The Ultimate Northwest Road Trip Playlist

From folk music to jazz, classical, grunge, and alternative rock, the Northwest music scene offers plenty of tunes worth a spot on “The Ultimate Northwest Road Trip Playlist.” With a focus on Northwest artists and songs that have come to define the region, here’s a short selection of those that made my cut.

Louie Louie—The Kingsman

All Northwest road trips begin and end with the iconic “Louie Louie.”

By Nancy Mueller

“Louie Louie, oh no, me gotta go, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, baby, Louie Louie, oh baby, me gotta go.”

Count yourself among the cognoscenti if you actually know the rest of the song lyrics or even that the song is about a lovelorn Jamaican sailor longing for his girl back home. Written and originally performed by Richard Berry, and later popularized by Tacoma’s The Whalers and Yakima’s The Kingsmen in 1963, the song experienced an implausible revival in the ‘80s,

Okanogan, Washington

thanks to Whatcom County’s campaign to have the music designated Washington’s official state song. Sadly, the resolution failed to pass the legislative House, relinquishing “Louie Louie” to a mere footnote in Washington State history. But not without first proclaiming April 12, 1985, ‘Louie Louie Day.’ Yeah!

For more information about the song’s illustrious past, listen to the Lost Notes podcast, which will take you further down the rabbit hole of “Louie Louie” than

Photos: North Cascades Highway; The Okanagan, B.C.

Photos (L-R): Glacier National Park; Mt. Hood National Park, Oregon

you ever thought possible, selections highlight global including a nod to Louie Louie: The long and winding road, rhythms and traditions, The History and Mytholog author Dave Marsh. y by that leads, to your door blending crossover styles like salsa, pop, and jazz. Seattle—Perry Como Will never disappear, Song creators Lauderdale “And the hills the greenest I've seen that road before and Patrick Abbey credit an green in Seattle.” ~ John Lennon & Paul McCartney advertisement for Hunts Catsup in the October 16, More popularly known as “The 1967 issue of Life Magazine Bluest Skies You’ve Ever Seen as the inspiration for the are in Seattle,” this song became among other notables, Sleepless in album’s title and hit song, “Hang the theme music for the popular Seattle contains a treasure trove On Tomato.” For anyone needing late-60s TV show, “Here Come of memorable songs. a little pick me up—and who the Brides.” Best played on a If your road trip includes a city doesn’t these days? - this song’s sunny day, this oldie but goodie detour, visitors can hop aboard a for you. evokes the boundless natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest and the dazzling, deep blue skies and forest greens that contrast so starkly with the gloomy gray Seattle Argosy cruise ship that takes passengers past the legendary floating home made famous by Tom Hank’s character in the movie. “You gotta hold on Hold on through the night Hang on Things will be all right.” skies of winter.

Sleepless in Seattle Hang On Little Tomato— Beatles

Soundtrack Listening to any of the 12 classic songs on this soundtrack will take you back in time to one of the most popular films ever made in the beautiful Northwest. From “As Time Goes By” (sung inexplicably by Jimmy Durante) to “Back in the Saddle Again” (Gene Autry) to “Stand by Pink Martini Portland’s own, Pink Martini, features a small ensemble of musicians, including founders Thomas Lauderdale (pianist) and China Forbes (vocalist), who first met as fellow students at Harvard University in the 80s. Fueled by a desire to create more inclusive music to represent the world’s citizens, the group’s The Beatles played the Seattle Center Coliseum in 1964 and again in 1966, and famously fished out of the window of The Edgewater Hotel when that was a Seattle thing. That qualifies the Fab Four for a spot on my “Ultimate Northwest playlist.” Select road theme songs like “The Long and Winding Road” Your Man” (Tammy Wynette),

Drive My Car—The

While any of The Beatles’ melodies will do nicely for a road trip, you can find the setlist for their Seattle gigs here and here.

Wild Montana Skies—John Denver and Emmylou Harris

Montana’s wild, expansive beauty comes to life in John Denver’s lyrics about a young boy raised by his uncle after losing his mother. He later leaves Big Sky Country in his 20s only to return to stay in his 30s.

“He was born in the Bitterroot Valley in the early morning rain Wild geese over the water heading north and home again.”

Home—Michael Buble

Sooner or later, all great road trips lead back home again, whether after a day, a week, or longer. British Columbia Canadian Buble brings just the right touch of melancholy felt by anyone who’s spent too much time on the road and longs to go home.

“Let me go home I’m just too far From where you are I wanna come home.”

More Northwest Road Trip Favorites

“Barracuda” —Heart “All Along the Watchtower” —Jimi Hendrix “Kicks” —Paul Revere and the Raiders “Songbird” —Kenny G “Idaho” —Reckless Kelly “How Deep is the Ocean”—Diana Krall “Both Sides Now” —Joni Mitchell

Photos (Top to bottom): Heyburn State Park, Idaho; Idaho; Sooke, Vancouver Island, B.C.