The open road beckons travelers in countries around the world, not just the U.S.. And while American travelers tend to favor homegrown music to help pass the time on the highway, the musical tastes of road-trippers in other countries vary.
To determine the most popular road trip songs in the world, 24/7 Tempo reviewed a study by the insurance and financial services comparison site Confused.com which analyzed some 999 of Spotify’s top road trip playlists from 13 countries – the U.S., the U.K., Ireland, France, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Germany, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India, and South Africa. The site then reported the 100 songs that appeared on the most lists as of Aug. 30, 2022. Our list covers the top 35.
Click here to see the most popular road trip songs in the world
American song selections still prevail on the list, with nearly half of the 35 songs here being by American performers, including eight of the top 10. Offerings by artists from the United Kingdom, Australia, Sweden, and Iceland also help travelers pass the time on the road. (If you don’t feel like hitting the highway yourself, you might want to watch a few of these 35 must-see road trip movies.)
British musicians appear most frequently after U.S. performers. They include venerable performers such as Queen and Fleetwood Mac (two songs each), punk groups like Busted and The Kooks, and soloists George Ezra and Harry Styles (also two songs).
One interesting road song on the list is from British singer Kate Bush. Her song “Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)” from 1985 experienced a resurgence this year because of the song’s appearance on Netflix’s “Stranger Things.” It was the most streamed throwback song on Spotify in 2022. (It’s one of the classic songs that have returned to the Billboard Hot 100.)
35. (tie) Drive By
> Performed by: Train
> Number of playlists: 51
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34. (tie) The Nights
> Performed by: Avicii
> Number of playlists: 51
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33. (tie) Year 3000
> Performed by: Busted
> Number of playlists: 52
32. (tie) Naive
> Performed by: The Kooks
> Number of playlists: 52
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31. (tie) Sweet Child O’ Mine
> Performed by: Guns N’ Roses
> Number of playlists: 52
30. (tie) Bohemian Rhapsody – Remastered 2011
> Performed by: Queen
> Number of playlists: 52
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29. (tie) Heat Waves
> Performed by: Glass Animals
> Number of playlists: 53
28. (tie) Highway to Hell
> Performed by: AC/DC
> Number of playlists: 53
27. (tie) Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God)
> Performed by: Kate Bush
> Number of playlists: 54
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26. (tie) Go Your Own Way – 2004 Remaster
> Performed by: Fleetwood Mac
> Number of playlists: 54
25. (tie) Don’t Stop Me Now – Remastered 2011
> Performed by: Queen
> Number of playlists: 54
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24. (tie) Watermelon Sugar
> Performed by: Harry Styles
> Number of playlists: 54
23. American Pie
> Performed by: Don McLean
> Number of playlists: 56
22. (tie) High Hopes
> Performed by: Panic! At The Disco
> Number of playlists: 58
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21. (tie) Sweet Caroline
> Performed by: Neil Diamond
> Number of playlists: 58
20. (tie) Party in the U.S.A.
> Performed by: Miley Cyrus
> Number of playlists: 60
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19. (tie) As It Was
> Performed by: Harry Styles
> Number of playlists: 60
18. (tie) All Star
> Performed by: Smash Mouth
> Number of playlists: 65
17. (tie) Stacy’s Mom
> Performed by: Fountains Of Wayne
> Number of playlists: 65
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16. (tie) I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)
> Performed by: The Proclaimers
> Number of playlists: 65
15. Dancing in the Moonlight
> Performed by: Toploader
> Number of playlists: 66
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14. (tie) Classic
> Performed by: MKTO
> Number of playlists: 67
13. (tie) Shut Up and Dance
> Performed by: WALK THE MOON
> Number of playlists: 67
12. Dreams – 2004 Remaster
> Performed by: Fleetwood Mac
> Number of playlists: 68
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11. (tie) Shotgun
> Performed by: George Ezra
> Number of playlists: 70
10. (tie) Hey, Soul Sister
> Performed by: Train
> Number of playlists: 70
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9. Little Talks
> Performed by: Of Monsters and Men
> Number of playlists: 71
8. Hotel California – 2013 Remaster
> Performed by: Eagles
> Number of playlists: 72
7. Pumped Up Kicks
> Performed by: Foster the People
> Number of playlists: 73
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6. Life is a Highway
> Performed by: Rascal Flatts
> Number of playlists: 78
5. Africa
> Performed by: TOTO
> Number of playlists: 83
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4. Don’t Stop Believin’
> Performed by: Journey
> Number of playlists: 88
3. Riptide
> Performed by: Vance Joy
> Number of playlists: 112
2. Mr. Brightside
> Performed by: The Killers
> Number of playlists: 114
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1. Sweet Home Alabama
> Performed by: Lynyrd Skynyrd
> Number of playlists: 121
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