The 5 Best Bee Gees Songs For A Road Trip

How do you even begin to pick the best five Bee Gees songs for a road trip playlist? The trio cranked out so much audio gold in their prime that you could launch a greatest hits package at the start of your journey and not run out of peak tunes until well after the midway point. But if you have to share the streaming connection with a carload of kids or music lovers who have their own idea of what constitutes a decent road trip playlist, you may need to space your Bee Gees picks out among other music. This makes choosing the absolute cream of the crop a crucial endeavor, and we're here to help.

Most of our picks are the better-known Bee Gees songs from their disco heyday; they're the tunes with the best energy for traveling and are familiar enough for a variety of generations to get into. We also tossed in an early gem to give a bit of artistic heft and folk-style good vibes to the mix. Then, we crafted a flow of tracks with peaks and valleys that make sense for the travel ahead. Load up the car, crank up the Bluetooth, and let Barry and the bros lead you into a musical road trip for the ages.

"Jive Talkin'" appeared on two Bee Gees albums, "Main Course" (where it became a No. 1 single) and the "Saturday Night Fever" soundtrack ... and now it can be the lead-off tune in your road trip collection as well. One of the most intriguing stories in the Bee Gees mythos is how the sound of car tires passing over the ruts on a Florida highway leading to the recording studio inspired the rhythm for the song. It's one of the most propulsive backbeats in the world of pop music, and it starts with nothing but an atonal chugging on guitar strings. By the time the shuffling percussion and funky wonk join in, your whole body is itching to move. You might as well be in a car heading for somewhere special when it happens.

If all of that isn't reason enough to take this high-octane banger by Barry and the boys on the road with you, consider that the original title was "Drive Talkin.'" You don't need a much clearer sign than that — but you definitely need the spirited upbeat vibe to keep things grooving as your voyage gets fired up. To blow the minds of your fellow Gen X-ers, try incorporating the cover by Boogie Box High into the mix, too. Then, see how quickly they can identify George Michael singing lead vocals on this sneaky side project from the late '80s.

"More Than a Woman" is a nearly flawless Bee Gees song to take along on your road trip. It's a breezy, shuffling tune that feels like the musical equivalent of dropping the top on your convertible and letting the wind tousle your hair. The song, which was written as part of a five-song set completed by the band in a single weekend for the "Saturday Night Fever" soundtrack, was recorded by both the Gibb brothers and disco-soul band Tavares — a similar move to when the Bee Gees gave up "If I Can't Have You" to Yvonne Elliman for the same soundtrack.

Tavares' version of "More Than a Woman" reached No. 32 on the Billboard Hot 100 and helped define the sound of '70s disco. The Bee Gees' take was never released as a U.S. single, though their version also ended up appearing in the movie. Even without chart success, it became one of the band's best-known songs and makes a fantastic addition to the early leg of your road trip, before the passengers start arguing over having control of the music. For an added twist, include both the Bee Gees and Tavares versions and let your co-voyagers vote on their favorite.

There's room for a Bee Gees love song on a road trip playlist, especially if it's one of the livelier options like "To Love Somebody." Don't let the bittersweet lyrics fool you; there's a deceptively feel-good energy in the major-key melody and earthy arrangements that can take the edge off of an extended car ride. With its gentle, upbeat vibe and timeless sentiment about love and loss, it's a perfect mood-lifter for the long stretches of road where a bit of R&B groove animates the landscape.

This gem appeared on the band's 1967 album, Bee Gees 1^st, and set their sound in the folkish vibe that permeated the era. It has enough throwback spirit to feel of its time and plenty of melodic lasting power to feel like it belongs in the now, too. In fact, the song has been covered, sampled, or interpolated by other artists nearly 100 times! It may have only reached No. 17 for the Gibb brothers when it was first released, but it's a classic crooner tune and a certified road trip chart-topper for Bee Gees fans looking to introduce younger travelers to a true classic.

With its propulsive beat and smooth groove, "Night Fever" is a great track for when you're rolling on autopilot, watching the scenery roll by as the distance between you and paradise shrinks. The rhythm is lilting, the sharp falsetto vocals are energizing, and the harmonies are too tempting not to sing along with. Even if it's one of those '70s songs where the lyrics leave you scratching your head, making up words is part of the fun. Depending on how punchy your road-weary travelers are at the time, the scene could quickly shift from a sing-along to a laugh-a-thon.

This is another sparkler of a dance tune from the 2 L.P. "Saturday Night Fever" soundtrack, one that'll either be greeted with open arms by the disco fans in the vehicle or scorned by those who don't know how to cut loose and have a good time. If anyone gives you guff over your taste in music, let them know that this was the Bee Gees' biggest hit, lasting an astounding eight weeks in the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. That makes it plenty acceptable for trucking down the road to.

Queue up the disco classic "You Should Be Dancing" when your road trip is rounding the home stretch and watch your sleepy passengers come back to life. Turn the volume up a little when you hear the Latin percussion kick in; you're going to want the high-energy lift for the final stretch, when the destination is in sight, and everyone is stoked to be close to a stopping point. With any luck, you'll have the whole crew shoulder dancing by the middle of the first verse.

This one often gets lumped in with the band's other disco works, but it was actually a No. 1 single from their 1976 album, "Children of the World," a year before the band became eternally tagged as the masters of '70s dance music. But there's a slick, unexpected folk-rocker cameo on the song, too. Studio neighbor Stephen Stills happened to be recording with Neil Young and his Crosby, Stills & Nash cohorts across the hall and dropped in to play those sizzling timbales you hear amongst the percussion tracks. So not only does this one get the musical juices flowing for the last leg of your own mini-musical tour, it offers a tasty chunk of classic rock trivia to drop on your co-road trippers. At the very least, it's a '70s dance song that's sure to get the Gen Xers dancing in their seats.