It’s officially Summer! Yay!!!
I LOVE Summer!
Swimming, sunbathing, stargazing.
Boating, fishing, outdoor movies.
Enjoying a glass of wine on the patio at night watching fireflies.
There are so many fun things to do in the Summertime – it’s my most favorite season of all!
I wrote an article “10 Free and Fun Activities To Do This Summer to Make Summer Last Longer” that has some fun Summer ideas. But you also need a Summer playlist of hot Summer songs!
Music brings back memories. Have you ever heard a song that you haven’t heard in a long time, and all of a sudden you’re brought right back to a Summer day in your past when you first heard that song? You can remember what you were doing, who you were hanging out with, and where you were. Those music memories are powerful!
Here’s an eclectic list (in no particular order) of some great Summer songs that might take you back. Enjoy!
“School’s Out for Summer” by Alice Cooper (1972)
Of course, this song is a Summer must-listen. I think we wore this record out every Summer when school let out! I remember listening to this song on the radio while driving around right after high school. You just can’t help but sing along to this one!
“Wipe Out” by the Surfaris (1963)
Here’s an awesome Summer tune that will get you up and dancing! You can’t help but break out into “The Swim”! Makes you feel like you’re on a surfboard when you hear this song, doesn’t it? A summer beach classic!
“Paradise City” by Guns N’ Roses (1987)
This was a song we listened to on the beaches of Lake Calhoun all Summer while windsurfing. This song might have been what inspired air guitar – LOL.
“Escape (The Pina Colada Song)” by Rupert Holmes (1979)
Cheesy? Yep. Sappy? You bet. But oh what a great summertime “cheating romance” tune!
“Margaritaville” by Jimmy Buffet (1978)
While disco boogied on, Jimmy Buffet took us all on a little trip to “Margaritaville” back in ’78… some of us never came back!
“Good Vibrations” by Beach Boys (1966)
This song is a classic Summer song! A great tune to play after the sun went down, and the fires were going on the beaches. Nice easy groove.
“Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polkadot Bikini” by Brian Hyland (1960)
Ok, maybe this one’s a bit campy, but it always makes me smile when I hear it.
“Born To Be Wild” by Steppenwolf (1968)
Grab your beach bag, jump in the backseat, drop the top, and “head out on the highway”! Whether you’re a drop-top convertible kind of gal, or a bad-ass biker – this song makes you want to hit the road and have the wind in your hair!
“Kokomo” by The Beach Boys (1988)
You can’t listen to this song with your eyes closed without picturing yourself on a beautiful sand beach in a tropical island setting!
“Hot Blooded” by Foreigner (1978)
You know how you sometimes get the lyrics of a song wrong on accident? This one was on purpose. For me, this will always be “Hot Butted”… It was playing on the radio all Summer while we drove around in my friends Firebird, as I sat on that hot center console. Yeah, good memories!
“In The Summertime” by Mungo Jerry (1970)
I remember hearing this song on the radio, and I couldn’t help but sing along every time!
“Let It Whip” by Dazz Band (1982)
This song was playing on the radio when my husband and I were first dating and were cruising around in his Mazda RX7. Very fond memories for me whenever I hear this song!
“Let’s Go Crazy” by Prince (1984)
Prince is one of my all-time favorite musicians – and this tune is a perfect get-up-on-your-feet-and-move song! Definitely a song we played while on the beach, and on the way to the beach.
“Crazy Little Thing Called Love” by Queen (1980)
My other all-time favorite band! Freddy Mercury was a unique individual with unbelievable talent. This was a song that was played over and over again on the jukebox at our favorite local pizzeria hang-out in the Summer. I’ll take a Godfather’s Supreme Pizza, hold the anchovies….
“Jump” by Van Halen (1984)
Van Halen in their heyday, with David Lee Roth as their high-kicking, energetic front man. “JUMP!”
“Red Red Wine” by UB40 (1988)
English, Scottish, Irish, and Jamaican guys get together, form a band, and perform a version of Neil Diamond’s Red Red Wine (circa ’68)… with a reggae twist?! Heck yeah! Now pass me that bottle and a Solo cup…
“The Boys of Summer” by Don Henley (1984)
The quintessential, cruisin’ with your friends song! Oooh baby – where did I put those RayBans, stirrup pants, and my padded-shoulder jacket?
What are YOUR favorite Summer songs? Share in a comment below – I’d love to hear the songs that move you.
