The ultimate teenage roadtrip playlist

There’s nothing quite like the soundtrack of a family road trip, windows down, snacks within reach, and that perfect playlist that somehow unites everyone from the moody teen in the back seat to the nostalgic parents up front. But in an age where headphones rule and screens steal attention, creating those shared musical moments can feel like a lost art. This is where Rebecca Foreman, Mum of 2 teens redefining family travel with one kid-led itinerary at a time, comes in with the "Ultimate Teen Playlist."

A range of tips that bridge generations, spark conversations, and maybe, just maybe, get your kids to look up, sing along, and rediscover the joy of being part of the family vibe again.

The ultimate teen holiday playlist & why your family road trip needs one

Teens are expert vibe managers. They can turn a car ride into a concert, a silent cabin into a comedy club, and a jetty walk into a TikTok music video shoot but only if you let them have a say. If you want your teens more engaged on your family holiday (and not welded to their phones giving mono answers), then start with the one language they still share with us: music.

Welcome to the Teen Road-Trip Playlist, the sneaky little travel hack that gets teenagers invested, present and surprisingly chatty.

Hand over the controls

Hand over a little control early. Before you’ve even left the driveway, ask for their input. It could be as simple as tossing the idea out over dinner to plant the seed, what are their top three must-have songs for the next holiday playlist? No judgement. No vetoes. Once teens feel heard, they engage. It’s part biology, part boundary-testing but this time, it’s working in your favour.

Make it shared, not silent

Providing you have a playlist platform, you could then ask to create a ‘Holiday Playlist’. It couldn’t be simpler. This lets them start practically by collating everyone’s preferred tracks. Use Spotify’s “Collaborative Playlist” setting so everyone can add tracks in real time. Teens love the gamification of watching Dad sneak in Midnight Oil or Mum resurrect Destiny’s Child. Suddenly, everyone has a stake in the soundtrack and (brace yourself) they actually start discussing music taste like rational humans. And who knows, parents may even be educated to what’s #trending.

Pro tip: throw a few old-school tracks into the mix, the ones today’s artists have flipped, remixed, or sampled. It’s a fun reminder that music (like a good road trip) always comes full circle. You’re not showing off that you were there when it started, just celebrating how every generation gets to roll the windows down and rediscover the beat in their own way.

Did you know “BABY I’M BACK” by The Kid LAROI samples “Baby Come Back” by Player (1977)? Or Anxiety by Doechii (2025) samples Somebody That I Used to Know by Gotye & Kimbra (2011).

Link Music to Memory on Purpose

Here’s a thought: on the drive to each day’s adventure, play the same song every time you pile out of the car. Maybe it’s blasting as you leap off the jetty at Lake Keepit or chase that last Apostle from Red Rock Lookout. Before long, that one track becomes more than background noise, it’s your family’s anthem. It sets the tone for the day, the rhythm of the road, and when those moments turn into Reels or Stories, it’s the soundtrack that stitches it all together. Trust me, later, when you hear it again, you’ll be right back there with your tribe, sun-kissed, laughing, and living the moment all over again. Whenever my daughter and I hear the song ‘Through the Echoes’ by Paolo Nutini we are transported back to our Great Ocean Road trip when we played the song at full tilt, windows down, wind in our hair. Family gold!

Because when teens help choose the anthem, they’re not just curating a playlist, they’re shaping the memory.

Expand Control Beyond Music

Use the playlist as a Trojan horse to hand over more trip decisions. If they chose today’s song, maybe they also choose tonight’s walk route, the lunch stops or which Reflections park activity you hit first, kayak, paddleboard, or find-the-best hot chips. Power breeds participation and there’s nothing more comforting than seeing your kids engaged and excited on holiday with the fam bam.

Keep It Playful, Not Perfect

The goal here, folks, isn’t a perfectly curated, editor-approved playlist, its connection. Let the K-pop sit proudly beside Cold Chisel. Let a meme sound bite crash straight into Lana Del Rey.

Our family playlist is pure chaos and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Picture my daughter and me belting out Hairspray’s “The Nicest Kids in Town,” while my husband cranks his ultimate driving anthem, Fleetwood Mac’s The Chain, because no road trip is complete without it. Add in my daughter’s love of Thee Sacred Souls and anything she can practice harmonising along with, and she’s invested. I’m a sucker for powerhouse vocals, from George Michael to Kate Bush, and if the Soweto Gospel Choir’s “Everybody’s Free (To Feel Good)” comes on, I’m in heaven.

My son keeps us guessing, dropping everything from Kanye to 90s rock staples like Creed, Linkin Park and Nickelback. Even Hotel California gets a spin. And of course, no teen-led playlist would be complete without a little Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Let the chaos play on because that’s the soundtrack of family

Because one day those chaotic, democratic, slightly moody teen picks will become the audio-time-capsule of this holiday, the year they were still in your car, still in your orbit and singing with you before they fly.

Press play and let them drive the soundtrack to your next adventure.

Rebecca Foreman

Ready to hit the road?

It can feel a little scarey as a parent handing over partial reins to the kids, but you'll find their is so much more family time to gain.