I love spring and summer for a number of reasons, not the least of which is my car. Specifically, I love driving with my windows down, and my music blaring – not too loud so as to rattle any windows, but just loud enough that passersby can hear exactly what music is playing.

With that in mind, I came up with a mix CD of some of my favorite car cruising songs. I spent the entire weekend making and perfecting the list with songs that I had on computer already. And, of course, after each list was created, I had to drive around and test it out. The list at various points included any number of songs from artists as far ranging as Johnny Cash and Archie Bell and the Drells.

So, after much experimentation, here is my cruisin’ mix CD:

1. Bright Future in Sales – Fountains of Wayne
2. You’re so D@#m Hot – OK Go (The best line is "Which other rubes are riding hot shot, sugar?")
3. And Your Bird Can Sing – The Beatles
4. Losing California – Sloan (Really, almost any Sloan song is great for warm-weather cruising.)
5. Johnny B. Goode – Chuck Berry
6. Memphis Soul Stew – King Curtis (Ingredients included in the stew are bass, fat-back drums and boiling Memphis guitar. Beat well.)
7. Theme From "Shaft" – Isaac Hayes
8. Comin’ Home – Delaney and Bonnie with Eric Clapton (The first of three Clapton entries on the list.)
9. Steppin’ Out – John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers (Clapton no. 2)
10. Fortunate Son – Creedence Clearwater Revival
11. I Can’t Explain – The Who
12. Making Time – The Creation
13. Satisfaction – The Rolling Stones
14. Ramble On – Led Zeppelin
15. Layla – Derek and the Dominos (Clapton no. 3 and the first song I thought of when I started the playlist.)
16. Midnight Rider – The Allman Brothers Band
17. Take It Easy – The Eagles (Probably the softest song on my list.)
18. Somebody to Love – Queen (Surprisingly, I don’t own "Bohemian Rhapsody.")
19. Good Vibrations – The Beach Boys
20. I’m Doing Everything For You – Rocket Summer
21. Fighting in a Sack – The Shins
22. The Everglow – Mae
23. High of 75 – Relient K
24. Every New Day – Five Iron Frenzy

Unfortunately, I also love to sing along to all the songs on this list – and the open windows don’t stop me at all. So if you hear an awful singing voice belting out any of these songs from a passing car window, just ignore it, or sing along if you know the words.

What would be on your warm-weather driving mix CD (or playlist)?