Summer is here: the grill is fired up, the sun is beating down, and all you want to do is take a dip in the pool. You need some tunes to go with your BBQs and late-night bonfires, though! Check out our ultimate playlist of the best summer songs to jam to this season.
- “Saturday in the Park” – Chicago
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Mnw9uiYggU[/embed]
A great summer song, this tune conjures feelings of breezy love and relaxing weekends outdoors. Our favorite is this 1973 live version.
- “School’s Out” – Alice Cooper
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBqiC5ox8Bw[/embed]
The best part of summer is the end of the school year (unless you’re a parent, of course). Alice Cooper’s hard rock anthem has been the summer chant of schoolchildren for the past three decades and is an iconic summer song.
- “4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)” – Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgFHM8HMbWQ[/embed]
This poetic symphony is an ode to Springsteen’s adopted Jersey Shore hometown. The lyrics of carnival lights and beautiful women will have you wishing for the Jersey Shore, too.
- “Summer of ‘69” – Bryan Adams
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFjjO_lhf9c[/embed]
Bryan Adams’ nostalgic hit is a classic 80s jam. Play this song at your next BBQ and everyone is bound to sing along.
- “California Gurls” – Katy Perry
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F57P9C4SAW4[/embed]
This newer song is no less iconic for its young age—2010 brought us Katy Perry’s smash hit that spoke of a land where it’s always summer.
- “Under the Boardwalk” – The Drifters
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPEqRMVnZNU[/embed]
A slow harmony by classic R&B group The Drifters, this song evokes images of slow walks on the beach and romantic summer nights.
- “Surfin’ USA” – The Beach Boys
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDb303T-B1w[/embed]
It’s impossible to have a summer playlist without the Beach Boys; for many people, their music is synonymous with the summer season. “Surfin’ USA” makes us all wish we were in the ocean!
- “Dancing in the Streets” – Martha and the Vandellas
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CdvITn5cAVc[/embed]
This song is a fun summer soul hit that will make you want to spring out of your desk and run into the street to dance.
- “Summer Girls” – LFO
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHuGG_FsC20[/embed]
This song was originally recorded as solely a demo for pop group LFO but became a smash hit. There’s something about the repetitive chorus: "for the summer, for the summer.”
- "Summertime" – DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kr0tTbTbmVA[/embed]
This song might be the ultimate nostalgic summer jam. The song samples “Summer Madness” by Kool & the Gang and is a great song to dance to.