Oh yeah, we had a trip with rented minivan containing DVD player and same movie on endless repeat for all the driving. Madagascar. “I like to move it move it…”
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LOL. This was one I was going to mention. Can’t believe someone else had it.
We also had a Veggie Tales Christmas CD that got a lot of play on holiday road trips. We still sing the Veggie Tale version of some songs today. Polish Christmas foods (meat…)
Then no more singing – we bought used a monstrous VHS console that went between the front seats of the minivan (quite a splurge for us), then the hanging DVD player and also Nintendo DSs provided the road trip entertainment.
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I was a mean Mom, Barney was not allowed in my house!
We certainly listened to “Baby Baluga” a few too many times. And “The Macarena” was a staple at every PTA dance from that era. The assistant principal at the time had a super-cute screensaver with dancing macaroni “Hey Macaroni!”
But nothing specific to any vacation. We went to the beach, to Vermont, to Saint John’s and once to France and once to Japan.
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The soundtrack from A Year with Frog and Toad was a perennial favorite. Delightful songs and story that made the time pass quickly.
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Ha Ha my wife and I still sing some of those songs traveling. Both Lithgow’s and Vege Tales. A rousing chorus of “From the Indies to the Andies in his Undies” is still fun 
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They Might Be Giants (“Science Is Real” was my fave), Dan Zanes (had to listen to his version of Polly Wolly Doodle on repeat once when oldest was sick), Farmer Jason, and I am blanking on this other one we listened to a lot that was songs about each age like a song for being 5 and one for 6 and one for 7, etc.
When we were doing road trips it was mostly audio books, though. Listened to the Harry Potter books several times and many others as well.
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Oh, no Barney for us either!
We listened to a lot of Tom Chapin (we’re goin down to the liiiiiibrary/pickin out a book, check it in, check it out)
And a lot of Baby Beluga, and a cassette tape of cajun kids’ songs, in French, we still don’t know why they loved it so but occasionally my kids burst out with a line. Trout Fishing in America (14 wheels on a big rig) was fun too.
When they were 10 or 12 they started making playlists for trips, specific to the trip. Hilarious results but quite memorable.
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One trip we drove from southern Ca to the Oregon border. My daughter was not quite 2 and only wanted to listen to Baby Beluga. Back in that era we only had a cassette player in the car and I’d have to try to rewind back to the start. Just say it was a very long drive.
The same daughter also loved a series of cassettes that were tales such as Greek
Myths. We would also go to the library and check out cassettes with books before a long trip.
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This one was/is a favorite of our “little ones” on any car trip:
Absolutely great song with a wonderful message written by some extremely talented “kids.”
And, speaking of the Beatles, I love their cover of “Please Mr. Postman”. My “little one”, who was in the back seat and EXTREMELY tired, started bawling uncontrollably. I asked her why, and she said, “it’s so sad that she isn’t writing to him!”:
(the Fab Four playing without any gitbox leads)
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I love that - really listening to the lyrics! Does your kid still have strong emotional identification with music and media? Your story reminded me of when my kid (maybe 3 or 4 years old) bawled uncontrollably when the dad lost his banking job in Mary Poppins. No other movie scene had ever affected her that way. I guess financial insecurity is way scarier than Disney villains and Pixar monsters!
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Totally! And I am so glad they do. Admittedly, and not unsurprisingly, the tastes have changed/expanded. Just last weekend, I had to turn off a song because some of the lyrics were not acceptable, and I explained why. But, they very much hear and understand the lyrics.
These days, at least for one of them, we have long discussions in the car as to why she believes Taylor Swift and One Direction are better than the Beatles. I beg to disagree, but they are wonderfully talented in their own right, so whom I am to impose my views on the next generation? As long as I’ve exposed them to my faves, that’s the extent of my role these days. Oh, and shutting off inappropriate lyrics every now and then!
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Papa Americano
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We went and saw Jack Johnson together right before COVID hit in Raleigh. It was a great show. He played the song and all those memories rushed back in. Great thread!
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I’m the map, I’m the map, I’m the map, I’m the map….
And anything from High School Musical on endless repeat on the portable DVD player. Two kids, one headphone jack.
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When I had them trapped in the car, I made them listen to show tunes and Johnny Cash.
Same with the two kids and on DVD player! My kids are adults now and still love High School Musical.
That would be Dora the Explorer, right?
If so, yes, good one. We used to take a load of Dora DVDs with us on vacation, on the plane etc. The “We Did It” song was one my kids danced to:
For anyone that has Sirius XM, the Garth Brooks channel is fabulous. It’s not all Garth’s songs, but his FAVORITE songs of all time, and it is totally eclectic. My kids quickly fell in love with stuff like Dolly Parton’s “Jolene.”
I think it’s great to expose our “little ones” to all sorts of music. And Johnny Cash is one of the greats that mine knows a lot about, thanks in particular to the Garth Channel.
ETA: We took a family vacation to Puerto Vallarta several years ago, and one of our children would go to the kid’s club at the hotel. The staff there was great, but they sadly indoctrinated her with this “song” about fast food, cleverly titled “The Fast Food Song”:
She sang it for the next six months! Thankfully, this too has passed.
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Not a vacation song, but this hilarious tune was brought home from a science class…has anyone else heard it?
I still get it stuck in my head when I hear phrases like “visible light” and “gamma rays”.
You think you’re mean? While Barney was allowed in my house NO MUSIC was allowed in my car except if you listened on headphones. I am very sensitive to sound and music in the enclosed space of a car is a big no for me. When they were very little we didn’t really go on vacation. And after that it was talking or car games or they listened to something themselves. I’m just not very into music myself. My husband is. So he’d certainly have something playing in the car when he took them somewhere themselves. Literally the first thing I do when I get into the car after he’s driven it is to turn off the darn radio! Shhhhhh. Lol