Nothing compares to a fantastic American road trip. With the strength of a pickup truck, drivers have the choice to traverse the backroads as well as the highways that cross the country. The ideal journey necessitates the ideal soundtrack, and if you drive a truck, we just might have it. Look at KSP Performance truck leveling kits before starting music.
We dissected the lyrics of twenty years’ worth of Billboard Hot 100 songs since the year 2000 in search of those mentioning trucks in order to establish the groundwork for the perfect truck driver playlist. We also conducted a survey of 1,042 truck owners on their musical tastes in order to learn more about the people who are behind the wheel.
Trucks in Lyrics
Contrary to popular opinion, a truck lover’s playlist includes songs other than just country. Even though that is the genre with the most vehicles featured, let’s look at the various other genres that frequently use trucks.
While other popular genres’ sounds have evolved through time, the frequency of references to trucks in country song has only grown. Only 5.1% of the top songs from before 2000 included trucks. Although mentions haven’t grown significantly—even dipping somewhat from 2015 to 2019—they have surged to about 8.0% in 2020 and the years since. More than any other time period, that is.
The terms truck, pickup, Ford, RAM, GMC, Chevy, Chevrolet, Silverado, Cybertruck, F150, and 1500 are mentioned in relation to trucks in this context.
Some of these songs, such “My Truck” by Breland, “Truck Yeah” by Tim McGraw, and “Wait in the Truck” by Hardy, have vehicles in both the title and the lyrics. The lyrics to other songs occasionally mention trucks. For instance, “Chevy” is mentioned several times in the chorus of David Banner’s song “Get Like Me” with Chris Brown and Yung Joc.
A few unexpected genres followed country music, which dominated with 14.5% of the Billboard Top 100 songs featuring truck talk. Rap came in second (8.6%), then hip-hop (8.5%) and rock (5.2%). Nearly 15% of the most popular country music is significantly less than half of the myth that most country songs are about trucks.
Music Favorites on the Road
Although trucks and country music seem to go hand in hand, what types of music do truck owners actually enjoy? We conducted a survey of drivers to learn more about their musical tastes and past trucking encounters. We even learned possible connections between these topics.
Even though country music has the most songs that are specifically about trucks of any genre, only 27.7% of truck owners ranked it as their preferred genre. Instead, a large majority (47.1%) of vehicle owners stated that they like classic rock. Hip-hop (40.7%), blues (41.2%), and alternative (41.6%) were also popular genres.
These results refute the myth that truck drivers are patriotic. Trucks are, after all, fantastic vehicles for just about everybody! But what characteristics do most truck drivers share? Do any of their experiences match up with the music they prefer?
And a significant portion of individuals (77.4%) said they like alternative music. Perhaps they ought to listen to some soothing jazz or classical music instead.
40% of truck owners report having had sexual interactions while driving. Right, it sounds like the beginning of a country song. Perhaps, but they tended to like blues, metal, alternative, and indie or classic rock.
The notion that truck drivers are patriotic is disproved by these findings. After all, trucks make great cars for just about everyone! But what traits do the majority of truck drivers have in common? Are there any similarities between their experiences and the music they like?
When asked about their experiences driving a truck, more than half of the participants admitted to having become angry on the road. And a sizable percentage of people (77.4%) stated they enjoy alternative music. Maybe instead they should listen to some relaxing jazz or classical music.
40% of truck owners admit to engaging in sexual activity while operating their vehicles. Yes, it does sound like the start of a country song. They liked blues, metal, alternative, and indie or classic rock, so maybe, but they also liked that.
