Art & Inspiration Car Show Music-What Are Your Top 5 Songs?

Little Deuce Coupe
Drag City
Hey Little Cobra
Sidewalk Surfin’
Surf City

Christmas show throw in Little Saint Nick.

 

I am good with the whole silence deal to be honest as had been mentioned multiple times. I don’t have radios in my old cars that work and don’t have music at events I am involved with planning. Not that I don’t like music, just would rather talk to folks without blaring music in the background.

 

Beethoven’s 5th
Mozart -Rondo alla turca
Rossini- William Tell overture
Strauss -Also sprach Zarathustra
Beethoven- fur Elise

 

Anthony as much as I like your list ! think you would be run out of the event

 

I guarantee you know all those songs.

 

So you've been to lots of car shows and you've gotten sway-vie and de-boner. You're now a cona-sewer of AM radio.
If you have a live band that plays oldies, they are going to play those chart-toppers that some of us are complaining about. So, yea, we're going to hear certain songs fairly often because of the too frequent requests from the unwashed public.
Any band may have a couple of obscure, underplayed gems in their repertoire....... but not many if they are serious about paying the bills. It is what it is.

 

I personally would rather hear the sweet, mellow tone coming from a dual 2'' system slightly above idle as it cruises past. I have been known to put up with a solo by a cackle car.

 

none

 

I LOVE music and listen to music every day. BUT, I hate music at car shows. It is extremely irritating to try to carry on a conversation over always too loud music. I wish I knew who thought loud music at a car show was a good idea. I would love to talk to that person.

 

you forgot Wagner- Ride of the Valkries

 

Yes I did.
Should be top of the list

 

i'm only 51 and have been goin' to car shows with my dad for about 40 years.
most songs played are boring and predictable.
i do like country music, ..i cant remember who sings it but i think i can live my life hapilly without ever hearing "crazy 'bout a Mercury" ever again.

 

You guys left out Franz Liszt, Hungarian Rhapsody. Right up there with Deadman's Curve.

 

This is a great song for walking around the car show and taking in the sights. I wouldn't mind if this was played on a continuous loop. For me, it's the soundtrack of hot rodding. Just as long as it isn't too loud to have a conversation.

 

"I Hate that surfin' shit"
-tfeverfred

 

I gave a DJ at one car show 20.00 to NOT play "Little Red Corvette"

 

"Rock and roll has been going downhill since Buddy Holly died."...Milner.

 

Age groups an songs,are liked for the most part ,by what was hot when you were in> Jr High,Sr High,an Collage< if you had a good time in school< I did !!!
Aaaaaaaaaa, I drove a hot rod too school.
. With a mix of what your Mom n Dad, play a lot of.
Me it was time gap of 55 to 63,I loved the tunes. And really hate the Beatles= bad crap an down hill from there.
I do like it not too loud ( I do want to BS with others ) an mixed year wise,an if the show is limited too pre 65> so sould be the tunes,or a live band that can mix it up !!!

 

........Unfortunately, he probably couldn't hear you.

 

I don't mind the music, it's the volume that drives me crazy...
I try to make it a point not to park near the speakers.

 

Thanks to all who have replied. Some great suggestions and some songs that I was not familiar with, that I will check out and add to my playlist Re. the many comments about volume, I totally agree! When I am tasked with providing the tunes for our local shows, I do it a bit differently from most. I place several JBL speakers throughout the venue and send a wireless audio signal to them at a volume that allows conversation to take place without shouting. The problem with most shows is they use a couple of small speakers to cover an area that is too large which requires them to be too loud unless you are far away. This year I am experimenting with a low power FCC Section 15-compliant radio transmitter to broadcast the signal directly to your car's radio. That way you can turn it up, down or off to suit your ears. So far it seems to be working great with no complaints. Keep the song lists coming.

 

Honky tonk hardwood floor by Johnny Horton
Rock Around With Ollie Vee by Buddy Holly
Rocket 88 by Jackie brenston
Rocking Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu by Huey "Piano" Smith
Matchbox by Carl Perkins
Dizzy Miss Lizzy by Larry Williams
Boom boom by John Lee Hooker
Shake rattle and roll by Big Joe Turner

 

Instrumental versions of all songs, no vocals.

Try it sometime, whatever era you like, there's instumental versions to load into Karaoke machines. Perfect for parties and gatherings.

 

I've only been to one local show ever, I'm not a show person. However, they played a pretty fun mix of 50s tunes and had to volume reasonable enough to easily chat with others, so it didn't bother me at all, but if I were at one like you guys are talking with blaring loud music, I'd probably leave and find the closest bar.

But since we're talking about it, I'll lay out one of my favorite tunes of the hamb era. Sounds older than it even is.. .

 

Hello,

Most of the early car shows did not have music blaring. If a car was in the corner or under a balcony, they might have had their own small speakers for music when you came to see their hot rod or custom car. Some guys played their built in record players at random times. It was not something that was blaring all over an auditorium or sports arena main floor. There would have been too much confusion and noise.

Silence was the mode for most indoor shows. The loud music was played during the outdoor shows as a means to drum up some familiarity of the cars to the music. Then those shows were pretty obnoxious if the music was not to most people’s tastes.

But, if there was something playing, then it was this type of music. Not everyone, but small random, low toned music. as if someone was sitting in a drive-in with a record player listening to the latest 45 record.
5 Satins

Several car shows in the early days had the popular 50s tunes playing, like mentioned above from a record player in a custom installation. But the noise did not go beyond the display. During the hey day of surf oriented displays with Woodys and station wagons, the Long Beach high school band, The Pyramids tune of “Penetration” was a popular sound. It actually fit the beach style display of those old wagons. The sound was not blasting across the arena, but only for the display.

The Pyramids from Long Beach Poly HS

Jnaki

So, the music playing was not the most important thing in an early car show, but the fancy displays with angel hair, sparkly sprinkles and mirrors to show chrome highlights underneath were very popular. If the owner was in attendance, it was nice to talk to him/her. But as all shows are, the sound of just multiple conversations drowns out most of a normal form of communication.

Music? Not so much… a moot topic for sure.

 

If you want to hear music, go to a concert!

 

Surfing shit and do bop crap, every show seems to be the same... Then its stupid loud all day, I think the dumb ass in charge of music is normally someone who peaked at 18 and is trying to relive their glory days every car show.....

Tip to the car show promoters, Don't crank it up everywhere with 2 big speakers, get a whole bunch of small lower powered speakers and just have the music as a BACKGROUND noise....

How about some swing, big band music instead of this 50s rut that it seems every show seems to fall in the hole of?

THE BEATLES SUCK

How about some Benny Goodman? Andrews Sisters if you want to go soft? How about some Dorsey records?

 

I remember this type of thing happening several years ago at a big mid west event. The culprit wandered off and when he came back his speakers no longer worked. Odd....very odd!