On a recent cruise down the highway, we slipped an unmarked CD into the radio and out sprang Ronnie and the Daytonas, belting out their famous car tune, G.T.O. That got us to thinking about the dozens, heck, maybe hundreds of car songs that have been written and performed over the years. A song that is widely credited as the first true “rock and roll” tune was Jackie Benson’s “Rocket 88”, an homage to the eight cylinder Olds he was tearing around town in.
In modern times, it was music that helped save a brand, when the Cadillac Escalade became the favorite tank of rappers and hip hop artists. The resulting boost in image and sudden relevance to an audience (youth) that Cadillac had failed to reach for years, certainly helped the renissance the brand saw when the “Art and Science” styling package became the standard of the product line.
There have been scant few car songs in recent years when compared to decades past. Country music has provided a couple decent ones, but nothing to match the likes of the Playmates “Beep Beep” of the Rip Chords rendition of “Hey Little Cobra”.
So, having mentioned a few examples to prime the pump, we’re wondering…
What’s the best car song of all time?
