Sweating yet? I am. Ewww.com. This week, we’re rolling out the 100 best summer songs ever, 25 at a time. Most of them came out in the summertime; others just boast a lot of heat and/or bodies of water (you know, the waterfalls, rivers and lakes that you’re used to). When I read "summer song," I automatically zip right back to 1995 for some reason and start wailing "You Oughta Know" by Alanis Morissette (pictured) because, quite frankly, I really ought to. Actually, hearing any song from her Jagged Little Pill fools me into thinking I’m roasting in my backyard, sprawled out beside my family’s weak-willed sprinkler (that my sister is totally hogging) and trusty waterproof CD/tape player boombox. Not to mention the vehicular element of summer music. There’s nothing quite like speeding downa two-lane highway, buffeted by a warm breeze, trying to get the attention of adriver you’re about to pass, just so you can sing "Are you thinking of me whenyou f— her?" in his face and catch him completely off guard while hopefullynot causing an accident. God, I should delete that. Anyway, performing the "Back back to the middle back back to the middle" breakdown of "100% Pure Love" (another song I inexplicably associate with summer), while stationary at a stoplight, is a much safer/saner bet.
Which songs scream ‘SUMMER!’ to you? Share your hot, hot, hot anecdotes, below.
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Soak up the Sun–Sheryl Crowe
And
Baker Street–when I was a kid on the NH shore.
That Summer Feeling by Jonathan Richman.
Summer Son – Texas
What’s Up – 4 Non Blondes
Ghetto Superstar – Pras, ft. Mya
Nelly, “Hot in Herre.” Always a summer classic. I was in college when the song came out and everybody was listening to it that last day of class.
For the sake of pure childhood memories, Franki Valli’s title track from GREASE will always bring back the summer of 1978. My family went to see that movie six (6) times! That’s right, I said SIX times! Hard to believe it’s been 30 years.
Violence of Summer, Rio, and Taste the Summer from Duran Duran.
Anything from The B-52’s and Three Dog Night.
Growing up in Southern California with KROQ, anything Oingo Boingo or Depeche Mode screams summer to me. As for a particular song I would say Once in a Lifetime by Talking Heads and Achtung Baby by U2 has to be my quintessential summer album.
Dating myself here…”Sweet Home Alabama” screams summer in Panama City Beach Florida in the late 70’s to me.
Magic (Cars) and Boys of Summer (Don Henley, pretty obvious choice) are the first to come to mind. And I agree with Suzanne about Sheryl Crow.
This isn’t a comment about summer songs, but about the SATC Carrie fashion list. It has MOVIE SPOILERS — not on plot points, but on the fashion! I don’t want to see what the ladies are wearing until the movie — that’s a huge part of what SATC is about! EW, please fix this.
Dating myself, too, but even today, I still enjoy listening to Jeff Beck instrumental CDs from the ’70s like “Blow by Blow” and “Wired” to give me that feeling of summer, the beach, the surf, etc.
Oh, and as soon as it gets hot out I crank out some Sinatra, Summer Wind.
“Summer breeze, makes me feel fine, blowin’ through the jasmine in my mind”.
- Seals & Crofts
Damn Eric Friedmann! You just made me purchase Seals & Crofts on itunes! I totally forgot about that song! lol
LOL, Bdway Baby! If you think that one was bad (in a great kinda way!), listen to “Lowdown” by Boz Scaggs for that awesome ’70’s summer good feelin’! Enjoy!
Shy Guy by Diana King always comes to mind….I was in middle school and in the midst of my love affair with MTV…I remember this being played over and over! Ah, how I miss MTV–always was on in the background providing a great soundtrack
If you steal my sunshine-Len
Magic-Cars
Switching to Glide- The Kings
Rock Lobster- B 52’s
“Summer of 69″, that one is pretty obvious
“Crazy in Love”, that song was everywhere the summer of 2003.
N’Sync’s “It’s Gonna Be Me” for nostaligc reasons from when I was in high school
KELLY CLARKSON ~ SINCE YOU BEEN GONE ~ SUMMER 2005!!!!
The whole Breakaway album to be honest…was a great summer album I remember rolling down the windows and jamming with anger…especially ADDICTED!
“It’s like you’re a drug
It’s like you’re a demon I can’t face down
It’s like I’m stuck
It’s like I’m running from you all the time
And I know I let you have all the power
It’s like the only company I seek is misery all around
It’s like you’re a leech
Sucking the life from me
It’s like I can’t breathe
Without you inside of me
And I know I let you have all the power
And I realize I’m never gonna quit you over time”
The summer of 1997 had some memorable ones for me – “Barely Breathing” by Duncan Sheik, “How Bizarre” by OMC and Paula Cole’s “Where Have All the Cowboys Gone?” come to mind.
“Yeah” – even though it was already huge by the time summer rolled around, it seemed to be what I heard every time I went out during the summer of 2004.
Summer in the City – The Lovin’ Spoonful
“..All around, people looking half dead
Walking on the sidewalk, hotter than a match head…”
Props to Tiffany–I like her 1997 summer song list!!
Another “summer” song to me is “Always Be My Baby” by Mariah. Don’t know if it’s the video or what, but in my mind it always leaps to the front when someone says “summer song!”
It’s interesting to see the responses of people and their idea of summer songs. Songs that are pure summer to me are:
“I Love Cali” by Roscoe. This is an amazing track to just cruise around Southern California in on a warm summer’s night. the beat is so fun and it is classic West Coast rap. It’s a fun fun song.
Another one that I like to play in the day time is “Why Don’t We Fall in Love” by Amerie. It’s beautiful and the beat has this feel to it. It puts out sunshine.
Last one…another one more suited for a summer night: “Beautiful” by Masta Ace. The sample for the beat is amazing and his tone and flow are great.
Those are three of my favorites but we musn’t forget other summer classics like “Regulators”, “Summertime in the LBC”, and “Summertime” by the Fresh Prince and Jazzy Jeff!
“Hot in Herre” is a real summer song for me. Came out my senior year of high school and was the anthem for our senior trip to Cancun. “I got secrets can’t leave Cancun”. Everytime I hear it it brings back great memories.
Props to the person who mentioned “Ghetto Superstar”. I remember dancing to that in the pool the summer it came out!
“Take Me Home” by Phil Collins from “No Jacket Required”. I spent many summer evenings cruising in my new car with my sister’s “borrowed” tape blasting that year (‘85). Also “Into The Groove” by Madonna and the “Ghostbusters” theme by Ray Parker since they bring back summer vacation memories. Ah, I’m sure I’ll be remembering many more now!
I also think of Don Henley’s “Boys of Summer.” I can’t remember if it came out during the summer, but it is all about summer, I just feel that hot sun when I hear it!
Do You Feel Like We Do by Peter Frampton . I remember walking up and down the beach in the late 70’s and every cars stereo would be blasting that song.
I am probably goin to be HUNG for saying this but I now pull out Paris Hilton’s “Stars Are Blind” every year round this time! It was originally released around this time, and love her or hate her, the song FITS perfectly for the change in seasons before the summer starts to sizzle! For an even more summer feel, the Luny Tunes Reggaeton Remix with Wisin & Yandel works too!