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100 Greatest Car Songs

"It had a four barrel, 409, gas was down to 29, four speed, posi-traction, guaranteed some back seat action...". Those are some lyrics to one of my favorite car songs of all time: "Real Man's Car" by a band from Long Valley, NJ named BLUE SPARKS FROM HELL. It's a killer car song with all the right elements: many automotive references (correct ones!), driving rhythm, machismo attitude and well produced to boot. Will it make this list of the top 100 greatest car songs of all time? I doubt it.

Those of us who are interested in this subject are VERY passionate about what makes a good "car song". Luckily, from a practical standpoint, we are talking about the greatest examples, and they are just that. In the true sense of the word they are distinguished from their counterparts. They stand larger than the rest. As good as an obscure song may be, resplendent with its killer musicianship,lyrics and references, if it hasn't made it's mark on pop culture it will have little, if any, presence on this list.

CRITERIA: SUBJECT MATTER: A song that is about a car will rate higher than a song that merely references one. "Rocket 88" and "Maybellene" are two of the greatest ever, on that I'm sure we'll all agree. One's about a car, the other's about a chick. The Olds wins!

AUTOMOTIVE REFERENCES AND THE QUALITY THEREOF: "I got a fuel injected engine sittin' under my hood" blows away "ridin' in the hood" (no matter how big the rims are!). The composer who has had grease under the fingernails generally writes a better CAR song. This does not mean more abstract songs are omitted from consideration.

DOES THE SONG "DO BUSINE$$": Let's suppose were producing a box set of the greatest car songs of all time to sell on late night TV (for instance). We want the folks at home to race to the telephone! Right? Enjoy the ride!

The Golden Gup


Compiled by:
"Cadillac of Mobile Disc-Jockeys"
www.goldengup.com


List Begun: 2010-03-23
Greatest Car Songs
  1. Hot Rod Lincoln - Commander Cody / Charlie Ryan / Johnny Bond / Bill Kirchen
  2. Rocket 88 - Jackie Brenston and his Delta Cats
  3. Little Deuce Coupe - Beach Boys
  4. G.T.O. - Ronny and the Daytonas
  5. Hey Little Cobra - Rip Chords
  6. 409 - Beach Boys
  7. One Piece At A Time - Johnny Cash and the Tennessee Three
  8. Low Rider - War
  9. Beep Beep - Playmates
10. Pink Cadillac - Bruce Springsteen
11. Maybellene - Chuck Berry
12. Little Red Corvette - Prince
13. Shut Down - Beach Boys
14. Mustang Sally - Wilson Pickett / Sir Mack Rice
15. Fun Fun Fun - Beach Boys
16. The Little Old Lady (From Pasadena) - Jan & Dean
17. Dead Man's Curve - Jan & Dean
18. Racing In The Street - Bruce Springsteen
19. Mercury Blues - K.C. Douglas / Alan Jackson / Steve Miller Band
20. 455 Rocket - Kathy Mattea
21. Hot Rod Race - Arkie Shibley / Ramblin' Jimmy Dolan
22. Greased Lightnin' - John Travolta "Grease" Soundtrack
23. Drag City - Jan & Dean
24. Ol '55 - Eagles
25. In My Merry Oldsmobile - Billy Murray
26. Lord Mr. Ford - Jerry Reed
27. See The U.S.A. In Your Chevrolet - Dinah Shore
28. Last Kiss - J. Frank Wilson and the Cavaliers
29. Drive My Car - Beatles
30. Look At That Cadillac - Stray Cats
31. My Hooptie - Sir Mix-a-Lot
32. Long May You Run - Neil Young
33. Cadillac Ranch - Bruce Springsteen
34. No Money Down - Chuck Berry
35. Cadillac Red - Judds
36. You Can't Catch Me - Chuck Berry
37. Be Thankful For What You Got - William DeVaughn
38. Jaguar And The Thunderbird - Chuck Berry
39. Mercedes Benz - Janis Joplin
40. Whose Cadillac Is That - War
41. No Particular Place To Go - Chuck Berry
42. Tell Laura I Love Her - Ray Peterson
43. I'm In Love With My Car - Queen
44. Ride On Josephine - George Thorogood / Bo Diddley
45. Red Barchetta - Rush
46. Roll On Down The Highway - B.T.O.
47. Ain't Nothing Wrong With The Radio - Aaron Tippen
48. Radar Love - Golden Earring
49. Old Betsy Goes Boing, Boing, Boing - Hummers
50. (Seven Little Girls) Sitting In The Back Seat - Paul Evans
51. Car Wash - Rose Royce
52. Fireball Rolled A Seven - Dave Dudley
53. The Ballad Of Thunder Road - Robert Mitchum
54. You're Not Safe In A Japanese Car - John Goldsmith
55. Long White Cadillac - Dwight Yoakam
56. Rollin' In My Rolls - Moon Martin
57. The One I Loved Back Then - George Jones
58. Highway Star - Deep Purple
59. Goin' Mobile - The Who
60. Terraplane Blues - Robert Johnson
61. '49 Mercury Blues - Brian Setzer Orchestra
62. Cars - Gary Numan
63. Race With The Devil - Gene Vincent
64. Hot Rod Man - Tex Rubinowitz
65. Still Cruisin' - Beach Boys
66. Let It Roll - Little Feat
67. Hot Rod Gang - Stray Cats
68. Rockin' Down The Highway - Doobie Brothers
69. Transfusion - Nervous Norvus
70. Fishtail Blues - Wynonie Harris
71. Crown Victoria Custom '51 - Jerry Lee Lewis
72. Voodoo Cadillac - Southern Culture on the Skids
73. V-8 Ford (Going To Your Funeral) - Buddy Moss
74. Pontiac Blues - Sonny Boy Williamson
75. White Cadillac - The Band
76. Vehicle - Ides of March
77. Dear Dad - Chuck Berry
78. Built For Speed - Stray Cats
79. I Gotta New Car - Big Boy Groves
80. Buick 59 - Medallions
81. Red Cadillac And A Black Moustache - Bob Luman / Warren Smith
82. Jeepster - T-Rex
83. Rapid Roy - Jim Croce
84. Rev On The Red Line - Foreigner
85. Cadillac Jack - Andre Williams
86. Panama - Van Halen
87. Makin' Thunderbirds - Bob Seger
88. Deuce And A Quarter - All The Kings Men
89. Cars With The Boom - L'Trimm
90. "T" Model Blues - Lightnin' Hopkins
91. My Old Car - Lee Dorsey
92. Black And White Thunderbird - Delicates
93. Don't Worry Baby - Beach Boys
94. Drive It Home - Little Caesar
95. Black Sunshine - White Zombie
96. SS 396 - Paul Revere and the Raiders
97. Car Crazy Cutie - Beach Boys
98. Motoring - Martha and the Vandellas
99. Little Rivi-Airhead - Junior Brown
100. Rusty Chevrolet - Da Yoopers


 Hot Rod Lincoln by Commander Cody record sleeve
Rocket 88 by Jackie Brenston and his Delta Cats 45 rpm record lable
Little Deuce Coupe by Beach Boys record sleeve
G.T.O. by Ronny and the Daytonas record sleeve




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