True, there's music for every season. Yet, when is the last time you heard somebody say, "Now that's gonna be the autumn jam of the year!" It's different with summer, which has forever spawned two distinct types of songs: those that were just really popular during those hot months (that's you, 'Thong Song'), and those that are actually about the season. So pull up a lawn chair and press play on our fave picks for top summertime pop.
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8. 'The Boys of Summer,' Don Henley
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7. 'Summer Girls,' LFO
Sun-soaked lyric: "Hip Hop Marmalade spic and span / Met you one summer and it all began."
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Sheryl Crow preaches forgetting about the day-to-day stress we all encounter, and perking up the downest of moods by relaxing in the summer sun. Work, relationships, and life in and general could be going downhill, but this song's catchy, sing-along chorus make it the perfect tune to soundtrack a sunny, summer day.
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Sun-soaked lyric: "Oh when I look back now / That summer seemed to last forever"
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10. Sun-soaked lyric: "Splashing through the sand bar, talking by the campfire / It's the simple things in life like when and where"
Kid Rock blended two classics -- Lynyrd Skynrd's 'Sweet Home Alabama' and Warren Zevon's 'Werewolves of London' -- to make one quintessentially summer song about kicking back and smoking funny things and sipping whiskey from the bottle.
9. Sun-soaked lyric: "I was frying on the bench slide in the park across the street l-a-t-e-r that week."
It was spring of 1999, not summer, when we got our first taste of this laid-back stoner classic as it warmed up the cool Doug Liman flick 'Go.' The song went on to become a monster alt-radio hit, but didn't do much to fuel the career of the Canadian four-piece behind it.
8. 'The Boys of Summer,' Don HenleySun-soaked lyric: "I can see you, your brown skin shining in the sun / You got your hair combed back and your sunglasses on, baby."
Sure, Don Henley's 'Boys of Summer' has the season in the title and even has a catchy little hook, but the song is about as uplifting and light-hearted as a funeral. The tune's haunting lyrics of loneliness and coming to realization with one's age played over chimey guitars and synthesized keyboards (not to mention the brilliant video) show this song's no day at the beach, but it's still synonymous with summer thanks to the title.
7. 'Summer Girls,' LFO
Sun-soaked lyric: "Hip Hop Marmalade spic and span / Met you one summer and it all began."
Remember back when boy bands were popping up faster than dandelions in the late 90s? Well, LFO brought us this catchy, breezy tune that's difficult to get out of your head -- reminding us of those fun, summer romances.
6. Sun-soaked lyric: "I'm gonna soak up the sun / I'm gonna tell everyone to lighten up"
Sheryl Crow preaches forgetting about the day-to-day stress we all encounter, and perking up the downest of moods by relaxing in the summer sun. Work, relationships, and life in and general could be going downhill, but this song's catchy, sing-along chorus make it the perfect tune to soundtrack a sunny, summer day.
5. Sun-soaked lyric: "I'm walking on sunshine/And don't it feel good, hey!"
No matter what time of year, the song's upbeat lyrics and melody make it nearly impossible to not sing (or bop your head to) when it comes on. This feel-good melody celebrates life and love and doesn't get much better than this. Whoaaa -- don't feel feel good!
4. Sun-soaked lyric: "Hot summer streets and the pavements are burning I sit around / Trying to smile but the air is so heavy and dry"
The first hit for the British trio played up their girl-group formula perfectly and took the girls from their cozy new wave corner of the world to new pop chart heights. Having the song included in 'The Karate Kid' didn't hurt. Later hits ('Venus') for the ladies sound dated, but this slice of sunshine continues to glisten.
3. Sun-soaked lyric: "Oh when I look back now / That summer seemed to last forever"
Adams couldn't have crammed any more images of youth into this hit. Seriously, you've got summer flings, drive-ins, five-and-dime stores, garage bands and, yes, mama's porch. Adams says the title refers to a certain physical act -- and not the year he turned 10 -- but who cares. If anything, it's just another notch in the nostalgia belt that hugs this exuberant classic.
2. Sun-soaked lyric: "Summer heat, boy and girl meet / But, oh, oh, the summer nights"
What's a summer vacation without a little romance, right? And for teens stuck at the beach with only their parents and/or siblings around, locking eyes with another stranded soul is a sure way to cure the summertime blues. Hey, if it's good enough for Danny and Sandy in 'Grease,' it's good enough for us.
1. Sun-soaked lyric: "Vacation / All I ever wanted / Vacation / Had to get away"
No one exemplifies the sound of the early '80s like post-punk girl-band The Go-Go's. Their ultimate summer pop song 'Vacation' urged the girls of 1982 to leave their man troubles behind for a week in the sun, and the girls of America responded by buying the record in droves. The album - also called 'Vacation' - went gold, and the single continues to pop up in movie soundtracks and our summer playlists, 27 years later.
