The Best Summer Songs

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Music

The summer song is one of music’s biggest joys.  A summer hit dominates parties, barbecues, pools, discos, raves, and car radios.  The memories of the best songs from the 1960’s to today stay implanted in our brains and become ear worms that are hard to shake.

 

Some of my favorites are: Nelly’s “Hot in Here” from 2002 had the beat and the imagery of taking off your clothes.  “Under the Boardwalk” by the Drifters came out in 1964.  The song is about love in a very hidden place.  The Lovin’ Spoonful hit “Summer in the City” was the rage in 1966.  It both celebrates summer and whines about getting sweaty.  “Hot Fun in the Summertime” was the Sly and Family Stone’s huge hit from 1969.  The song is a ballad with a beat and the image of a fair in the country sun works so well. Martha and the Vandella’s took the country by storm in 1965. “Dancing in the Streets” was both a party song and it became a call to the streets to fight for Civil Rights.

 

What songs stick with you as the best of the summers gone by. Was it one by the Beach Boys, Beatles, Taylor Swift, Crosby Stills and Nash, the Ramones, the B-52s, Donna Summer, or Bruce Springsteen, etc etc?

Comments

Fred Klein

Summertime, Summertime by the Jamies
Scott Bloom

Thanks. Great tunes (now in my head) to start the day
Shelley Simpson

It might be an illusion since I don't change much of what I do with the seasons; it does seem that, by George, it is "Summer Time, and the Living is easy ..."
Daniel Schwartz

Nothing in particular strikes me for the summer, but just mentioning the B52's you have to love Rock Lobster. We had a shark bite victim (just a flesh wound on their leg) on the 4th in Cocoa Beach, everyone was called out of the water in a panic and of course, the Jaws theme came to mind.
ODEY RAVIV

B 52’s are summer song masters!
Sharks and Jaws forever intertwined!
Cynthia Somma

How funny that you mention Nelly, Ride wit me is one of my all-time favorites!
Corey Bearak

Jeez too many. Some are one hit wonders like Mango Jerry's In The Summertime and Katie and the Waves' Walking On Sunshine. Some just got released ahead of or during summer; think Maggie May, L.A. Woman, Brown Sugar, It's Too Later, Baba O'Riley, Goin' Mobile, Happy, Long Promised Road, Vahevalla, 24 Hours At a Time, Keep on Trying.......

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