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I remember a loooong drive from Banff to Vancouver when, two hours in, the unthinkable happened. The iPod died.

With a sketchy radio signal and no other forms of music available, we had no choice but to pull into a store and buy several CDs to get us through the trip.

The selection was limited so we pretty much cleared them out. Our purchases included:

• Hits of the 1980s
• Country Superstars
• Alabama's Greatest Hits Vol. 3
• Much Music's Dance Mix '95
• Billy Joel Complete Hits Collection
• I don't remember but Willie Nelson was on it

It was a pretty twangy ride.

These days, we NEVER leave on a road trip without some kind of playlist and a backup. Music makes the trip go faster and keeps the driver awake. Plus, it makes you feel like you're in a cool road trip movie. Winning!

Planning the road trip playlist is almost as fun as listening to it on the road - but if you're like me and you've heard Alabama a few too many times, it's good to do a little road trip playlist research for inspiration. Here are a few helpful links to get you going on your playlist:

• Huffington Post's How To Create The Ultimate Playlist For Your Next Road Trip
  
• Paste Magazine's 20 Essential Songs for Your Road-Trip Playlist 
• Conde Naste Traveler's Summer Travel Playlist: Songs We Love for a Weekend Road Trip
  
• SheKnow's 15 Epic road-trip songs 
• JamSpreader's 40 Essential Songs For Your Summer Road Trip Playlist
  
• Driving.ca's The best driving songs for your next summer road trip 

Another way to find great new-to-you road trip music is through music streaming apps like 8tracks  or Songza; just remember that if you're streaming music through your phone in your car, you're using your cell data.

Over to you! Classic hits? New favourites? What songs would you include on your Ultimate Road Trip Playlist? Let us know in the comments!

- Rose R.