Is this the ultimate road trip playlist? Honda thinks it is.
Photo Tobias Tullius / Unsplash
With 50 songs from the past 50 years Honda reckons it has devised the perfect sound track to your next road trip.
The playlist was put together by DJ Simon Phillips to mark the 50th anniversary of the Honda Civic. Back when the car was launched you’d have needed a stack of eight-track cartridges to hold the 50 songs, or maybe four C60 mix tapes, but now all you need is a smartphone and Spotify.
“I think first and foremost, a perfect driving track makes you, the car and the road one,” says DJ Phillips. “It makes the traffic go away and complements the driving experience, when that song plays, it draws you in, and for that moment, it's the ultimate connection you, your car and music.”
Cognitive neuroscientist, Dr Diana Omigie of Goldsmiths University adds that music is scientifically proven to improve your driving experience: “Research shows that being able to listen to favourite artists, and being able to listen to music in general, may increase the perception of situational control and in turn extend music’s effect on stress reduction,” she explains. “Previous studies into how individually selected music can induce and maintain positive moods during a simulated driving experiment have produced interesting results. Subjective mood ratings have showed that music can successfully maintain a positive mood in high traffic density and during the negotiation of narrow lanes.”
It’s not surprising then that 42 per cent of drivers in the UK choose their music to suit the road they’re driving on. So where would these 50 tracks take you?
1972 Alice Cooper - School’s Out
1973 The Jackson 5 - Dancing Machine
1974 Queen - Killer Queen
1975 Average White Band - Pick Up The Pieces
1976 Chicago - If You Leave Me Now
1977 Earth, Wind & Fire - Fantasy
1978 Ian Dury & The Blockheads - Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick
1979 The Specials - A Message To You Rudy
1980 Pink Floyd - Another Brick In The Wall
1981 Talking Heads - Once In A Lifetime
1982 Imagination - Just an Illusion
1983 Herbie Hancock - Rockit
1984 Wham! – Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go
1985 Tears For Fears - Everybody Wants to Rule The World
1986 Bruce Hornsby - The Way It Is
1987 Eric B & Rakim - Paid In Full - Seven Minutes Of Madness - The Coldcut Remix
1988 Inner City - Big Fun
1989 Soul II Soul - Back To Life (However Do You Want Me)
1990 Oleta Adams - Get Here
1991 Massive Attack - Unfinished Sympathy
1992 Arrested Development - People Everyday
1993 Jamiroquai - Blow Your Mind
1994 Youssou N'Dour Feat Nen eh Cherry - 7 Seconds
1995 Oasis - Wonderwall
1996 Faithless - Insomnia
1997 Ultra Naté - Free
1998 Brandy & Monica - The Boy Is Mine
1999 Moloko - Sing It back
2000 Coldplay - Trouble
2001 David Gray - Sail Away
2002 Justin Timberlake - Like I Love You
2003 Beyonce – Crazy In Love
2004 Keane - Somewhere Only We Know
2005 Jennifer Lopez - Get Right
2006 Gnarls Barkley - Crazy
2007 Timbaland Feat Keri Hilson & D.O.E - The Way I Are
2008 Madonna Feat Justin Timberlake & Timbaland - 4 Minutes
2009 Black Eyed Peas - Boom Boom Pow
2010 Lady A – Need You Now
2011 Bruno Mars - Grenade
2012 Emeli Sandé - Next To Me
2013 Daft Punk – Get Lucky
2014 James Bay - Hold Back The River
2015 Hozier - Take Me To Church
2016 Drake Feat Wizkid & Kyla - One Dance
2017 Sam Smith - Too Good At Goodbyes
2018 Rag’n’Bone Man - Human
2019 Calvin Harris and Rag ‘n’ Bone Man - Giant
2020 The Weeknd - Blinding Lights
2021 Silk Sonic Feat Bruno Mars & Anderson .Paak - Leave The Door Open
2022 Dave – Starlight
