There are very few quintessentially summer things in Western North Carolina that are as relaxing as cruising along winding mountain roads. The Blue Ridge Parkway is a legendary, road trip stretch of highway, and the perfect destination for a road trip jam sesh . Here are nine feel-good songs to crank up when you roll the windows down and wind your way through the mountains.
1. "Traveler" by Chris Stapleton
What better way to start off your road trip than with a song by this title? In this folksy/country/Bluegrass-y tune, Stapleton opens the song with perhaps one of the happiest guitar riffs in all of country music. This song feels like when the sunshine peeks through the leaves and branches of a tree, and it will surely spark the spirit of the road trip.
2. “Hard Way Home” by Brandi Carlile
This song epitomizes a mountain road trip and is the perfect Blue Ridge Parkway anthem. Carlile’s lyrics will no doubt put you in a happy-go-lucky mood, and urge you to leave behind any BS in the past. The singsong chorus and clap-rhythm beat will have you whistling this bluegrass-folk tune the rest of the day
3. “Humble And Kind” by Tim McGraw
With a chorus like, “I know you’ve got mountains to climb, but always stay humble and kind” how could I not include this Tim McGraw track in a Blue Ridge Parkway playlist? This song evokes the down home country scruples characteristic of southern Appalachia.
4. “Pretty Pimpin” by Kurt Vile
Don’t let this title fool you. “Pretty Pimpin” is not trap music. The cool southern rock influence of this song is like when the Kings of Leon meets Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, and it is seriously chill.
5. “Somebody to Love” by Kacey Musgraves
Kacey Musgraves is famous for her cutesy yet clever lyrics like in her 2013 hit “Follow Your Arrow,” yet she manages to make modern country music that is surprisingly sonically connected to the country music of days past. “Somebody to Love” is classically country with its slide guitar and fiddle features and the perfect feel-good song for a summer road trip.
6. “Stronger Than That” by Bahamas
“Stronger Than That” is a more bluesy turn, but is the perfect accompaniment to the low afternoon sunshine bound to be pouring through your windshield by this point in the playlist. The toe0tapping beat and funky baseline will be sure to put a smile on your face as you wind up and down the Parkway
7. “Heart it Races- Dr. Dog Version” by Dr. Dog
I first heard this song come on a Pandora station as the sun set in front of me, driving home from a long day’s work. The combination of the summer breeze flowing through my windows, the golden dusk lighting, and this fantastic song made me throw my head back in a relaxed joy that arguably no other song has given me. Add this song to your playlist. Just do it.
8. “Shoegaze” by Alabama Shakes
If you haven’t heard of the Alabama Shakes by now then you need to get out from under that rock you’re living under and blast this shit. “Shoegaze” is indie rock at its finest, and pretty much any Alabama Shakes song would make a welcome addition to this playlist.
9. “Last Mile Home” by Kings of Leon
“Last Mile Home” is the only way to end this playlist. The chill bass line and sweet melody of this song will surely serenade throughout the final moments of your Blue Ridge Parkway road trip.
