Road.Trip. The two words that make a parent’s hair stand on end, due to the ensuing four-worded phrases often uttered by children while on the open highway: “Are we there yet?” “I have to pee.” “Mom, he hit me.” While we can’t chauffeur you to your destination without incident, we can make the journey more pleasant by filling it with family-friendly tunes. Here are 10 top picks of favorite albums you can buy to create a fist pumping, toe-tapping, (or in some cases, snooze-inducing) mobile jam session for your next family adventure. Also featured are favorite tracks from each album in the event you want to hit up iTunes and make one stellar mix CD.
Videos From Tinybeans
Top Track: Haul Away Joe off their “A Mississippi River Adventure” album. Who can resist a song with the following sweet lyrics: “Toy cars and candy bars are just a waste of money… cornbread is all you need with butter, beans and honey.”
2. Renee & Jeremy
masterfully complement each other as they ingeniously put their own unique twist on classic, beloved songs from iconic bands including retro faves the Beatles, Queen and Supertramp, to current it-band Coldplay. You already know all of the words to old-time favorite tunes, so you can instantly sing-along to Renee & Jeremy’s new spins.
Top Track: Yellow off their “A Little Love” album somehow manages to take one of the best songs written in recent years and make it even better. Even diehard Coldplay fans will agree that this rendition of Yellow is the ultimate modern lullaby.
3. Charlie Hope
Top Track: Welcome Song off her “Songs, Stories and Friends: Let’s Go Play” album. This is the perfect song to listen to as you initially rev up your car’s engine to head out into the great wide open. The lively tempo and idealistic message will make you feel like anything is possible and that the world is at your fingertips as you welcome and greet a new day.
4. Frances England
Top Track: Vacation Delights off her “Mind of My Own” album is a song about a child’s perspective of a road trip, from the back seat of the car. It has a rock n’ roll edge and a catchy beat that will make it the tried and true theme song of the trip.
5. Barney Saltzberg
Top Track: Someone’s Sleepy off his “Goodnight Kisses” album. A departure from his typical looney lyrics and lively beats, Someone’s Sleepy is the perfect song for long road trips where a nap is required. Just make sure the driver doesn’t listen too intently, as it will be nearly impossible for any drowsy person not to fall asleep to this hypnotic lullaby.
6. The Not-Its!
Top Track: Great to be a Kid off their “Tag You’re It!” album. Great to be a Kid gets little ones psyched to get outside and play in nature and drum-up memorable adventures. This song fuels head-banging action for the pint-size set. The lively nature of this song will pull you through the final, seemingly endless stretch of the trip before arriving at your destination.
7. Jack Johnson
Top Track: Better Together off his “In Between Dreams” album
If there’s one thing that’s required for a road trip, it’s solidarity. Better Together drives home the point that your family is a team and that you should stick together like glue on the journey ahead, loving and appreciating each other every step of the way.
Note: Jack Johnson’s “Curious George” soundtrack is his best all around kid-centric album, but his other albums will resonate more with the entire family.
8. Lisa Loeb
Top Track: The Disappointing Pancake, the title track off her “Lisa Loeb’s Silly Sing-Along: The Disappointing Pancake and Other Zany Songs” album
This song tells a cute story about the adventures of a pancake and acts more like an audio book that will keep kids entertained as they imagine a pancake on its many travels around the world. It gives the meatball in “On Top of Spaghetti” a run for its money.
9. Rockabye Baby
Top Track: Best of You off the “Foo Fighters” album will have parents quietly rocking out in the front seat while baby is in a deep slumber in the backseat.
10. Lucky Diaz and the Family Jam Band
Top Track: Let’s Dance off of their “Oh Lucky Day” album will no doubt inspire a “family jam” in the minivan. Sing and dance along to burn off some pent-up steam!
Got some other suggestions for a great summer road trip playlist? Leave us a comment below and share the musical love.
— Beth Shea