in a few throwbacks that they’ll enjoy. If I’m with my sisters or younger people, I tend to focus more on upbeat pop tunes that we can all sing along to. Of course, the audience isn’t everything. But I still like to maintain some variety in the mixes I make. Have some variation in popularity with both Billboard Hot 100 artists and some more obscure songs. Mix up time periods with a couple of older tracks as well as new releases. It keeps the playlist engaging and fun for all listeners. 

Another important factor for driving music is tempo. Driving music must walk a fine line when it comes to how fast or slow it is. I don’t want music that’s so upbeat it distracts from the task at hand, but I also don’t want music that’s so chill it lulls me into a daze. Find tracks that hit the perfect sweet spot of being laid back enough to set a consistent mood with just enough pep to keep you alert. When I looked up the beats per minute of some of my favorite driving songs, a lot of them fell around the 110 bpm mark, but that’s just a guideline. It’s not so much the exact number of beats in a minute as how the song makes you feel.

Speaking of feel, that’s another important factor. Mood! I usually determine the mood I want to set by the time of day the drive is taking place. Daytime drives are more upbeat and bubbly. Think anthemic energy, sing-along choruses, and an overall nostalgic tone. These songs keep a pep in your step and will help you finish the day’s duties in high spirits. Nighttime drives are more introspective and dreamy. I tend to gravitate towards drippy synths, lush vocals and an eerie yet ethereal feel. These songs perfectly suit a starry night or city skyline, and help you wind down for the night.

Of course, these factors are all just technicalities, and there are no real set rules to playing music. But it’s through the cultivation of these kinds of playlists that even a driving hater such as myself looks forward to time spent in a car. Making a random drive into a fun jam session that everyone enjoys elevates driving from a mundane duty into something a little more special. While I may not actually be exploring lost corners of the universe with a motley group of friends on every drive I take, with the right playlist, I can certainly feel like I am.

Here are two driving mixes, one for day and one for night, to help you get started. 

Day Driving

  1. Heartbreak Weather - Niall Horan

  2. Drunk Girls, Drunk Boys - Frills

  3. The Boys Of Summer - Don Henley

  4. 801 - The Aces

  5. Backyard Boy - Claire Rosinkranz

  6. Lisztomania - Phoenix

  7. All That She Wants - Ace of Base

  8. Carried Away - Passion Pit

  9. Sunflower, Vol. 6 - Harry Styles

  10. On Melancholy Hill - Gorillaz

  11. get behind this - flor

  12. The Less I Know The Better - Tame Impala

  13. I Dare You - The Regrettes

  14. What’s It Gonna Be? - Shura

  15. Carousel - Skylar Spence

  16. Safe and Sound - Capital Cities

  17. Are You Bored Yet? - Wallows ft. Clairo

  18. Walking On Sunshine - Katrina & The Waves

  19. Tired of Talking - LÉON

  20. Chicago - Sufjan Stevens

Night Driving

  1. Novacane - Frank Ocean

  2. circle the drain - Soccer Mommy

  3. Instant Crush - Daft Punk ft. Julian Casablancas

  4. Retro (Rough) - Childish Gambino

  5. Blood and Bones - TRACE

  6. Dancing On My Own - Robyn

  7. Paris - The 1975

  8. shut up - Grayson Chance

  9. Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God) - Kate Bush

  10. You’re Not The One - Sky Ferreira

  11. Hearts In Halves - Cub Sport

  12. Julian - Say Lou Lou

  13. Delicate - Taylor Swift

  14. Let It Be - Hayley Kiyoko

  15. Easy - Troye Sivan

  16. Susie Save Your Love - Allie X ft. Mitski

  17. In The Air Tonight - Phil Collins

  18. Used To You - Dagny

  19. Pang - Caroline Polachek

  20. With Or Without You - U2

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