Fighting over music breaks families. The holidays are tense without everyone battling for the road trip playlist control. You don’t need to suffer through an ever changing music selection while driving to your family. Although driving courses and traffic school may not admit that a poor road trip playlist may contribute to reckless driving, your backseat drivers know it is true!
Having a bad holiday playlist that doesn’t meet everyone’s tastes doesn’t help your driving. That’s why we’ve compiled the best holiday road trip music that your entire family will enjoy and will keep you from having to find out, “How much is a speeding ticket in California?” Featuring holiday classics, there won’t be anyone complaining about the tunes you’ll listen to during your travels.
All I Want for Christmas (Mariah Carey)
Every holiday is incomplete without the powerful voice of Mariah Carey. All I Want for Christmas is a relatively new classical song that everyone loves. Playing it during the holidays will keep everyone grooving to the angelic 90’s hit. Have you ever seen someone frown during a Mariah Carey song? We haven’t either. All we want for Christmas is for you to play more Mariah Carey.
Run Rudolph Run (Chuck Barry)
Rock ‘N’ Roll and Holiday music go together like cookies and milk. One of the most well-known rock head-bangers is Run Rudolph Run by Chuck Barry. The rock legend will pump up everyone in the car – in the most Holiday way possible. This classic is familiar for adults, punk enough for teenagers, and fun enough for children. With so much wrapped up into 2:46 minutes, what’s not to love about Chuck Barry’s holiday hits?
Santa Claus is Coming to Town (Jackson 5)
The jams keep jamming with the Jackson 5. Santa Claus is Coming to Town is an absolute joy that will make everyone feel a little warm during the season. Nobody can resist the charm of the Jackson 5. Christmas Album is one of the most beloved albums to listen to during this time of the year. Some speculate that it’s the living embodiment of the Christmas spirit.
Hard Candy Christmas (Dolly Parton)
An underrated holiday artist that most people will overlook is Dolly Parton. The Tennessee singer has released countless albums and hit singles. One that gets overlooked is her holiday album, Once Upon a Christmas. This smooth, gentle song changes the pace of an already perfect playlist.
Blue Christmas (Beach Boys)
They might not have been able to subject to the thralls of snow in New York, but the Beach Boys know how to cover some Holiday singles. In their cover of Elvis Presley’s Blue Christmas, the Beach Boys capture the essence of the season’s somber tone.
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas (Frank Sinatra)
No Holiday playlist will be complete without the soothing voice of Frank Sinatra. One of his most popular songs Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas is the perfect agglomeration of Holiday joy and pleasantries. This jazzy song is the cherry on the top of any good holiday playlist. Without it, you might consider your music listening incomplete.
Last Christmas (Wham!)
You can’t go out on a quiet song. Last Christmas by Wham! is the perfect last song to include on your road trip playlist. Sure, it’s a bit of a sad song, but it’s a classic and Wham! is a band that everyone will get some joy from. If you feel too sad after this song, you can switch over to Wham!’s hit, Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go.
