50 Best Rock Songs About Racing
High-Speed Rock Anthems for Racing Playlists
There’s something primal that kicks in when engines roar and the road starts to blur. It’s that pulse in your throat when the light turns green and the tires bite into the asphalt. You’re not thinking, you’re reacting, trying to keep up with the rush. The right track turns a drive into a chase, a heartbeat into percussion. Some of these songs live in the fast lane, drenched in gasoline and feedback. Others were never written for cars at all, but they still hit like headlights cutting through a tunnel at midnight.
Speed has its own kind of music. It’s loud, messy, and sometimes reckless. The riffs feel like the pavement cracking under pressure, the vocals tearing through the wind. There’s something in those moments that turns volume into velocity. A few of these picks come from pop, rock, country, and R&B songs that found themselves behind the wheel by accident. Not every lyric mentions the race, but they move with the same fever that keeps your foot pressed down even when it shouldn’t be.
Every good drive has a soundtrack. The ones that stretch past the limit, where the chorus hits right as the world outside streaks into color. You don’t need a racetrack for that feeling—just a song that matches your pulse. These tracks chase that momentum and refuse to slow down. Here are the best rock songs for racing playlists.
Top 10 High-Energy Vehicle Rock Songs
1. 'I Can't Drive 55' by Sammy Hagar
2. 'Highway Star' by Deep Purple
3. 'Kickstart My Heart' by Mötley Crüe
4. 'Radar Love' by Golden Earring
5. 'Born to Run' by Bruce Springsteen
6. 'Runnin' Down a Dream' by Tom Petty
7. 'Highway to Hell' by AC/DC
8. 'Jerry Was a Race Car Driver' by Primus
9. 'Red Barchetta' by Rush
10. 'Racing in the Street' by Bruce Springsteen
Essential Automobile and Driving Rock Songs #11 to 20
11. 'Faster' by George Harrison
12. 'Little Deuce Coupe' by The Beach Boys
13. 'Drive My Car' by The Beatles
14. 'Panama' by Van Halen
15. 'Rockin' Down the Highway' by The Doobie Brothers
16. 'The Chain' by Fleetwood Mac
17. 'Maybellene' by Chuck Berry
18. 'Born to Be Wild' by Steppenwolf
19. 'Under My Wheels' by Alice Cooper
20. 'Mustang Sally' by Wilson Pickett
Classic Rock Songs About Speed #21 to 30
21. 'Route 66' by The Rolling Stones
22. 'Hot Rod Lincoln' by Charlie Ryan
23. 'Shut Down' by The Beach Boys
24. 'Thunder Road' by Bruce Springsteen
25. 'Roadhouse Blues' by The Doors
26. 'Paradise City' by Guns N' Roses
27. 'Kick on the Street' by Mando Diao
28. 'Speed King' by Deep Purple
29. 'Slow Ride' by Foghat
30. 'Start Me Up' by The Rolling Stones
Great Rock Songs for the Open Road #31 to 40
31. 'Autobahn' by Kraftwerk
32. 'Little Red Corvette' by Prince
33. 'Ramble On' by Led Zeppelin
34. 'The Passenger' by Iggy Pop
35. 'Long Train Runnin'' by The Doobie Brothers
36. 'Mercury Blues' by David Lindley
37. 'Going Mobile' by The Who
38. 'Life Is a Highway' by Tom Cochrane
39. 'Fast Car' by Tracy Chapman
40. 'Road Runner' by Bo Diddley
Top Driving and High-Octane Rock Songs #41 to 50
41. 'Hot Rod Race' by Arkie Shibley and His Mountain Dew Boys
42. '409' by The Beach Boys
43. 'Running on Empty' by Jackson Browne
44. 'Driver's Seat' by Sniff 'n' the Tears
45. 'Greased Lightnin'' by John Travolta
46. 'Cars' by Gary Numan
47. 'G.T.O.' by Ronny & The Daytonas
48. 'Road to Nowhere' by Talking Heads
49. 'You Can't Catch Me' by The Rolling Stones
50. 'Speedway at Nazareth' by Mark Knopfler
© 2025 Carson McQueen
