My Perfect Playlist for a Radical Roadtrip — and You’re Invited!
Cassette is jam-packed with 12 must-listens for any traveling adventure
Come on, don’t be shy.
Grab your vans, sandals, or other favorite footwear.
Pack a bag with your most comfy t-shirts, most worn — but clean — undies, killer sunglasses, and, your best baseball cap. And put in it on backward.
You’re going road-tripping with me.
Destination unknown
Where? Anywhere! The beaches are nice this time of year, but the destination is irrelevant. The mountains? The big city? The cabin at the lake?
It doesn’t matter. You’re invited and you know who you are. You’re my Medium writing buddies. We’ve shared our stories, bonded over mischievous activities, laughed together, and cried together. We’ve sipped white chocolate mocha together.
Now we’re hitting the road together. I’ve prepared the perfect playlist. I hope you enjoy it (especially, Adelina Vasile and Diana Meresc, who always highlights or comments on the song selections in my stories).
Oh, don’t forget the snacks. My personal faves are dill pickle sunflower seeds, Samoa Girl Scout cookies, Dum Dum lollipops (rootbeer flavor), Nerds, Rolos, and trail mix (with dark chocolate).
The engine is revved, the cassette is popped in, the knobbed is being cranked up to eleven. Let’s go!
Mike’s Magical, Radical Roadtrip Playlist
- “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” by Tears for Fears: Memories of cruising on the 5 freeway to go to a California Angels game in the mid-80s with my buddy Jay Gilmore. Truly felt like we were on top of the world. Positive. Upbeat. Full of great energy. Great song to start our saga.
- “Funkytown” by Lipps, Inc.: Gotta make a move to a town that’s right for me…That line alone gets my juicing flowing. It’s like we’re leaving our current reality to our own version of Funkytown to escape. We all need a little disco on any road trip, right?
3. “Chocolate” by Snow Patrol: This could be the very minute/I’m aware I’m alive/All these places feel like home. This group’s voice is so soothing. The song sings of lost love, mistakes made, and promises to fix them. It makes us think to reflect back on a childhood love that we wish we’d not hurt, and how to move on from it.
4. “Walking on a Dream” by Empire on the Sun: You’re going to be tempted to jump out of the car and want to start dancing. This song is that catchy, fun tune with a cheery vibe to it. Check this ditty out. I love the lead singer’s voice. We’re running for the thrill of it/thrill of it. Yeah, we are.
5. “Boys of Summer” by Don Henley: My all-time roady №1 tune. This has beach-cruising, and memory-creating written all over it. The instrumental sounds are amazing. Sure, I know it’s another tune about memories of an old love, but it also — to me — has the sounds of the beach. I can feel the sand between my toes, the seagulls, the waves crashing. It’s about letting go, but also never forgetting.
6. “Dreams” by Van Halen: We’ll get higher and higher/leave it all behind. That’s definitely the plan. We have high hopes for an insane, wild weekend. We’re leaving the forgotten work piled on the desk. This song is like our mantra. Sammy Hagar is almost in the backseat with us, motivating us to leave it all out, and have the best adventure the world offers us.
7. “More Than a Feeling’ By Boston. I mean seriously, do I really need to explain? I feel like this one is my ‘enough-said’ choice. This is good vibes 101 here, fellow travelers. You can’t but not get warm fuzzies in your tummy as this classic blares on the car speakers. A road-trip must!
8. “In the Air Tonight” by Phil Collins: The damn Celtics stole a little of this song’s luster using it at games, but it’s still greatness. I love how it starts slow and then builds up, and peaks with Phil’s drumming solo. We’ll all be singing along with this classic.
9. “Hotel California” by the Eagles: Is it kinda an eerie tune. Sure? Is it awesome and road trip worthy? Hells to the yeah. The song intro is awesome. Such a lovely place (Such a lovely place)/Such a lovely face. And, just like the Hotel California won’t let you leave, our road trip mission is to have so much fun, we don’t want the journey to end.
10. “Wagon Wheel” by Darius Rucker: Need a little country for our country folks, right? So rock me mama like a wagon wheel/Rock me mama any way you feel. How can you not sing along to that? This song is kinda a modern-day kumbaya tune. It’s another fun number full of good vibes and bound to get your feet tapping and your mood singing in a full 180-degree incline.
11. “Radio Gaga” by Queen: Damn it. I lied. I said ten tunes. I couldn’t make a road trip playlist with out some Queen. After seeing this performed at Wembley, it’s a must on any trip. I’m literally singing this song as I type. Freddy, I squeezed you and the boys in there. Congrats!
It’s over! We were just getting started. Just sharing stories of our first kisses, running naked in locker rooms, sneaking into sporting events, and getting high with our “legal” sons.
Sounds like I made need to make a Volume II, so much more memories to share and make.
Thanks for reading my amazing playlists and hope you enjoyed the selections.
Shout out to Sreese and his story It’s Legal in Canada. How could I not give a shout-out to a story involving a roadtrip? Definitely, an funny, enjoyable, must-read travel piece with lots of high moments.
Tagging a those willing to roadtrip to Funkytown: Scot Butwell, Sreese, Evon, Mary Chang Story Writer, Klara Jane Holloway, Gerald Sturgill, MarkfromBoston 🐾🍻, Ruby Lee, Jan Sebastian, Jane Kelley, Janet Meisel, Kristine Laco, Adelina Vasile, Ning Choi, Jameson Steward, Pam Winter, Alicia Domínguez, Victoria Valentine, Diana Meresc, Lu Skerdoo, Susan Wheelock, Sarah Jean, Deborah Camp, David Perlmutter, @JR spiers.
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