Turn it up: 24 songs about cars, driving to blast with the windows down

This weekend launches the unofficial start of summer, and it’s a fine time to contemplate not only the more somber aspects of what Memorial Day represents but also the joy of the coming season.

Swimming, sunshine, cookouts and driving with the windows down, maybe even the top off.

The automobile, on which many of us depend for our livelihoods, also tells a story about our culture, represents a sense of freedom (if they aren't stuck in traffic) and often holds memories that we carry for our entire lives.

So in the spirit of the season, the Detroit Free Press, which is part of the USA TODAY Network, offers a list of 24 songs for your consideration, with suggestions from many staff members. You’ve heard some of these many times before, while others might not be on any car song lists you subscribe to. Either way, they showcase just a tiny sliver of the varied inspiration that cars elicit in this auto-centric world. Some contain explicit lyrics, so be aware if you're listening with little ones nearby.

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We may do more of these lists. There are simply so many car and driving songs.

Don’t hate too much on the offerings you wouldn’t pick. Sometimes the unexpected detour ends up being a welcome diversion. Here you go:

'Pink Cadillac' (Bruce Springsteen)

Few cars have inspired the kind of adoration or provided the cultural symbol that the Cadillac has, and color has often played a role in the musical telling. Bruce Springsteen’s throwback classic from the 1980s not only showcases a fan favorite but offers a taste of temptation tied to a pink machine with crushed velvet seats.

'Driver’s License' (Olivia Rodrigo)

Who says a car song has to be a celebration of sheet metal? Sometimes the car and the driving provide a backdrop for our deepest emotions. Olivia Rodrigo’s debut single captures teenage heartbreak in soulful mourning in a drive through the suburbs. It shows that a younger generation raised in the age of social media rather than Saturday night cruising remains connected to the automobile.

'Freeway of Love' (Aretha Franklin)

The iconic song with its pink Cadillac reference led to General Motors lighting the top of its world headquarters Renaissance Center pink in August 2018 with the word “Respect” to honor Franklin after she died. Hundreds of pink Cadillacs also turned out for the Queen of Soul's funeral procession in Detroit.

'Ridin'' (Chamillionaire)

Some songs are as topical as they are musical. Chamillionaire’s “Ridin’” wasn’t just a popular rap song in the mid-2000s, it also highlighted an issue that still resonates when law enforcement isn’t necessarily colorblind and when officers are “tryin’ to catch me ridin’ dirty.” “Weird Al” Yankovic’s “White and Nerdy” parody took listeners in a slightly different direction.

'Fun, Fun, Fun' (the Beach Boys)

Even an eclectic car song list would feel incomplete without a prominent entry from the Beach Boys. American car culture isn’t defined by just one musical ambassador, but the Beach Boys certainly provide the music that encapsulates what it meant in the 1960s. Throw in a classic car like a Thunderbird, a story of a wayward young lady and a memorable guitar opening and someone’s got a recipe for a good time.

'LeSabre Radar' (the Hentchmen)

Garage bands from other cities might not be big on car songs, but this is a Motor City band so it makes perfect sense. The Free Press in 2017 described the band’s sound as lots of swagger and blue-collar garage rock, “but also bits of rollicking 1950s R&B, slick ‘60s surf rock and some post-punk nerviness.” In this song, someone’s on the lookout for car parts and a two-door parked on Mound is about to get stripped.

'Mustang Sally' (Wilson Pickett)

There’s no question the Ford Mustang is an American classic, and Wilson Pickett’s version of “Mustang Sally" stands out, too. The cool beat, the horns, it’s a complete package. Plus, Aretha Franklin is credited with influencing the name.

'Drive My Car' (The Beatles)

The opening song on The Beatles’ “Rubber Soul” album is about ambition with more than a little bit of innuendo. We don’t know what kind of car John Lennon and Paul McCartney had in mind, but a star of the screen probably wouldn’t want to be seen in a beater.

'We On The Lodge Wit It' (Gmac Cash)

This Detroit rapper asks a question that fans of modern muscle cars likely ponder frequently: Why would I buy the car if I’m not going to use it for “what it’s made for?” A car for the commute to work isn’t really what we’re talking about here. Not everyone will appreciate the idea of high speeds and doughnuts on the Lodge, but it’s just a song, right? (To be clear, we do not condone this.) You might also enjoy Gmac Cash’s take on Detroit’s new highway sign installed ahead of the NFL draft. He’s not a fan.

'Low Rider' (War)

The lowrider doesn’t just speak to a special type of custom car, it’s also a cultural phenomenon, not just in California where the band hailed from, but even in the Motor City, particularly in Southwest Detroit. The Free Press captured the annual Blessing of the Lowriders in May 2022. A low rider drives a little slower, but he does it with style.

'Getaway Car' (Taylor Swift)

According to the song, “nothing good starts in a getaway car.” But for the multitude of Swifties and those who love the occasional Bonnie and Clyde reference in their pop music, this tune delivers something good even if part of the message seems to be that some things weren’t meant to last.

