Rock Songs to Crank While Shining Your Fuel Wheels

In past posts, we have created lists of songs for those who love to drive trucks. They are great lists, no doubt. However, it seems that most of the listed songs are from country singers or country bands. Not that there is anything wrong with that, country music is great music. But not everybody who drives a truck is a fan of country music, there are truck owners out there who appreciate classical music, jazz and even rap. We also know there are a lot of truck owners who crank rock and roll when they are outside shining their Fuel wheels or navigating a mountain trail.

That’s right, blasting some Van Halen or Metallica is perfect when you are out doing some hardcore four-wheeling in your truck. It is also appropriate music to play after a long day on a mountain and you are in the garage, sipping an ice cold Fat Tire beer and polishing your truck wheels. So for those who enjoy rock music, here is a list of the best truck driving songs.

Van Halen, Panama- No list of rock music is complete unless it has, at least, one Van Halen song. For car or truck-themed songs with sheer rock exuberance, very few can compare to Panama. This is vintage Eddie Van Halen and David Lee Roth in top form. Roth wildly describes the attraction of a lady in automotive terms. Phrases like “shiny machine” and “”hot shoe, burnin’ down the avenue” make one visualize a speedy car or truck. Throw in some “pistons popping” and “got the feeling, power steering” and you have a classic truck driving song.

T. Rex, Bang a Gong- There is no doubt about it, T. Rex’s Electric Warrior is one of the greatest albums of all time and their hit Bang a Gong is part of the reasons why. This song made it to the top of the charts as Americans listened to Marc Bolan sing about how the woman of his desire is "built like a car with a hubcap diamond star halo." Sure, most of the lyrics are nonsensical, but that is what makes the song so endearing. The song would be covered about a decade later by Power Station, featuring Robert Palmer, with a twist in the lyrics replacing built like a car with built like a truck. Oh yeah.

Sammy Hagar, I Can't Drive 55- Before joining forces with the remaining members of Van Halen after Diamond Dave’s departure, Sammy Hagar made his own music, and it was pretty good. I Can’t Drive 55 actually means something for those who suffered through the 55 MPH speed laws enacted in the late 1970s. All we can say is how grateful we are these laws were erased from the books. Because really, who can drive 55?

Golden Earring, Radar Love- This classic truck song was released the same year T. Rex released Electric Warrior, must have been the year of car and truck songs. When listening to this song, you must have all the windows in your truck down and the stereo volume all the way up, to 11. And just so you know, “I’ve been driving all night, my hands wet on the wheel.”

That’s enough for now. Maybe in the future we will create a list of death metal songs for driving, what do you think?