Straight Up Summer
1. "Summer Breeze" - The Isley Brothers
I grew up with this version, so apologies to those who prefer the Seals & Crofts original.The S&C version is like an entirely different piece of music. The vibe is more softrock, and the pacing is very different, even seeming a bit rushed. On the contrary, the Isley Bros. take their time with their cover and bring a world of funk and soul to it.
2. "Summertime Blues" - Eddie Cochran
Maybe the first summer song which doesn’t idealize the season, but instead deals with the frustrations it can bring. It may not be as sunny of an approach, but being hounded by a hardassed boss and trying to make money is as relatable a summer activity for most as finding new love or surfing USA. The song is refreshingly gritty, but it is still upbeat and charming in that grittiness.
3. "All Summer Long" - The Beach Boys
There is something both dreamlike and nostalgic about every Beach Boys summer hit, and this song captures that sound magically. As soon as it begins, it has this otherworldly kind of quality that still seems so real. Lyrically, it’s almost about how fleeting summertime is (“Won’t be long till summertime is through”), but then there’s that idea of eternal youth present in all Beach Boys songs (“Not for us now”). Its length, at only about two minutes, parallels its thoughts about its subject; that is leaves as quickly as it comes. The point is to enjoy it while you
4. "Summertime" - Ella Fitzgerald/ Various Others
“Summertime” crawls through its five minutes croonily, somberly, and beautifully. It moves so slowly that it forces you to pay attention to it. The song’s lyrics are actually very positive, but it’s such a visceral sound that it goes deeper than just its words. This is a song you feel in your bones, and that’s no small thanks to the majesty of Satchmo and Ella Fitzgerald’s
5. "In The Summertime" - Mungo Jerry
No other song so adeptly describes the bliss of summer. It doesn’t take itself too seriously one of the song’s primary instruments is a man blowing into a glass jug. It’s pure, lighthearted joy, and if you don’t tap your feet at some point during its duration I pray for your soul.
6. "Summer In The City" - The Lovin' Spoonful
“Summer In The City” is unique from the songs above in that it both laments and celebrates summer. Each verse is about the insufferable heat and malaise of summer in, well, a city. Then, it erupts into a chorus about the boundless opportunity of summer nights for finding love. In this way, it is the most honest song about summer. Yeah, we all love it and many of us look forward to it all year but it also kinda sucks. There are days where the sky is just a yawn of cloudless blue and there are days where it’s hideously muggy or intolerably rainy. Still, through all of its sometimes irritating fluctuations, there’s no other time of year like it, and that’s what this song is all about.
Sixties Grooves
7. "I'm Into Something Good" - Herman's Hermits
8. "Good Lovin'" - The Young Rascals
9. "Wouldn't It Be Nice" - The Beach Boys
10. "Hot Fun In The Summertime" - Sly & The Family Stone
11. "Misirlou" - Dick Dale & the Deltones
12. "Hooked On A Feeling" - B.J. Thomas
13. "This Magic Moment" - Jay & The Americans
Sun-Centric
15. "Here Comes The Sun" - The Beatles
16. "Walking On Sunshine" - Katrina & The Waves
17. "You Are The Sunshine Of My Life" - Stevie Wonder
18. "Steal My Sunshine" - Len
19. "Aquarius/Let The Sunshine In" - The 5th Dimension
Get Me Out Of This Heat
20. "Hot N Herre" - Nelly
21. "Hot Stuff" - Donna Summer
22. "Heatwave" - Martha & The Vandellas
Miscellaneous Jams
23. "Let’s Groove" - Earth, Wind, & Fire
24. "Bright Side Of The Road" - Van Morrison
25. "California Love" - 2Pac
26."‘93 Til Infinity" - Souls Of Mischief
27. "Streets Of Bakersfield" - Dwight Yoakam & Buck Owens
28. "Lovely Day" - Bill Withers
29. "Mambo No. 5" - Lou Bega
30. "Under The Boardwalk" - The Drifters
31. "Nuthin’ But A G Thang" - Dr. Dre
32. "What’s Golden" - Jurassic 5
33. "Cold Beverage" - G. Love & The Special Sauce
34. "Move On Up" - Curtis Mayfield
35. "Land of 1.000 Dances" - Wilson Pickett
36. "Graceland" - Paul Simon
37. "Mothership Connection (Star Child)" - Parliament
38. "Love Shack" - The B-52s
39. Let’s Go Crazy - Prince
40. "Rosa Parks" - Outkast
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