'I Can’t Drive 55' (Sammy Hagar)

As Hagar tells it in his memoir and published interviews, it was the early 1970s and he was driving in upstate New York to visit his son. It was 2 a.m. and a cop stopped him for going 62 mph in a 55 and told Hagar they give out tickets for anyone going over 60. Hagar said, “I can’t drive 55.” He immediately grabbed a paper and pen. As the police officer was writing him a ticket, he was writing the lyrics to the song.

'Little Red Corvette' (Prince)

The 1983 hit about casual sex in a Corvette was inspired by Prince’s then-bandmate Lisa Coleman’s 1964 Mercury Montclair in pink, according to a 2019 interview Coleman did with the BBC. After Prince died in 2016, General Motors lit the top of its world headquarters Renaissance Center in purple, Prince’s signature color and, in Detroit, Chevrolet ran a full-page ad in the Free Press that played off the “Little Red Corvette” lyrics. It said in white letters on a black background: “Baby, that was much too fast,” and it gave Prince’s birth and death dates: 1958-2016.

'Greased Lightnin’' (John Travolta)

The suggestion for this addition on the list noted its appeal to theater fans. Of course, that’s because this is one of the memorable songs on the soundtrack to the popular musical film, “Grease,” as John Travolta’s character waxes poetic about the possibilities of customization. It takes a visionary to see how a beat-up car could be systematic, hydromatic and ultramatic, even “Greased Lightnin’.”

'Ride Wit Me' (Nelly)

Sometimes things turn out OK. Nelly already had a notable career in the early 2000s, a time when the St. Louis rapper also had a short or maybe aborted feud with Eminem (it’s not clear which from a Vice article a number of years back). But Nelly’s breezy hit recounted a change in fortunes, a time when he was finally “running credit checks with no shame now.”

'Long White Cadillac' (Dwight Yoakam)

Here’s another Cadillac song, this time heavy on the country-infused guitar and drums and Dwight Yoakam’s haunting croon. The song’s a lonely and sad tale, with the narrator pondering his state in the back of the long, white Cadillac. Sometimes he blames his situation on a woman who made his “poor heart bleed.” But my money’s on the man who’s never coming back.

'Paradise by the Dashboard Light' (Meat Loaf)

Nothing says summer like Meat Loaf and baseball. Maybe that’s not quite right, but this powerful 1970s duet featuring the big man and Ellen Foley on vocals and some play-by-play announcing is a testament to the more amorous and ultimately regrettable uses some folks have put their automobiles through.

'Fuel' (Metallica)

Screeching tires and a roaring engine offer an apt opening for this hard-driving song from these long-time metal masters. Some might ascribe other meanings, but the words also offer a burning anthem for a day at the track. “Gimme fuel, gimme fire, gimme that which I desire.” Indeed.

'Detroit Made' (Bob Seger)

Bob Seger’s version of the John Hiatt song is said to be all about the Buick Electra 225. A few years ago, some folks pushed back a bit on the name, noting that the car was actually built in Flint. The video, however, is a clear celebration of Detroit’s scenery. Sorry, Flint. At least, we’re all Michigan here.

'Life is a Highway' (Tom Cochrane)

The road as metaphor or symbol has a long history, and Tom Cochrane continued the tradition with his big hit later covered by Rascal Flatts for Pixar’s “Cars” movie. Cochrane, a Canadian, referenced other parts of the world in a song that seems to be about love and staying the course.

'Hot Rod Lincoln' (Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen)

This 1970s version of the Charlie Ryan song was recorded by an Ann Arbor band with a rockabilly sensibility, but the car that inspired the song wasn’t some figment. The Free Press has reported its appearance at the Dream Cruise in years past.

'Cars' (Gary Numan)

Guitars feature prominently in lots of car songs, but synthesizer rules this classic from 1979. It’s not exactly a celebration of freedom though, even if it does reflect an all-too-common reality for many. “Here in my car I feel safest of all. I can lock all my doors. It’s the only way to live, in cars.”

'Toyota Corolla' (The Turn Ups)

Sometimes it’s OK to revel in the car as basic transportation. The narrator in this case has had a Mazda, a Subaru, a Ford and a Volvo at times, but “Man, I’m tellin’ you, Toyota Corolla, yeah, yeah, yeah, it’s fine. It’s a 1988, and it’s mine.”

'Shut Up and Drive' (Rihanna)

Rihanna takes charge in this single from 2007’s “Good Girl Gone Bad” that’s a good way to wrap up this list. It’s a good road song that’s also packed with innuendo. Plus, you might recognize New Order’s “Blue Monday” in there, too, as you’re humming along.

Jamie L. LaReau contributed to this report. Contact Eric D. Lawrence: elawrence@freepress.com. Become a subscriber. Submit a letter to the editor at freep.com/letters.

Editor's note: We have to do a second list so we can include Tom Waits' "Ol' 55." We all know that feeling — or should. Email your suggestions to Randy Essex, ressex@freepress.com

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Put them on your playlist: Car, driving songs to blast this summer