# Driving Music advice
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/driving-music-advice/31369
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
**Created:** [August 30, 2000, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/driving-music-advice/31369 "2000-08-30T17:40:27Z")
**Posts on this page:** 16
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@lucie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lucie)
#### Post date: [August 30, 2000, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/driving-music-advice/31369/1 "2000-08-30T17:40:27Z")
In a few weeks, I have to take a 3-day drive, alone, across a number of the flatest states in the nation. I’m putting together the CD’s I want to play in order to stay awake & alert while crossing Oklahoma, Texas, etc. and I’d like to get doper suggestions. Here’s a list of what I have so far:
Original Masters - Jethro Tull
Dead man’s Party - Oingo Boingo
Conan the Barbarian soundtrack - Basil Poledouris
One of the 500 or so Ventures collections
Best of Beausoleil w/ Micheal Doucet (French/Cajun zydeco)
I’m Breathless - Madonna
Fogarty’s Cove - Stan Rogers
I’m looking to get another 3 or 4 CD’s this weekend. I’m looking for upbeat music, interesting but not necessarily loud, some instrumental and some vocal. I may want to sing along at the top of my lungs from time to time. I am considering the soundtrack to “Grosse Pointe Blanke”, “Synchronicity” by the Police, possibly some music anthologies. Any suggestions? I’m sure there are hundreds I don’t have time to think of because my brain is on coordinating a move several states away, training my work replacement, etc.
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### Author:  [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)
#### Post date: [August 30, 2000, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/driving-music-advice/31369/2 "2000-08-30T18:04:51Z")
There’s a compilation CD from about five years ago called “Saturday Morning: Cartoons Greatest Hits” with old cartoon themes covered by folks like Liz Phair and The Ramones. It’s upbeat and has high sing-along-withabilityness (if you’ve had enough exposure to 70s cartoons), but it’s not so familiar that it will lull you to sleep.
You might also try “Audio” by Blue Man Group. I can only describe it as techno-tribal. If you like that style, it’s a good source of energy, and has 100 percent of the recommended daily allowance of jamming.
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### Author:  [@Tymp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tymp)
#### Post date: [August 30, 2000, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/driving-music-advice/31369/3 "2000-08-30T18:55:44Z")
Good Driving Albums
Bjork – Homogenic
Ani Difranco – To the Teeth
Pi – The Soundtrack
Hooverphonic – New Stereo Sound Spectacular
Beethoven – Symphonies 5 & 9 (These are my favorites, but any Beethoven will do nicely)
If you’ve already got these or they are not your style, I can suggest more.
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### Author:  [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)
#### Post date: [August 30, 2000, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/driving-music-advice/31369/4 "2000-08-30T19:07:38Z")
Might I suggest … show tunes? Many will have songs familiar to you, and even if you don’t know any of them, lots are catchy. And you can keep youself entertaining by imagining the story of the show, if you haven’t seen it, by listening to the songs.
Some of my favorites:
A Chorus Line
Oklahoma!
The Sound of Music
South Pacific
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### Author:  [@InternetLegend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InternetLegend)
#### Post date: [August 30, 2000, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/driving-music-advice/31369/5 "2000-08-30T19:23:37Z")
If you’re an Oingo Boingo fan, “Good For Your Soul” is a great driving album. I like They Might Be Giants for driving, too - “Flood” is lots of fun. Along those same lines, the B52s “Cosmic Thing” keeps me awake on drives.
Beck is good too, especially “Odelay.” If you’re a fan of weird music, Zappa always kept things interesting (“One Size Fits All” is my favorite), and so did the Talking Heads (especially “Speaking in Tongues” and “Remain in Light”).
And how about Red Hot Chili Peppers? Or is that going too far?
_I’ve got a million of em, folks, but I’ve also got a heart._
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### Author:  [@Inky\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inky_1)
#### Post date: [August 30, 2000, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/driving-music-advice/31369/6 "2000-08-30T19:34:58Z")
Mother Love Bone’s “Apple” (I must have played that half a hundred times driving from Seattle to SF and back).
Tori Amos’ “Little Earthquakes” sans “Me and a Gun” (which will spoil a good mood quick).
The Tank Girl movie soundtrack (nifty compolation, including a neeto Bijork song and a “Stomp!” percussion bit).
