GM's top ten songs for testing a car stereo

Matt Kirsch, lead audio engineer for the Chevrolet Cruze, spends more than 500 hours a year listening to car audio systems. Below are Kirsch’s Top 10 favorite songs for evaluating any sound system.

You can also go to iTunes to download these songs for your own audio test drive (iTunes required to download).

1. “Don’t Know Why” by Norah Jones – Listen for Norah’s voice to sound natural, and centered in front of you

2. “Diamonds and Rust” by Joan Baez – Listen for strong vocals, and for the instruments to be set across a wide sound stage

3. “No One” by Alicia Keys – Listen for clarity in Alicia’s vocals and spacious background sound

4. “Hotel California” by the Eagles – Listen for the clarity and dynamic range during the opening guitar solo, and of course the powerful drum beat

5. “Boom Boom Pow” by the Black Eyed Peas – Listen for powerful, accurate bass beats, even at full volume

6. “Rock that Body” by the Black Eyed Peas –Listen clear, intelligible lyrics over the powerful, persistent bass beat

7. “Hide and Seek” by Imogen Heap – Listen for the enveloping ambience of the song, building on the openness and dynamic vocals

8. “He Mele No Lilo” by Mark Keali'i Ho'omalu from “Lilo and Stitch” – Listen for the ambience and staging as the children’s chorus is offset by powerful bass

9. “Bird on a Wire” by Johnny Cash – Listen for the clarity in Johnny’s distinctive voice, and his guitar to sound natural and free of any coloration

10. “Packt Like Sardines in a Crushd Tin Box” by Radiohead – Listen for the punch from the percussive bass, and the ring of the steel drums

*From General Motors

Filed under: Alicia Keys • Automotive • Black Eyed Peas • Chevrolet • Chevy • Extras • GM • Imogen Heap • iTunes • Joan Baez • Johnny Cash • Music • Norah Jones • Radiohead