We Asked, You Answered: Which Dead Musician Would You Take On A Cross-Country Road Trip?

Rebecca High
Updated September 15, 2025 28 items
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3.1Kvoters13.5Kvotes
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Voting Rules
Vote up the dead musicians you wish could accompany you on a cross-country road trip.

What makes a good road-trip buddy? If you've ever done a cross-country crawl, you know the crowd in the car can make or break the adventure. You probably want to pick people who are fun but match your energy level and vibe, who can help change a tire if needed, who have great playlists and great taste in road snacks. And are you the type of person who likes to be in control and always at the wheel? You need a road trip buddy who's totally chill kicking back and navigating, but who's not going to back-seat drive the whole way. 

But if you have a lineup of dead musicians (RIP) to potentially accompany you on your cross-country adventure, do any of these qualifications really matter? When we asked the question on Facebook, you answered with a wide variety of stellar sound-makers who have been sadly laid to rest. Some of these legendary musicians might have made the perfect road trip buddy if they were still around. Would they strum a guitar in the front seat? Bring sketch books and write new music out loud? Regale you ad nauseam about their wild backstage parties

Either way, it's fun to imagine which musical hero would make a great traveling companion, and here are the musicians that seem like they'd be a total blast to take along. Vote up the musicians whose company you'd love on your next cross-country trip; vote down those who might end up being a bit too much to handle.

Most divisive: Jim Morrison
Over 3.1K Ranker voters have come together to rank this list of We Asked, You Answered: Which Dead Musician Would You Take On A Cross-Country Road Trip?
This list is dynamically ranked based on user voting. The order reflects the consensus of our voters and is not influenced by paid placements or editorial bias.
Ranked by
  • Johnny Cash
    1
    Band/Musician
    289 votes
  • Freddie Mercury
    2
    Band/Musician
    290 votes
  • David Bowie
    3
    Person
    252 votes
  • Tom Petty
    4
    Person
    224 votes
  • Elvis Presley
    5
    Band/Musician
    280 votes
  • Bob Marley
    6
    Band/Musician
    161 votes