These are the most popular cars in music
These are the most popular cars in music
Cars and music are woven into the fabric of American culture. Artists have sung about cars and the open road since the early 1900s, and, regardless of genre, cars — and trucks — still serve as musical metaphors for freedom, ambition, and self-expression.
But we wanted to know: Which cars get the most love in songs? Edmunds analyzed song lyrics from more than 1 million songs from the last 10 years, across multiple genres, to learn which makes, models and body styles find their way into contemporary music. Not surprisingly, the favorites that emerged blend elements of high-performance, status, luxury, and rock-solid dependability.
Posh, power and muscle prized across genres
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You might not expect a hyperluxury car like the Rolls-Royce Phantom to dominate musical mentions, but it appears in 163 songs, followed closely by the Rolls-Royce Wraith with 134 musical cameos. It makes sense in the context of modern hip-hop and R&B, which often use ultra-luxury cars as symbols of accomplishment and wealth.
But performance classics get nods, too, including the Porsche 911 (71 mentions), the Dodge Charger and Challenger, and the Chevrolet Corvette and Camaro. Kendrick Lamar, arguably today’s most high-profile hip-hop artist, even named his most recent landmark album after the high-performance Buick GNX (or “Grand National Experiment”) from the mid-1980s.
The classic Chevrolet Impala, meanwhile, is a staple of lowrider culture and features prominently in hip-hop lyrics of the last three decades. Even luxury SUVs maintain a steady lyrical presence, with the Range Rover making 48 appearances, reflecting its cultural significance across different genres.
Notable and niche name-drops
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Drilling deeper into the lyric sheets reveals even more unique shoutouts, such as the Bentley Mulsanne (20 mentions), which was discontinued in 2020; the Audi TT (19 mentions); and the Dodge Viper (15 mentions). The Cadillac Escalade gets 18 mentions, which isn’t a big surprise given that the luxury SUV’s sharp, boxy lines and classic American status have made it a staple in hip-hop and pop music videos.
Even eco-friendly options like the Toyota Prius (17 mentions) and Nissan Leaf (12 mentions) get some recognition, while decidedly less eco-friendly vintage models like the Chevrolet Bel Air (10 mentions) and Dodge Challenger (12 mentions) echo a timeless love for Detroit classics.
What drives different genres
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Hip-hop is rife with car references, more than any other modern genre. That’s no surprise, as, like in rock music decades before it, cars represent success, status and self-expression in the stories of its songs. The influence goes beyond just name-dropping, though. In a song like Ludacris’ “Roll Out (My Business),” his Mercedes becomes part of the story. Benzes, Bentleys, Ferraris, and Lamborghinis all assume character roles in many modern hip-hop lyrics, as rappers boast of the wealth they’ve amassed in order to afford them.
Decades before, pop and rock artists used cars as symbols of freedom, rebellion, and romance in chart-topping hits and underground anthems. The Beach Boys rightfully get credit for mythologizing the early 1960s Southern California lifestyle in songs about surfing and driving, proclaiming their love for Ford hot rods (“Little Deuce Coupe”) and Chevy V8 engines (“409”). They weren’t the only ones though, as a cottage industry of artists, records and songs about cars sprung up in the 1960s and 1970s, including rockabilly artists like Vince Taylor, whose “Brand New Cadillac” became a popular deep track when covered by The Clash, and Commander Cody’s “Hot Rod Lincoln.”
Cars were even central to the birth of rock music. “Rocket 88,” by singer Jackie Brenston and future soul superstar Ike Turner, was released in early 1951. It’s widely considered one of the first “rock” recordings for its vigorous shuffling beat, lively guitar and horn parts, and song structure that became a template for rock songs for the next two decades. Naturally, the song was about a car, in this case the Oldsmobile Rocket 88 that had been introduced only a couple of years earlier.
Finally, one of the most famous songs of the 1980s was a lyrically loaded ode to love and romance wrapped in the metaphor of America’s premier sports car. Prince’s “Little Red Corvette” cracked the Top 10 singles chart in the U.S., U.K., and Australia. In America, it reached No. 6 in 1983. In 2016, following Prince’s death, it reached No. 4. The single has sold nearly 1 million copies to date.
Trucks and tradition
Hip-hop and rock artists love their luxury cars, sports cars, and hot rods, but country artists tend to prefer trucks as their mobile muses. Pickups are the original utility vehicles, combining strength, capability and dependability — themes that are also rich for material in country music lyrics.
The data shows a wide variety of truck mentions popping up across music genres, such as classic pickups and luxury SUVs often called “trucks” in song lyrics. The Ford F-150 and Chevrolet Silverado get plenty of shoutouts, showing their iconic status in American culture, especially in country and rock music. Even SUVs get an occasional nod. The Chevrolet Tahoe is the seventh-most mentioned song in the dataset, merging the widely recognized truck brand with its popular SUV model.
Recent truck sales data reveals how popular trucks compare in the real world to their musical mentions. According to the latest data, the Ford F-Series dominates U.S. vehicle sales with 765,649 units sold in 2024, maintaining its place as America’s best-selling truck. The Chevrolet Silverado follows closely, both results mirroring their prevalence in song lyrics. The relative absence of lyrics for Ram pickups, on the other hand, suggests Ram’s marketing team has some work to do.
From motors to monikers
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Automotive influence in music extends beyond lyrics. Throughout music history, artists and bands have drawn inspiration from the automotive world for their stage names. From 1950s vocal groups like the Cadillacs and the El Dorados, to the Cadillac Tramps (1990s Orange County rockabilly punkers) and hair-metal guitarist C.C. DeVille, GM’s luxury division has inspired more than a few band and artist names. Other GM badges have had similar influence, christening groups such as the Chevelles (Australia) and Chevelle (American), 1960s girl group the GTOs, and 1950s doo-wop group the Impalas.
Texas blues legends the Fabulous Thunderbirds looked to Ford for inspiration, while another group of Texans, hard-rockers Pantera, cribbed their name from Italian car-cult favorite De Tomaso. Chicago soft-rockers REO Speedwagon took their name from a 1915 truck produced by Ransom Eli Olds’ REO Motor Car Company, and went on to score several radio hits in the 1970s. New wave pioneers The Cars, meanwhile, embraced automotive branding in the most obviously direct way possible.
Of course, cars are often named after existing objects and places, making the connection between car and band name sometimes tenuous. Did every 1960s garage surf band that landed on “The Mustangs” do it in tribute to the car or horse? Whatever the source, there’s no denying the influence of automotive sheet metal on the musical world.
Driving the beat
Cars have always played a role in how musicians share their stories. Whether it’s a country star praising his trusty pickup, a rock legend in a roadster, or a pop artist flexing her luxury wheels, cars are powerful symbols in music.
And while it may take time for a new generation of music to articulate the passion and romance of electric cars, as long as there are cars and open roads, they’ll permeate the soundtracks of our lives.
This story was produced by Edmunds and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
