Bikesure’s Top 10 motorcycle songs

Rock and roll and the internal combustion engine have a long history together; indeed the song often pegged as the “first rock and roll song” – Rocket 88 – was about a car.

Going back even further, one of the first ragtime songs was called “You’ve been a good old wagon but you done broke down” – the relationship between popular music and vehicles goes way, way back.

While the first song to mention motorcycles is lost to history, bikes and music quickly became intertwined in the post-war years as a younger generation grew to love the freedom that two wheels and an open road granted them.

In researching this list we have decided to stick with songs that make significant mention of motorcycles in the lyrics, avoiding some of the typical biking clichés. Take the titanic Highway to Hell by AC/DC, for example; without doubt a timeless slice of rock, one of the great riffs of all time, but no reference to motorcycles there, and no place on our list.

So without further ado, join Bikesure, the freethinking insurance broker, as we take a trip down memory lane to the highs and the lows of motorcycles in rock.

1. Steppenwolf – Born to be Wild

OK, let’s get this one out of the way nice and early. No list of motorcycle songs would be complete without it. More than any other song, Born to be Wild helped define the public image of bikers, especially after it was added to the soundtrack of Easy Rider.

While it may suffer from over-familiarity, it’s still a true classic. It was also the first song to use the words “heavy metal”, thus ensuring its place in the rock and roll hall of fame. Getcha motor running…

2. Tico and the Triumphs – Motorcycle

A silly slice of skiffly vocal pop from 1962, jaunty but fairly forgettable. Tico and the Triumphs are now most notable for including a pre-Garfunkel Paul Simon in their ranks. That’s the sort of fact that’ll come in handy some day… maybe.

3. The Shangri-La’s – Leader of the pack

One of the key songs in the canon, Leader of the Pack is also a prime example of the genre known as teenage tragedy songs, or splatter platters if you’re feeling hep. These were musical cautionary tales about bad teens meeting unhappy endings. Sung by the queens of sixties bad-girl pop, The Shangri-La’s, Leader of the Pack tells the story of a sweet young girl and how she’s led astray by Jimmy, troubled leader of a local biker gang.

Girl meets boy, girl’s parents don’t approve of boy and tell her to dump him, boy takes it hard and drives off to meet his destiny on a rainy night. A bit of a downer for sure, but great on at least a million levels.

4. The Cheers – Black Denim Trousers and Motorcycle Boots

This is sometimes referred to as the first teenage tragedy song, although the delivery by The Cheers is so perky and upbeat it sounds more like a comedy song. It’s utterly unfunky vocal pop of the kind they don’t make any more, thankfully.

That said, the lyrics themselves are a fascinating glimpse into early biker culture and how it was perceived by squares. It was later covered by Edith Piaf under the title L’homme à la moto, which is another of those facts that you’ll be glad you know if it ever comes up in a pub quiz.

5. The Beach Boys & the Hondells – Little Honda

Originally written for the Beach Boys by Brian Wilson in 1964, Little Honda is a harmony-drenched love letter to the joy of the Honda Super Cub. “Not a big motorcycle, just a groovy little motorbike”. Written during the first phase of the Beach Boys existence, it was one of their many songs glorifying Californian teenage beach culture. As was standard in the 1960s, it went on to be covered, in this case by The Hondells, a manufactured band put together specifically for the purpose.

6. Twinkle – Terry

As we’ve seen, if you had a hit song in the 50s and 60s you could expect a lot of cover versions and suspiciously similar songs following in your wake. And thus we have Terry. Hot on the heels of the success of Leader of the Pack, Terry was the debut single by British singer Lynn Ripley, better known as Twinkle. As in Leader of the Pack, the song features Twinkle mourning her dead beau, the eponymous Terry. Terry died after speeding off on his motorbike following an argument with Twinkle.

This was a key track for rockers at the time, and while it’s very indebted to Leader it’s got a glum British charm all of its own. There’s also some great pub quiz trivia attached to it: not only was a pre-Led Zeppelin Jimmy Page one of the session players, but Twinkle is actress Fay Ripley’s aunt. Sadly Twinkle passed away in 2015 but remains fondly remembered by the original rockers.

7. Arlo Guthrie – The Motorcycle Song

Arlo, son of Woody Guthrie, is part of American folk music’s royal family. Despite having 26 albums to his name, he’s never quite escaped the gravity well of his first album, Alice’s Restaurant. Released in 1967, it featured the 18 minute title track along with the considerably shorter Motorcycle Song.

The original version is three minutes of gently picked guitar with humourous yet heartfelt lyrics about how Arlo don’t want no pickle, he just wants to ride his motorsickle. Nearly half a century from its release, there are numerous live versions of this song where he explains the meaning of the pickle at great length. Arlo himself can’t quite believe that people still like it, but it’s a classic regardless.

8. Brigitte Bardot – Harley Davidson

Written by the pervy prince of French pop himself, Serge Gainsbourg, this song debuted on the 1967 Brigitte Bardot TV special that also gave the world Bonnie & Clyde. A funky little slice of yé-yé pop with the kind of remedial sitar that was fashionable in 1967, it features Bardot pronouncing Davidson in the most French manner imaginable. Whether or not it’s your bag, the video shows Bardot wearing one of the mini-est miniskirts ever.

9. Jethro Tull – Too Old to Rock & Roll, Too Young to Die

Jethro Tull are one of those bands who were incredibly famous in their day but haven’t remained an influence in the same way that others like Led Zeppelin have. It’s not difficult to imagine why. This track comes from their 1976 album of the same name, a concept album about a washed up rock star who decides to commit suicide by crashing his motorcycle. Don’t worry, we can tell what you’re thinking and assure you it’s even worse than it sounds. The title track describes the lead up to the crash.

There are lots of authentic details about British biker culture in the lyrics but listening to it now – or even better, watching the video – and you can understand why 1976 is known as the year punk broke rather than the year of Jethro Tull’s ninth album.

10. The Doobie Brothers – Road Angel

Most people nowadays know the Doobie Brothers for their titanic 1979 hit What A Fool Believes. Before that, however, they had a long career with a rockier sound. Originally coming together in the late sixties, they built a significant fanbase amongst the Hells Angels of Northern California before they were signed.

It’s no surprise to hear biker culture represented throughout their catalogue, most effectively on this song from their fourth album “What were once vices are now habits”, from 1974. Propelled by hyperactive drums, it’s an evocative sketch of the joys of riding a hog around town looking for bad fun.

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August 8, 2023

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