Ed Sheeran track co-penned by Derry men voted third best driving song ever

In a new survey of British motorists conducted by Goodyear Tyres, drivers named 'Bohemian Rhapsody' (23 per cent) and 'Sweet Child O’Mine' (20 per cent) as the top two songs they can’t road-trip without, closely followed by 'Galway Girl' (19 per cent) and the Oasis classic, 'Champagne Supernova' (12 per cent).

The Sheeran smash hit was co-written by Snow Patrol's McDaid, who is from Derry city, and Tobermore-native Bradley, whose critically acclaimed trad outfit Beoga performed on the track.

Completing the top ten road trip songs were Taylor Swift's 'Shake it Off' (11 per cent); Adele's 'Rolling in the Deep' (11 per cent); Bob Marley's 'No Woman No Cry' (10 per cent); Led Zeppelin's 'Stairway To Heaven' (10 per cent); Mark Ronson's and Bruno Mars's, 'Uptown Funk!' (9 per cent); and The Killers', 'Smile Like You Mean It' (9 per cent).

Overall, pop music (42 per cent) is the main genre of choice for motorists, followed by rock and metal (20 per cent). In comparison, only three per cent claim they would opt for classical music and four per cent dance and house music.

And as it turns out, video has not killed the radio star after all. The research reveals that almost three-quarters (71 per cent) of British drivers are most likely to listen to the radio in the car, over any other form of entertainment. 12 per cent opt to use a music streaming service (like Spotify or Apple Music) and four per cent prefer the sound of silence.

“With advances in technology - in-car wifi, BlueTooth connectivity and streaming services - it’s a surprise to see that radio is the preferred choice of in-car entertainment amongst British motorists,” said Kate Rock-Rees of Goodyear Tyres.

“Music has the power to make you feel good, even when you’re caught up in traffic and whilst technology moves forward, we expect that power to stay the same”.