Compiled by The Golden Gup,
"Cadillac of Mobile Disc-Jockeys" www.goldengup.com
List Begun: 03-23-2010
"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!
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
1. Six Days On The Road - Dave Dudley 2. East Bound And Down - Jerry Reed 3. Convoy - C.W. McCall 4. Roll On Eighteen Wheeler - Alabama 5. Trucker Driver's Prayer - Red Sovine 6. Willin' - Little Feat 7. 18 Wheels - John Stewart 8. Roll On Big Mama - Joe Stampley 9. Gear Jammer - George Thorogood 10. Truck Drivin' Man - Lynyrd Skynyrd
Disclaimer: There is nothing 'Official' about these lists. They are compiled by the 'editor' using the
stated criteria, and revised considering the competent suggestions of visitors to this website only.
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