Check Car and Driver in the last few months. They had an article outlining what songs manufacturers use to optimize sound. They list a wide variety of music for specific aspects of sound.

Mushroomhead - Crazy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-gKPEdn3eQ

STP - Sex Type Thing

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hhu-OyHqZM

Disturbed - Down with the Sickness

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09LTT0xwdfw

Mobb Deep - Put em in Their Place

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJbaKSNewKA

Limp Bizkit - Ready to Go

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GyAAwCu-Lu4

Hed Pe - Renegade

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFyWilWWm-I

Boston, Foreigner

When I think of my youth and the song that most impressed me with the stereo dimed I think of Whole Lotta Love, Led Zeppelin. There’s a point in the song where the sound starts revolving around the inside of the car: left to right to rear right to rear left, around and around. It’s perfect.

Don Davis/Juno Reactor - Burly Brawl
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvVH9WFu-1M

Mick Gordon - The Only Thing They Fear Is You
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aqk7x_w1H98

When I had a custom system in the 90s I found Aldo Nova - Fantasy was great for "showcasing" the system. Now I would have liked to try Crosby, Stills & Nash - Southern Cross on it.

Yes Roundabout

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwPWGUhEtP0


And Golden Earring ----- Radar Love

Great driving tunes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckM51xoTC2U

Tool - Pneuma


.

quote:

Originally posted by Krazeehorse:
Magic Carpet Ride—Steppenwolf

Definitely, another good for sure!

Peter Frampton - Do you Feel Like We Do
2nd for Steppenwolf - Magic Carpet Ride
2nd For CSN - Southern Cross
Van Halen - Hot for Teacher
David Bowie & Queen - Under Pressure
Guns N' Roses - Paradise City
Steve Ray Vaughn - Voodoo Child
Aerosmith - Sweet Emotion
Bob Seger - Against the Wind
Allman Bros - No One to Run With
The Who - Baba O'Riley

How about from the great Christmas movie Die Hard, Beethoven's - Ode to Joy


Sorry got carried away with some of my favorite driving songs.

Lot's of great suggestions so far. For something a little different I will add...

Jacintha
Here's to Ben: A Vocal Tribute to Ben Webster

Lazy by Deep Purple.
Thunderstruck by AC/DC.
And of course, Thunderstruck by AC/DC
Paradise by the Dashboard Light by Meatloaf.

Try this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-s9j_Um5NRo
Grand Choeur Dialogue by Eugene Gigout, guaranteed to put your system to the test. (Play it very loud!)

flashguy

If you want to test your low end, fire up these two. If playback of the indicated parts of these two at volume using good source material (lossless FLAC, for example) doesn't shake your dental fillings loose, something's not working right.

Harry Nilson "Jump into the Fire" - Bass line starting about 4:40, during the end of the drum solo


Emerson Lake and Palmer "Lucky Man", bass notes starting around 4:10 mark.



As an all around demo/test, back in the heyday of analog audio, Mannheim Steamroller's "Fresh Aire" was the classic demo record that you'd bring in to do critical listening. No vocals but wide dynamic range, excellent production values and a wide range of instruments.

Well... OBVIOUSLY this one......

Used to have a big list back when I was doing car audio. Been a long time.

But I do recall I used the White Pony cd (Deftones) for a really really nice sounding drum kit.

And I used to use the “Now You See Inside” album by SR-71 as it is recorded super cleanly. It’s so clean it’s near antiseptic.

Trans-Siberian Orchestra is great for superb vocal range testing.

Losfer Words - Iron Maiden

Karn Evil 9 - Emerson Lake and Palmer

Pictures at an Exhibition(full album) - Emerson Lake and Palmer (might blow your speakers!)

quote:

Originally posted by old rugged cross:
Boston, Foreigner

^^^^^^^
This. Those mid-to-late '70's and early'80's studio/synthesized sounds from some of these bands are phenomenal with a great sound system.

Also, AC-DC - Back in Black, for sure.

Congrats on the new system. I have been frustrated with my Sync 3 module in my Ford. I am not sure where to begin on updating it, if it is even possible. Crutchfield says no.

My goto sound test is Holy Arp by Crystal Method.

Very interesting list.
I’ll make a playlist in AmazonMusic considering most are what they claim to be HD and UltraHD these days.

I’ll pick some of my favorite and get an original recording and convert it to a .FLAC file for actual use in the truck.