The Worst of the Ramones. (A little tradition of mine when passing through Portland in the middle of the night).
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### Author:  [@Tymp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tymp)
#### Post date: [August 30, 2000, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/driving-music-advice/31369/7 "2000-08-30T19:52:28Z")
There was a thread not so long ago that was stuffed full of [Premier Driving Tunes](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=32923).
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### Author:  [@FarrisGoldstein](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FarrisGoldstein)
#### Post date: [August 30, 2000, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/driving-music-advice/31369/8 "2000-08-30T20:12:51Z")
ANY They Might Be Giants albums
Ben Folds Five’s “Whatever and Ever, Amen” or “The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner”
Weird Al, man…
And for instrumental, the Ventures are a great choice, as well as Booker T. and the M.G.s
I’ve always liked listening to Gerswhin in the car. My favorite piece of all time is, of course, Rhapsody in Blue.
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### Author:  [@BunnyGirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BunnyGirl)
#### Post date: [August 30, 2000, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/driving-music-advice/31369/9 "2000-08-30T20:40:08Z")
Here’s some of my favs:
“Crash” Dave Matthews Band
the new Tracy Bonham album ( **name?!**
If you’re into jazz, Diana Krall “Love Scenes” is my favorite as is her new one (again, can’t think of the name!).
I also find myself singing along to most of the songs on Anita Baker’s “Rapture” CD. I can’t sing but since no one else can hear me, it works out great!
Farris, Rhapsody in Blue is my favorite too - what a wonderfully sensual piece!
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### Author:  [@lucie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lucie)
#### Post date: [August 30, 2000, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/driving-music-advice/31369/10 "2000-08-30T21:00:38Z")
Thanks everyone for the suggestions and link. I’m going to pass around a compiled list to some local friends and see if I can get a listen to the ones I’m unfamiliar with.
I thought I might add a Gilbert & Sullivan. I can pretend to sing along, at least within my limited vocal range.
Showtunes and soundtracks are particulary good for driving because I can run the movies in my head while singing along.
BTW, can anyone recommend a particular Dire Straits and ZZ Top album? I like them, but I don’t own any of their stuff.
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### Author:  [@BunnyGirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BunnyGirl)
#### Post date: [August 30, 2000, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/driving-music-advice/31369/11 "2000-08-30T21:28:53Z")
Dire Straits!? How could I forget them? **Brothers In Arms** RULES, baby! What a great album. I’m not a great fan of the radio hits they had off it but all the rest of the songs rock.
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### Author:  [@ponch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ponch)
#### Post date: [August 30, 2000, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/driving-music-advice/31369/12 "2000-08-30T21:36:46Z")
the soundtrack to the Buena Vista Social Club has been kicking my buttocks for the last couplw of days…upbeat, great rhythms (cuban music)
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### Author:  [@FarrisGoldstein](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FarrisGoldstein)
#### Post date: [August 30, 2000, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/driving-music-advice/31369/13 "2000-08-30T21:37:24Z")
ZZ Top, definitely “Eliminator.” That’s the one to get.
Or the greatest hits.
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### Author:  [@Wump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wump)
#### Post date: [August 30, 2000, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/driving-music-advice/31369/14 "2000-08-30T21:39:12Z")
best all time driving tune is Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen, as for other ones, i don’t know, but the chilli peppers and reel big fish are 2 of my favorites.
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### Author:  [@Padeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Padeye)
#### Post date: [August 30, 2000, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/driving-music-advice/31369/15 "2000-08-30T21:39:24Z")
_Crawlin’ From the Wreckage_ Dave Edmunds
_Hot Rod Lincoln_ Cdr. Cody & Lost Planet Airmen
_Skateaway_ Dire Straights from _Making Movies_
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### Author:  [@The\_Mermaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Mermaid)
#### Post date: [August 31, 2000, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/driving-music-advice/31369/16 "2000-08-31T00:55:10Z")
Freedy Johnson This perfect world–one of the scariest songs I’ve ever heard. Just the way he says “You ought see your face” gives me the shivers.
Everything by Matthew Sweet
Peter Gabriel Secret World Live album
Steely Dan Gold
Morphine The one that has cure for pain on it
Eric Clapton Cross Roads
Wyclef Jean Welcome to the carnival