Driving is a popular pastime and a great way to get away from it all. It allows you to enjoy the scenery, listen to some music and just relax. If you’re a country music fan, then chances are you like to listen to your favorite songs while driving.
Here are 15 of the best country music driving songs for your road trip playlist:
1) Florida Georgia Line – ‘Cruise’
“Cruise” is a song by American country music duo Florida Georgia Line. It was first released to iTunes in April 2012 and then to the radio on 6 August 2012 as the first single from our work play It’z Just What We Do. It was written by band members Brian Kelley and Tyler Hubbard with Joey Moi , Chase Rice and Jesse Rice . They appear on their debut album, Republic Nashville, Here’s Good Times, released on Dec. “Cruise” is the best-selling country digital song in the United States of all time from January 2014. The song is considered to be the most prominent country music featured as “bro-country”.
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2) Merle Haggard – ‘White Line Fever’
Merle Haggard is an American country singer and songwriter. The first song on this album is ‘White Line Fever’, a tune about driving too fast. The song was written by Merle Haggard and the Strangers, and it was released as a single in 1973. It became one of Haggard’s most successful songs, reaching number one on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.
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The song has been covered by many artists, including Elvis Presley and Willie Nelson. In addition to being one of his signature songs, it has become a country standard.
3) Jason Aldean – ‘Johnny Cash’
It is a song co-written by John Rich, Vicky McGehee, and Rodney Clawson.
Johnny Cash is an up-tempo song in which the narrator addresses his lover and invites him to take a trip to Las Vegas. The connection to singer Johnny Cash is made only in the choir (“Blastin’ out the Johnny Cash”), indicating that Cash’s music will be played while the narrator and his lover are on their journey. The song also references several of Cash’s songs.
4) Jerry Reed – ‘East Bound and Down’
Jerry Reed’s version of “East Bound and Down” was the theme song to the movie Smokey and the Bandit. It was a No. 1 hit on the country charts in 1977 and also made it to No. 59 on the pop charts, making it his only charting song on any major chart other than country.
The song was written by Reed himself, who recorded it on his 1970 album Jerry Reed Sings Mr. Soul, but it didn’t get much attention until it was used in the movie Smokey and the Bandit.
5) Dwight Yoakam – ‘A Thousand Miles From Nowhere’
Dwight Yoakam is one of the most influential musicians in country music. He has been a mainstay in the industry for over 30 years, and his sound has always been unique and innovative. This album continues that trend by taking a step back from his usual style of music.
The album starts off with “A Thousand Miles From Nowhere,” which is a very upbeat country song with a rock influence. It’s a great way to kick off the album, because it instantly sets the tone for what you’re about to hear.
6) Joe Diffie – ‘Pickup Man’
The song “Pickup Man”, about a man who can meet the woman of his dreams by driving his truck around town, was originally written by Joe Diffie. The song was released in 1994 as the first single from the album Third Rock from the Sun. It reached #1 on the Country Singles chart and was also nominated for Single of the Year at the 1995 ACM Awards.
7) Robert Earl Keen – ‘The Road Goes On Forever’
Robert Earl Keen is a Texas country singer-songwriter whose songs are known for their down-to-earth humor and optimism. His songs are filled with stories about his home state and life on the road.
In this song, Keen sings about a friend who has just passed away, but it’s not a sad song. It’s one of gratitude and celebration of life. The chorus says, “The road goes on forever, but it never ends.”
Life is unpredictable and often short, so we should never take it for granted. This song reminds us to enjoy each day we have on this earth.
8) George Strait – ‘Amarillo by Morning’
‘Amarillo by Morning’ is a song written by Paul Buskirk and Terry Stafford, and recorded by American country music artist George Strait. It was released in February 1983 as the third single from his album Strait Country. The song reached number one on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart and became his first number-one single since “Troubadour” in February 1981.
9) Dave Dudley – ‘Six Days on the Road’
The first country song to make it to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 was “Six Days On The Road,” a classic by Dave Dudley. It was released in 1964, but it wasn’t until 1965 that it became a big hit.
The song was written by Wayne Kemp, who also wrote “Somebody’s Gonna Love You” and many other songs for Ray Price, including “For Loving You.” Kemp is also credited with writing “Crazy Arms” for Ray Price and Patsy Cline’s version of “Heartaches By The Number.”
“Six Days On The Road” tells of a trucker who has spent six days driving from Chicago to Los Angeles and back again. Because he has been away from home for so long, he wants to see his wife and kids again as soon as possible. He packs up his rig and heads home with visions of his loved ones in his head.
10) Billy Currington – ‘Good Directions’
“Good Directions” is a song written by Luke Bryan and Rachel Thibodeau and recorded by American country music artist Billy Currington. It was released in September 2006 as the third and final single from Currington’s 2005 album Doin’ Somethin’ Right. The song became Currington’s second number one hit on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs chart and spent three weeks at that position.
11) Alabama – ‘Dixieland Delight’
Alabama’s most popular song, “Dixieland Delight,” is a quintessential example of country-pop crossover. The song was written by Mark Gray and Ronnie Rogers, and it was released as the lead single from Alabama’s 1979 album of the same name. The single peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart and No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart — making it one of only two songs in history to reach such high positions on both charts (the other being Kenny Rogers’ “Lady”). In addition, it went platinum three times over, making it one of only four singles to reach that mark since 1975.
12) Roger Miller – ‘King of the Road’
“King of the Road” is a song written and produced by Roger Miller, and was a hit single for him in 1964.
The song features a “traveling man” who is on the road all day and night, but who has no particular destination in mind. In between stops at diners and motels he picks up hitchhikers who join him on his trip. He gives each one that rides with him some money to help them get home later on.
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Miller’s original version peaked at number 12 on the U.S. country singles chart and reached number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100. It also became a minor hit in Australia (#72), Canada (#19), New Zealand (#18) and Rhodesia (#2). The song’s success led to Miller being named Top Male Vocalist by the Country Music Association for 1965, an honor he shared with George Jones.
13) Rodney Atkins – ‘Take a Back Road’
Country music star Rodney Atkins is riding high on the success of his latest album, Take a Back Road. The album is Atkins’ fourth consecutive release to hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart. To date, it has sold more than 2 million copies in the United States and over 3 million worldwide.
14) Johnny Cash – ‘I’ve Been Everywhere’
Written by Geoff Mack, Tony Booth and Colin Caffell and originally recorded by Johnny Cash in July 1958, “I’ve Been Everywhere” was one of the first international hits for the Man in Black.
The song is a list of cities Cash had visited, mostly in the United States and Australia. After the song was released in 1958, it took off as a folk song all over Europe and became a hit again in 1965 when Cash re-recorded it for his album The Fabulous Johnny Cash. The song has been recorded by many artists, including Hank Snow, John Denver and Ray Charles.
15) Willie Nelson – ‘On the Road Again’
“On the Road Again” is a country song written by David Bellamy and Don Bowman. It was first recorded by American country music artist Willie Nelson and released in April 1980. The song became one of Nelson’s most successful singles, spending seven weeks at number 1 on the Hot Country Songs charts and becoming his only number 1 hit on the Billboard Hot.
