With the warm weather and long days come aimless, blissful, and (let's be real) therapeutic summertime drives. You know the ones. Warmth drifting in with the wind through rolled-down windows. No specific destination in mind, just an aspired mood. The perfect summertime cruise can't be achieved without the perfect playlist, so I've done my best to at least guide you in the right direction. The late 1990s and early 2000s were chosen as parameters because like summer often can, those years hold a unique nostalgic element. Get lost and zone out, while still focused enough to drive safely, below are some hits made to blare during summertime drives.
"All I Wanna Do" by Sheryl Crow (1993)
"All I wanna do is have some fun," Sheryl Crow sings in the "All I Wanna Do" chorus. "I got a feeling I'm not the only one." And what better sentiment to belt on the highway? The 1993 breakthrough hit was nominated three times at the 37th Grammy Awards, and it won record of the year and best female pop vocal performance. Crow also nabbed best new artist. Nearly a decade later, the 59-year-old dropped equally appropriate and worthy "Soak Up The Sun."
"Just a Girl" by No Doubt (1995)
"The mid-’90s ska boom is not quite the reason No Doubt happened; No Doubt are not quite the reason the mid-’90s ska boom happened," Rob Harvilla wrote in February for The Ringer. "But there are parallels." And "Just a Girl," a staple on No Doubt's diamond-certified Tragic Kingdom (1995), is the prime example. Gwen Stefani would eventually go out on her own, blessing us with bangers such as (but not limited to) "Hollaback Girl" and "The Sweet Escape." The three-time Grammy winner isn't looking to relinquish her unofficial title as Coolest Person Ever, either, as she recently released "Let Me Reintroduce Myself" and "Slow Clap" (including a remix featuring Saweetie) in anticipation of her fifth studio album.
"Quit Playing Games (With My Heart)" by Backstreet Boys (1997)
Ah, the Backstreet Boys—"the most successful boy band in history, having sold over 130 million records worldwide, and with their first nine albums reaching the top 10 on the Billboard 200," per Genius. So, you can see why it feels nearly impossible to choose just one of their songs, but ultimately, "Quit Playing Games (With My Heart)" wins out because it was their U.S. breakthrough off their debut self-titled studio album (1996) released in Germany. The track peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100. If you're in the mood for something more uptempo, though, check out "I Want It That Way," "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)" or "Larger Than Life."
"...Baby One More Time" by Britney Spears (1998)
Britney Spears presents a similar predicament—where do you start and which banger do you choose? Who could forget the Mars-themed "Oops!...I Did It Again" music video or the power of "(You Drive Me) Crazy" (and that very '90s Melissa Joan Hart cameo). Well, just like with the Backstreet Boys, you start with the song that started it all. "...Baby One More Time," the ground- and record-breaking title track of Spears's debut album. "...Baby One More Time" gave Spears her first of five No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, spending 32 weeks charting overall, and was nominated at the 42nd Grammy Awards for best female pop vocal performance.
"No Scrubs" by TLC (1999)
TLC was going to make this list somehow. Not only is "No Scrubs" a TLC staple—maybe the TLC staple—the 1999 monster smash literally exposes scrubs as someone "hangin' out the passenger side of his best friend's ride" in the chorus. No brainer. "No Scrubs" lives on the FanMail (1999) tracklist. TLC's third studio album was nominated for album of the year, and "No Scrubs" received a nod for record of the year but won best R&B performance by a duo or group with vocal.
"Complicated" by Avril Lavigne (2002)
Avril Lavigne epitomized pop-punk, with emphasis on the punk, in the early 2000s. "Complicated" was the lead single for her debut album Let Go in 2002, and the song hit No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100. Also on that record was the more-upbeat anthem "Sk8er Boi," and it wouldn't be until 2007's The Best Damn Thing dropped and "Girlfriend" popped off that Lavigne would top the chart for the first and only time in her career. The Canadian has been very vocal about her battle with Lyme Disease in recent years, even turning to writing music as a coping mechanism. "Head Above Water," a beautiful yet somber departure from how she introduced herself to the music industry, was the result.