One way or another, every one of us has been stuck in traffic. There are moderate kinds, there are horrendous, nightmare-inducing kinds, and all kinds in between. The worst traffic ever recorded happened in China in 2010. People were stuck in their cars for 12 straight days! Imagining this happening can make even the most composed person shudder.
For most cases, traffic is bearable and would cause minor irritations. There’s not much good to say about traffic, maybe except for the fact that you can listen to all your favorite songs with not much interruption, or maybe you can have a long chat with your companions.
Either way, here are 21 Best Songs About Traffic that’s worth your time.
Table of Contents
- 21. Traffic In The Sky by Jack Johnson
- 20. You Are The Traffic by COIN
- 19. Traffic by Tiesto
- 18. Traffic Lights by Lena Meyer-Landrut
- 17. Traffic Cops by Calvin Harris
- 16. Air Traffic by Adam Young of Owl City
- 15. Traffic by Stereophonics
- 14. Crosstown Traffic by Jimi Hendrix
- 13. Gameboy In Traffic by Jaeden Camstra
- 12. The Sweet Escape by Gwen Stefani
- 11. Traffic Light by Lee Mujin
- 10. ‘92 Subaru by Fountains of Wayne
- 9. Traffic In The Sky by Mac Miller
- 8. Monoton by Megaloh
- 7. Hippie Bus by Dodo
- 6. Stop Motion Traffic by Blockhead
- 5. Wake Me Up In Traffic by Shoreline Mafia
- 4. Traffic Jam by James Taylor
- 3. City Traffic Puzzle by The Hush Sound
- 2. Traffic Lights by Monty Python
- 1. Heavy Traffic Ahead by Bill Monroe
21. Traffic In The Sky by Jack Johnson
In classic Jack Johnson style, this song has a very relaxed and melodic vibe. It almost sounds like a love song. Its meaning cannot be about love though. It has hidden messages in its lyrics. At first, even literal translations can work. Seeing planes in the sky and the traffic they encounter is pretty easy to understand but the lyrics get deeper when the lines “eyes on the heavens” and “puzzle pieces in the ground” are mentioned. Jack Johnson seems to be singing about the problems in the world that we cannot or we refuse to even try to fix.
20. You Are The Traffic by COIN
This alternative pop song is dedicated to a girl that the singer has lost. He does not feel like himself without her. Things seem absurd and askew in her absence. He realizes that she has that effect on his life in this song. This song was released in 2021, under the band’s album entitled Rainbow Mixtape.
19. Traffic by Tiesto
From Tiesto’s 2004 album, Just Be, this Electronic Dance song must be the artist’s representation of what traffic feels like. The song has waves and different levels of climax that is entertaining to listen to. This song is a part of Tiesto’s repertoire of party songs that captured the attention of his fans.
18. Traffic Lights by Lena Meyer-Landrut
Lena Meyer-Landrut is such a beautiful woman who’s singing about such a sad song. It’s a song about the uncertainty that she feels while dating this guy who wouldn’t even give her the security that he will show up to their rendezvous. She was worried the entire time that she wouldn’t catch him if she took too long to shower or if the traffic lights acted up. So many women experience this and hopefully this song can somewhat be a wake up call to expect better treatment, not just from dates but from everyone.
17. Traffic Cops by Calvin Harris
The song Traffic Cops is a purely instrumental song by Calvin Harris. In the world of party music, this song can easily be mixed with so many of Calvin Harris’ long list of hits. One can only guess that the melody of the song conveys some message or feeling about traffic and/or traffic cops.
16. Air Traffic by Adam Young of Owl City
True to its album title, Maybe I’m Dreaming, this song has a dreamlike tune that has the signature Owl City’s style. The first verse is simply about riding a plane and relaxing through its journey. He is in the company of someone that he wants to assure. The second verse takes a darker turn when it talks about crime scenes and pretenses. It ends with his companion continuing on his/her sleep, seemingly unaware of any worry in reality.
15. Traffic by Stereophonics
This song is a refreshing splash of reality; however bitter reality can be sometimes. In any manner people seem to carry their personal load, whether one does it gracefully or one suffers openly, it is an undeniable fact that each and every one of us is facing a problem that is a big part of our lives. Money problems, jobs, gender identities, name it, everyone is going through something and everyone is doing what they can everyday. The traffic or the direction we are all going is always a response to where we are in life. Do we fix our lives and move forward or do we wallow in our miseries and stay stuck in the traffic of our lives?
