Michael McDonald – 'Sweet Freedom'

Traffic sucks, so why not start your morning off with some music? You provide the toast and we'll provide the jams.

I wanted to share this song as a subtle goodbye on my last day at Jalopnik but I had to call in sick, so I never got the chance. For Senior Week, I asked Patrick if I could do the Traffic Jam today, and being the excellent dude he is, he said sure.

Travis, PG, and I all bonded over the hilarious Yacht Rock series–which you need to watch if you haven't somehow–and frequently stuck references to it around the site. This song, besides being a work of art on par with Beethoven's Fifth Symphony, figures heavily in the show.

The Jalopnik love for Yacht Rock and Really Smooth Music runs deep. As an example, PG once sent me a 499-song Spotify playlist of Yacht Rock songs totally out of the blue. He's that kind of guy. Travis, who's my current boss over at Road & Track, recently went to a Yacht Rock Revival concert and listens to this music exclusively at the R&T New York HQ.

To celebrate Gawker Media's 14 years of independence, and all that's great about Jalopnik, this song feels appropriate.