The Best Music for Road Warriors Criss-Crossing the Country

Bob Seger is by far the top choice for rolling across America.

Greetings to our cherished God of the Desert Books subscribers, I’ll be stepping in for today’s Mike’s Music Morning as our usual DJ

Mike Kilgore

is juggling a bit more than usual before his BIRTHDAY WEEKEND.

This last week

Sally Shideler

and I got to engage in one of our favorite activities together: road tripping! We had to go up to the San Francisco Bay Area on a business trip so pulled two 8-hour driving days there and back. (Thanks Mike for picking up the slack while we were on the road!)

Sally and I have driven across the country from Indiana to California five times now and we both love the absolute king of driving music:

Just pick any track from Bog Seger’s Greatest Hits and you’re all set for any drive across America:

Seger just embodies the American road experience in a way that it’s hard to think of anyone else who accomplishes the same effect.

It’s hard for me to explain why, I’m sorry to say. I think the general upbeat, positivity of his music - without being sappy - is a part of it. There’s also a nice range of songs, with some more high energy and others softer. So you get a good variety with Seger which helps vary up the monotony of the road.

I suspect he just hits that sweet spot between rock, folk, and country that comes off as uniquely, distinctly American. One of our other favorites for road warrior driving also comes in there - Neil Young. I’ll do a selection of his songs soon next time I fill in on Mike’s Music Morning. And maybe I’ll bug Sally to do an installment too on another of her favorite road masters: Creedence!

Best wishes on your weekend everyone! I hope you have as fun a weekend as Mike’s about to have!

---

And don’t forget to check out our previous installments in this ongoing series of music recommendations and best-of debates:

1. What's in your wallet... er... music library?

2. Who Is Generation X's Greatest Black Musician? Here's My Vote

3. Generation X's Greatest Black Musician? Rihanna, In My Humble Opinion.

4. Rihanna is an Xer-Leaning Millennial! Try Again, Mike!

5. I Didn't Do My Due Diligence, or How I Have to Pick a Favorite Black Gen X Musician For Real This Time.

6. Why Rap & Country Are So Challenging and Why I Much Prefer Tupac Shakur to Will Smith

7. Music. The GotD Frontier

8. As a Gen-Xer, the 1980s is My Favorite Musical Decade

9. These 2 Hypnotic Sitar Albums Saved Me Last Night as the PTSD Demons Struck Back

10. The Thousand Year Charm Offensive of Frank Zappa

11. 6 Songs That Give Me a Burst of Great Memories

12. Take a Bite Out of 'Burnt Weeny Sandwich'

13. 6 More Songs Filled with Good Memories

14. 'It Just Shocked Me, How Anything Could Be So Beautiful...'

15. My 13 Favorite Early Beatles Songs

16. From Jazz to Pop: Why I Love American Music

17. My Pick for the Finest Album of the Twentieth Century

18. My 13 Favorite Middle Period Beatles Songs

19. My Favorite Rock Song of All Time

20. "Kung Fu Panda" and How to Tell a Story with Music

21. My 13 Favorite Final Beatles Songs

Check out “Mike’s Music Morning,” borne from these debates:

1. The Inaugural "Mike's Music Morning" post

2. How Many Licks Does it Take to Get to the Center of My Music Collection?

3. Welcome back, my friends, to the show that never ends.

4. What music evokes an emotional response for you? What song really twangs your heartstrangs?

5. What Reminds You of Mardi Gras? For Me, it's Always Music and Food

6. Would you like a little slink with your Wednesday?

7. Who Is Your Favorite Film Composer? Here are 6 of My Favorites

8. How Could I Have Forgotten Ennio Morricone's Greatness? My 7 Favorites from the Italian Master

9. Which is Better? David Lee Roth "Van Halen" or "Van Hagar"??? I want an "Eruption" of comments here, people.

10. My Top Ten Heavy Metal Songs

11. What Are Your Favorite Covers? Here Are a Few Great Ones From Unexpected Places

12. What's Your Favorite AC/DC Track?

13. How Do We Deserve People Like Dave Grohl??? Today, on a Very Special Episode of MMM...

14. What's Your Favorite Queen Song? How About Bowie?

15. ♪♫ "Ticking away the moments that make up a dull day" ♫♪

16. A Love Letter to the Music of "Cowboy Bebop"

17. If You Formed a Rock Supergroup From Anyone in History, Who's on the Roster?

18. Counting Down My 10 Favorite Songs from my Favorite Album of All Time, The White Album

19. Who Is Your Favorite Female Rock n' Roller?

20. How 'bout Them 80's? What Are Your Faves?

21. Who Watches the Watchtower

22. What's Your Favorite Driving Song?

23. Who's Your Favorite Rock Drummer?

24. The Gauntlet Has Been Thrown! Classical Music Challenge! Part One

25. Who Else Out There Loves Prince Rogers Nelson? (Requiascat in Pace) - A Tribute

26. Please Enjoy: Cat Stevens Made My Favorite Classic Song to Listen to In the Morning

27. Spring has Sprung! Part Deux of the Classical Music Challenge!

28. "Now For Some Real User Power."

29. How About Them Acoustics?

30. Can We Talk About Danny Elfman For A Minute?

31. Try My Playlist of 10 Catchiest Tracks for Sweet '60s* ✨Vibes✨

32. Is This the Best Pop Music 'Hymn' of All Time? Is This Its Best Cover?

33. 5 Shades of Gray

34. This Black Keys Music Video Is So Simple and So Effective

35. Every Girl's Crazy 'Bout A Sharp-Dressed Man

36. Let's get spicy!

37. On This, the Last Day of March, Let Us Talk About Women

38. Soothe Your Mood with These 10 Forgotten '90s Alt-Pop Jams

39. 8 of the Most Fantastic Music Videos From One of My Favorite Filmmakers

40. Look! Up on the 'Stack! It's a Bird! It's a Plane!

41. He is Vengeance! He Is THE KNIGHT!

42. Happy (Future) First Contact Day!

43. The Best Song from 'Prince of Egypt'

44. Check Out 'Passion' - Peter Gabriel's Soundtrack to 'The Last Temptation of Christ'

45. The Best 1960s Easter Anthem

46. "We're On A Mission From God"

47. Ever Wonder Why?

48. P!nk Has Been A "Bad Influence" On Me

49. What Music Makes Your Butt Wiggle In The Morning?

50. OMFG!!!! IT'S FRIDAY THE 14TH!!!!

51. Musical Eccentricity, Thy Name Is Kilgore: Check Out these Gems from Our Family's Playlist!

52. Alright, Peeps... Rock Power Ballads. Yes or No?

53. FLASH!!! AAAAaaaa!!! Savior of the Universe!!!

54. What Music Reminds You of Certain Parts of Your Life?