14. Crosstown Traffic by Jimi Hendrix
Crosstown Traffic is a classic rock song by the iconic Jimi Hendrix. It has humorous and honest lyrics about the singer meeting a girl who he thinks is slowing him down like “crosstown traffic.” He clearly does not want to be with her but she still wants to be with him. He wants to continue on with his fast pace without being encumbered by such affairs with her. Despite everything he admitted, the girl still wanted to join him and welcomed the coming pain or heartache that comes along this ride.
13. Gameboy In Traffic by Jaeden Camstra
Here is another purely instrumental song about traffic. It is pleasant and melodious and has some gaming sound elements in it like the “gameboy” in this song’s title. Perhaps there will be times when you are in traffic and it will just be a pleasant waiting time. When the conditions are just right, this is possible.
12. The Sweet Escape by Gwen Stefani
This hit song is such a fun song to listen to. Gwen Stefani partnered with Akon to perform this entertaining song about a woman who knows how she has made a lot of mistakes to her beloved. She now dreams of a “sweet escape” and wants to go to this dream world where both her and her beloved are just together and happy. Problems are the traffic that slow us down and prevent us from getting to our dream destination. Sometimes we just want to have a “sweet escape.”
11. Traffic Light by Lee Mujin
This Korean song, when translated can be understood as a song about how precarious the yellow light is in the traffic lights. There are times when you don’t know if you should slow to a stop or go faster to follow this yellow light. The song says that you only have three seconds to decide, which is a very short amount of time. In so many ways, life can be the same and people can be placed in situations where they have to quickly decide on important matters. This song has a mind-tripping music video with stunning visual effects. It’s worth more than three seconds of your time.
10. ‘92 Subaru by Fountains of Wayne
This song is a pretty straightforward song about his 1992 Subaru. Too bad, the actual make and model were not mentioned so we could not put a face (of the car) to the song. Even if the car is old, the singer has so much love and fondness for it.
9. Traffic In The Sky by Mac Miller
When the weather starts getting cold, it is such a luxury to fly or drive to somewhere warm. This song is about a getaway in California and enjoying its comforts like lounging by the pool, lying on a hammock by the beach, and just having a great time.
8. Monoton by Megaloh
This song is performed by three artists, namely Majan, Scythe, and Megaloh. It is sung in German and when translated, it is about these friends hanging out with each other and seeing the bleak side of life. The animated music video shows a journey by car, by train and a mixed and confused life.
7. Hippie Bus by Dodo
Here is another German song about traffic. When translated, it sings about a “Hippie Bus” that can take you anywhere. Whether you’re in the middle of a traffic jam or not, you just need to turn your music on and enjoy the ride. This song’s reggae tunes are a fun addition to your road trip playlist.
6. Stop Motion Traffic by Blockhead
From their 2005 album, Downtown Science, Stop Motion Traffic is a purely instrumental song that plays with many different kinds of musical elements. It starts with a slow crescendo, followed by a tensed, adventurous tune, and ends with a childlike outro.
5. Wake Me Up In Traffic by Shoreline Mafia
This song is about a lifestyle that leaves you so tired all the time that you even fall asleep while driving in traffic. Custody cases, partying, having affairs with zero commitments, taking pills, and all. At one point, he mentions about repenting everyday but he messes up everyday as well. He says that only God can judge. This song has a catchy beat to it but has a tiresome message.
4. Traffic Jam by James Taylor
At first, it’s easy to think that this song is so cute and simple. It sings about how traffic jams make you late and when you get home, your supper will already be cold. He loves his car so much that he wants to be buried in it when he dies. It’s such a silly thought. The song ends with a realization about the effects of his life, driving around ruining the road.
3. City Traffic Puzzle by The Hush Sound
This song came out in 2005, under the band’s album entitled So Sudden. It’s a pretty melancholy song about two lovers who had fallen out of love. Despite being on a journey together, they have fallen apart and now they feel alone even when they’re together.
2. Traffic Lights by Monty Python
This song is probably the most hilarious song in this list about the best songs about traffic. It is a monotonous song with monotonous lyrics about how the singer likes traffic lights. He likes traffic lights but only under certain conditions. Number one, it is green, and number two, it is not red. It takes patience to listen to this song until the end but if you’re up for the humor, you’ll find yourself getting amused by this song. For sure, this conveys a feeling of getting stuck in a serious traffic jam.
1. Heavy Traffic Ahead by Bill Monroe
Weekends are for fun and road trips. We want to reward ourselves after a long week’s worth of hard work. This song has that theme as they speed up to Nashville to relax and unwind. This country song marks the end of our list. May these songs inspire you to ride that car and not be afraid of traffic.