The Eagles’ Hotel California has been voted Britain’s favourite road trip anthem, topping a new survey of 2,000 UK drivers that reveals just how important music remains when we get behind the wheel.
The 1977 Eagles classic was selected by 27% of drivers, putting it ahead of Bruce Springsteen’s Born in the USA on 24% and Miley Cyrus’s Flowers on 22%.
The research, commissioned by Isuzu UK, suggests British road-trip playlists are an eclectic affair, mixing classic rock with pop, disco and more recent chart hits.
Don Henley’s The Boys of Summer took fourth place on 21%, followed by Queen’s Don’t Stop Me Now on 19%.
Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Sweet Home Alabama, Bon Jovi’s Livin’ on a Prayer, Bryan Adams’ Summer of ’69 and Fleetwood Mac’s Go Your Own Way each attracted 18% of the vote.
Phil Collins’ In the Air Tonight and AC/DC’s Highway to Hell followed on 17%.
And it isn’t all classic rock. Harry Styles’ Watermelon Sugar, ABBA’s Dancing Queen, Rihanna’s Shut Up and Drive, Ed Sheeran’s Castle on the Hill and The Proclaimers’ I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) all scored 16%.
Music remains part of the journey
For many drivers, however, the soundtrack is about more than simply filling the silence.
Almost half of those surveyed — 48% — believe listening to music helps them stay alert during longer journeys, while 31% said particular songs bring back childhood memories of family holidays and days out.
More than half, 56%, agreed that nothing beats listening to music while travelling by car, and half of those surveyed have at least one playlist specifically created for road trips.
Those playlists aren’t particularly short either. The average contains 44 songs, which should be enough to cover a sizeable chunk of the 5,440 miles respondents said they drive in an average year.
Britain sings behind the wheel
Apparently, simply listening isn’t enough.
Four in ten drivers said they enjoy singing their favourite songs at full volume while driving, with respondents claiming to sing behind the wheel an average of seven times each week.
Passengers don’t necessarily share the enthusiasm. A third of drivers admitted their performances have startled or frightened someone travelling with them.
Partners are the preferred singing companions for 42% of drivers, while 35% nominated their children as their favourite in-car backing vocalists.
Isuzu UK, which commissioned the research, says music remains closely connected with the enjoyment of driving, whether the journey is the daily commute or the start of a weekend away.
And judging by Britain’s favourite songs, there is no single formula for the perfect driving soundtrack. A playlist can jump from the Eagles and Fleetwood Mac to Miley Cyrus, Harry Styles and Rihanna without anyone apparently reaching for the skip button.
Britain’s top 30 road trip songs
- Hotel California – Eagles — 27%
- Born in the U.S.A. – Bruce Springsteen — 24%
- Flowers – Miley Cyrus — 22%
- The Boys of Summer – Don Henley — 21%
- Don’t Stop Me Now – Queen — 19%
- Sweet Home Alabama – Lynyrd Skynyrd — 18%
- Livin’ on a Prayer – Bon Jovi — 18%
- Summer of ’69 – Bryan Adams — 18%
- Go Your Own Way – Fleetwood Mac — 18%
- In the Air Tonight – Phil Collins — 17%
- Highway to Hell – AC/DC — 17%
- Watermelon Sugar – Harry Styles — 16%
- Dancing Queen – ABBA — 16%
- Shut Up and Drive – Rihanna — 16%
- Castle on the Hill – Ed Sheeran — 16%
- I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) – The Proclaimers — 16%
- Style – Taylor Swift — 15%
- River Deep – Mountain High – Tina Turner — 15%
- I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor – Arctic Monkeys — 15%
- I’d Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That) – Meat Loaf — 15%
- Paradise City – Guns N’ Roses — 14%
- Africa – Toto — 14%
- The Chain – Fleetwood Mac — 14%
- Sex on Fire – Kings of Leon — 14%
- American Pie – Don McLean — 13%
- Night Fever – Bee Gees — 13%
- I Wanna Dance with Somebody – Whitney Houston — 13%
- Don’t Stop Believin’ – Journey — 13%
- 9 to 5 – Dolly Parton — 12%
- Crazy in Love – Beyoncé — 12%
Motoring Echo Verdict
There are some songs that simply seem made for a long stretch of open road, and this list proves that age has very little to do with it.
Hotel California is approaching its 50th anniversary yet still manages to beat music released almost half a century later. Queen, Fleetwood Mac, Springsteen and AC/DC sit comfortably alongside Miley Cyrus, Harry Styles, Rihanna and Taylor Swift.
Perhaps that’s the real appeal of the great road-trip playlist. Cars change, technology changes and the way we listen to music has moved from cassette tapes and CDs to smartphones and streaming — but finding the right song, turning up the volume and enjoying the road ahead remains reassuringly familiar.
And with 44 songs on the average British road-trip playlist, there is still plenty of room for an argument over what comes next.
