One of the things our country gets right is cool driving music, and the 70s had the best, of course. And, no, 70s music was not a vast wasteland of Olivia Newton John, the Bee Gees, and John Denver. (Well, okay, maybe a little, but there were pockets of resistance) such as ...
The Doors, L.A. Woman (Probably the all-time best driving song ever):
Jethro Tull, Locomotive Breath (I love that cover art -- no compromise there!). You can almost imagine a runaway train when you hear this one:
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, American Girl:
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Thunder Road:
Peter Frampton, Baby, I Love your way (Okay, I realize he's English, but this triple-platinum live album recorded in the U.S. was standard issue for all young American males in the '70s.)
Iggy Pop, Lust for Life
Van Halen, Jamie's Cryin'
The Cars, My Best Friend's Girl
Suzy Quatro and Chris Norman, Stumblin' In (Okay, not American either, but this song was inescapable in 1979. Check out these '70s mullets, standard issue for all young Americans, male and female).