Picture this: It's a nice sunny afternoon, the temperature's a balmy 80 degrees, and you've just decided that it's the perfect day for a cruise down your favorite road. So with that plan firmly in place, you proceed to start your car, buckle up, and connect your phone to your vehicle's entertainment system. Before you drive off, however, you realize that you forgot to open your Spotify application and choose the perfect song... but what will that song be?

For many of us, finding the right song for our drive is a dilemma that we've all faced way too many times to count. Yes, technically, you could still drive without the perfect song blasting through your speakers, but it just wouldn't be the same. So, as you know, getting the correct song can be a pretty big deal.

Thankfully, Top Gear recognized this exact issue (albeit it was back in the ancient year of 2005) and decided that they would attempt to seek out the "Best Driving Song Of All Time." To do this, they offered a call line so that people could vote on their favorite melody. Weirdly enough, and despite it being the middle of the 2000s, the top contenders comprised songs that mainly characterized the '60s and '70s.

We've decided to take a look at the best four songs as listed on this exciting episode of Top Gear from back in the day and explore what links them to the driving experience.

So, without further ado, here are the best driving songs of all time according to Top Gear (and the 2005 British public) in reverse order.

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Steppenwolf's Born To Be Wild

guy on a harley
Via: PX Fuel

First up on our list (or last) is American rock band Steppenwolf's "Born To Be Wild" (In case you were wondering, Deep Purple's Highway Star just missed out). The track originally made its way into everyones' eardrums back in 1968. Fast forward to today, and the song is now considered to be one of the "Greatest American Rock Songs Of All Time" (and is sometimes even thought to be the world's first heavy metal song).

The tune itself is basically about doing whatever it is that your heart desires and not making any compromises. Because of this song's message (according to James May), it quickly became an "anthem for every biker and every rebel who'd had enough of being told what to do." When you consider the fact that this rock melody came out smack dab in the middle of the Vietnam War, it becomes quite easy to figure out why so many people on Harley-Davidsons were able to relate to Steppenwolf's words.

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Bat Out Of Hell Made The Top Three Despite James May's Dislike

bat out of hell
Via: Flickr

Coming in third place amid this quest for the "Best Driving Song Of All Time," you'll find Top Gear's least favorite of the bunch: Meatloaf's "Bat Out Of Hell." The tune made its way onto the music scene back in 1977 and was sung by a man who always had a fan on stage. Despite his hatred for both the song and its artist, James May still states that "Bat Out Of Hell" is often referred to as a driving epic.

The song itself is actually about a hopeless love story between a boy and a girl that ultimately concludes with the boy dying in a car crash. Despite the fact that the song has a dark meaning behind it, this did not stop 35 million people from purchasing the album and listening to it. It was so well received in fact, that an actual musical titled "Bat Out of Hell: The Musical" (creative right?) was later produced in 2017.

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Golden Earring's Radar Love Secured Second Place

The silver medal went to "Radar Love" by the Dutch band Golden Earring. Despite the fact that the song's lyrics were thought up in just four hours, Radar Love proved to be a truly "top of the shelf" rock song. This statement is backed up by the fact that upon its debut back in 1973, it instantly rocketed into various "Top 10" lists around the world.

Ironically, even though the tune has an upbeat edge to it, the song is actually about a man who is being contacted by his dead lover while driving. Specifically, the driver's wife wants him to join her, which results in him driving recklessly. This becomes quite apparent when you peruse through the lyrics and see phrases like that of "there's a voice in my head that drives my heel" and "last car to pass, here I go." Because of this relatively spooky vibe, the song hits the hardest while you're driving at either dawn or into the night...or maybe even past a cemetery.

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Don't Stop Me Now Was Ranked The Best Driving Song Of All Time

Finally, we have arrived at Queen's "Don't Stop Me Now," which was voted on Top Gear (back in 2005) as the "Best Driving Song Of All Time." The song originally debuted in 1978 with the album "Jazz" and was sung by none other than that of the king of glamour rock: Freddie Mercury. Much like the rest of his music, "Don't Stop Me Now" is a pop-rock classic that has maintained its popularity well into the 21st Century.

The tune is one of empowerment, and it basically makes you feel as though anything is possible. James May perfectly sums all of this up when he says that "this song is your first kiss, your first paycheck, it's passing your driver's test and your A-levels all in the same day." It truly is a tune that will not only improve your entire driving experience but will also likely improve your mood as well. As a result, it really is no wonder why "Don't Stop Me Now" was able to reach the peak of Top Gear's list for the "Best Driving Song Of All Time."