In celebration of its platinum anniversary, leading fuel brand JET has conducted new research to find the UK’s top driving song from the past 70 years. After polling 2,000 UK drivers in an online survey, the results are in and the nation’s favourite songs to drive to have been revealed!
The results, spanning eight decades from 1954 to 2024, did not disappoint. Taking the top spot with a resounding 38% of the votes is the iconic anthem “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen. Following closely in second place is rebound pop hit “Murder on the Dancefloor” by Sophie Ellis-Bextor, released in 2001 and re-released in 2024.
Taking joint third place with 27% of the votes each are the 50s Mexican dance classic “La Bamba” by Ritchie Valens and the 60s American folk anthem “California Dreamin'” by The Mamas and The Papas. Rounding out the top five is Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean” with 26% of the votes.
The list also includes legendary artists such as Elvis Presley, Whitney Houston, and Rihanna, with their hits “Jailhouse Rock”, “I Will Always Love You”, and “Umbrella” respectively. The full list can be found below.
The research also broke down the top driving songs by decade, with “La Bamba” taking the top spot for the 1950s, “California Dreamin'” for the 1960s, “Bohemian Rhapsody” for the 1970s, “Billie Jean” for the 1980s, “I Will Always Love You” for the 1990s, “Umbrella” for the 2000s, “Uptown Funk” for the 2010s, and “Murder on the Dancefloor” for the 2020s so far.
In addition to revealing the top driving songs, the research also delved into what makes the perfect driving anthem, with over half (55%) of respondents citing “lyrics they can sing along to” as the most important factor. Other characteristics such as a “catchy chorus” and a “strong drumbeat” were also popular choices.
When asked how music makes them feel while driving, over half (52%) of drivers said “happy”, followed by “nostalgic” (18%), “excited” (8%), “calm” (7%), and “optimistic” (5%).
And finally, the research put an end to the age-old debate of who gets to pick the music in the car. According to the survey, 61% of drivers believe they should have the final say, with “everyone else” (21%) and the passenger (8%) also receiving votes.
So, next time you hit the road, make sure to have these top driving songs queued up for the ultimate driving experience!
Derick is an experienced reporter having held multiple senior roles for large publishers across Europe. Specialist subjects include small business and financial emerging markets.