“Don’t Stop Me Now”, by Queen, has been voted the most uplifting song of the last five decades, according to research. It was followed by ABBA’s “Dancing Queen”, and “Uptown Girl” by Billy Joel. “Girls Just Want to Have Fun”, by Cyndi Lauper, also scored highly in the feel-good stakes – as the top 30 tracks revealed a retro vibe.
It also emerged 64 percent, of the 2,000 drivers polled, turn the music on when they’re behind the wheel – with only 14 percent opting for new-fangled podcasts. The research was commissioned by Nissan, to launch the latest Juke model.
Radio DJ, Dave Berry, who is working with the car maker, said: “The romance of being behind the wheel of a car, with a great song blasting out of the speakers, has been written about in literature, sung about by bands, and brought to the big screen in so many movies over the years.
“And while it is fair to say that not all of our car journeys involve the perfect weather and a long open road ahead, the fact remains that whacking on your happy tunes when you’re driving along is one of life’s great pleasures.
“Sure, the passengers in my car sometimes suggest that I might be singing out of tune, but I don’t care. Certain songs can make you feel like a solid 10 out of 10, even on a bad day.
“It’s tough to choose just one, and it’s wonderful that so many different songs can mean so much to so many different people – but for me, it’s “Will We Talk?”, by Sam Fender.
“When that’s on in my car, my steering wheel doubles as a drum kit. I should probably add that if my daughter is in the back of the car, it’s normally Taylor Swift all the way, which is also fine by me.”
Half of respondents stick on some tunes every single time they get behind the wheel – with 38 percent saying pop is guaranteed to send them to their happy place.
And of those who do crank up the songs while they’re motoring, 84 percent said it has the power to turn their mood from bad to good.
Some of the other tracks to appear in the list of uplifting songs included the 1983 party classic, “Walking on Sunshine”, by Katrina and the Waves, and Pharrell Williams’ aptly named “Happy”.
One hard-rocking driver even picked Motörhead’s 1980 speed metal classic, “Ace of Spades”, while another selected “Born to Run” by “The Boss”, Bruce Springsteen.
The study, carried out via OnePoll, also revealed 23 percent believe car interiors should always be colourful, to help keep drivers happy. And 20 percent said that seeing a brightly-coloured car on the road can help to lift their spirits.
Fiona Mackay, from Nissan GB, said: “Whatever music genre you listen to, from punk to power ballads, songs can make any journey special – even a trip to the shops.
“From this top 30, it’s clear the British public has great taste in tunes – and the new Juke is designed to be the perfect place to listen to your favourites.
“Plus, with daffodils blooming and International Colour Day upon us, it’s the ideal time to bring back the car’s signature yellow paint – a throwback to the 2014 version.”
The top 30 list is now available to listen to on Spotify.
