Which singer performed “Life Is a Highway” in Pixar’s Cars?

Rascal Flatts performed “Life Is a Highway” for Pixar’s Cars.

The country group’s version plays during the film’s road-trip sequence as Lightning McQueen and Mack travel toward California. It became one of the most recognizable songs associated with Cars and helped connect the movie’s racing story with the open-road atmosphere of Route 66.

“Life Is a Highway” was originally recorded and released by Canadian musician Tom Cochrane in 1991. Rascal Flatts recorded a new version specifically for the Cars soundtrack, giving the song a country-pop sound that suited the film’s American road setting.

The song is sometimes confused with “Our Town,” another important song from Cars. Randy Newman wrote and performed “Our Town,” which plays near the end of the film and received an Academy Award nomination. Rascal Flatts’ recording is the upbeat road song heard earlier in the story.