Our Ten Best Albums for A Happy Family Road Trip

Yes, a happy family road trip! I do believe that you can achieve peace and calm in the car most of the time with the right tools–the tools that work for you and your family. We learned early on that our kids do better sitting still for long periods of time if they listen to something that holds their interest well. We also learned that it is okay for us to listen to music just for us and our own road trip sanity. We look for good music: exciting and well-written instrumental parts and lyrics with a gospel-centered message.

I present to you our ten best albums for a happy family road trip, in order of how often we listen to them.

The Empire Strikes Back Soundtrack
You can’t find anything more appropriate for a long car ride than “The Imperial March (Darth Vader’s Theme).” The kids and I hum along as light saber battles ensue, secrets are revealed, and the Empire rises victorious. Sometimes Samuel and Ruthie really get into the spirit of the soundtrack and host their own battles in the back seat.

The Nutcracker: The New York City Ballet Orchestra with David Zinman
We like The Nutcracker because the music tells a story and uses a variety of different types of music to do that. The music ranges from mysterious (“Act II: Sugarplum Fairy”) to triumphant (“Act I: March”) to jubilant (“Act II: Tea”). Who says The Nutcracker is only for Christmas time?

Jon Foreman: Dawn EP
This album makes the list entirely for me. When I get tired of driving, and perhaps feel a little stressed, I belt out all the words to every single song on this album. Jon Foreman writes beautiful, singable lyrics and music.

The Gray Havens: Where Eyes Don’t Go EP
I love The Gray Havens because of their emphasis on heaven and their poetic use of language. They also write interesting yet somehow intuitive melodies and harmonies, which makes them an enjoyable duo with which to sing along. The kids’ favorite album is the Where Eyes Don’t Go EP because of the train song (“Train Station”–an allegorical song about Jesus) and the garden song (“Music from a Garden”–about God creating the world.)

How to Train Your Dragon Soundtrack
Samuel brings his dragons along on almost every car trip we take. When we put on the How to Train Your Dragon soundtrack, he reenacts scenes from the movie. You could do the same thing with any movie and soundtrack you and your little ones enjoy.

The Corner Room: Psalm Songs Volume 1 and Volume 2
The musical interlude during the first track of Psalm Songs Volume 1, Psalm 121, contains some of the most lovely bluegrass/folk melodies I can recall ever hearing. I can’t help but tap my foot along with the beat. I feel the same way about most of the songs on these two albums. The kids and I enjoy the music as we effortlessly memorize the Psalms.

Andrew Peterson: After All These Years
This album makes the list mostly for me, but a little bit for the kids. I like to expose the kids to as much well-written, thoughtful, and incredible music as possible. Andrew Peterson fits that description by all accounts. I like After All These Years the most because of the first four tracks. “After All These Years” makes me long for home. “The Reckoning” reminds me of God’s power. “After the Last Tear Falls” also makes me long for home. “All Things New” fills me with hope.

Drum roll, please! Our two favorite family albums to listen to on road trips are…

Slugs & Bugs & Lullabies and Slug & Bugs: Under Where?
Slugs and Bugs perfectly blends life, humor, and biblical truth into catchy tunes and memorable lyrics. Some of the songs make me laugh (“Tractor Tractor,” “The Wagon,” and “Mexican Rhapsody”), some of them make me want to cry, (“I’m Adopted” and “You Can Always Come Home”), and some of them help me in my walk with Christ (“Tell It To Jesus”). I highly recommend Slug & Bugs for you and your little travelers!

I make this face when the kids ask for the umpteenth time, “Are we there yet?!”

What does your family like to listen to on road trips?

Photos: I took the photos of the dirt roads up at our cabin before we left for the last time this summer. That dented rusty van belongs to us! Brian took the photo of me after our family photo shoot down at the dock at dusk.