Summer is right around the corner, and it is my favorite season. I love making new summer playlists every year because summer music is truly the best, but I’ve noticed that many of my playlists have been nearly identical over the years. I don’t necessarily look for new summer music to listen to, because I have a list of classic summer albums that just never get old. Here’s a list of some of my favorite summer albums if you’re looking for a way to romanticize this finals season and look forward to summer!
1. Call me if you get lost: The estate sale by tyler, the creator
I love this album for so many reasons. First of all, Call Me If You Get Lost was the first time I saw Tyler, the Creator on tour, which was a magical experience to say the least. This album transports you to a beautiful summer getaway in Geneva, Switzerland, where the skies are clear, the water is bright blue, and the surrounding environment is lush and green. It has everything you could want from a summer album–songs you could dance to (“SWEET/I THOUGHT YOU WANTED TO DANCE”), songs that hype you up (“JUGGERNAUT,” “CORSO,” and “STUNTMAN”), and beautiful songs about summer romance (“WUSYANAME” and “WHARF TALK”). It’s an immediate serotonin-booster.
2. born in the u.s.a. by bruce springsteen
This one makes the list because of the nostalgia factor. My parents are some of the biggest Bruce Springsteen fans on the planet, and this album was basically my family’s summer anthem growing up. You may have heard the song “Born in the U.S.A.,” the album’s title track, on the 4th of July. While the song may sound quite patriotic, the lyrics are actually critical of the U.S. government and its involvement in the Vietnam War. Listening to this album makes you feel like you’re hanging out with your friends in the 1970s on a hot summer day without worrying about anything else that’s going on in the world, but if you take a chance to look at the song lyrics, you’ll see that the songs are a lot more political than they sound due to their fun and upbeat tunes. Some of my favorite songs are “Dancing in the Dark,” “No Surrender,” and “Glory Days.”
3. channel orange by frank ocean
I miss Frank Ocean! This is a great album to play on a cool summer night. It’s chill, instrumental, and overall beautiful. One of my favorite songs that defines the word “summer” is “Sweet Life.” Even if I play it in the middle of winter, I’m suddenly transported to the side of a pool on a July day. “Lost,” “Pyramids,” and “Super Rich Kids” are some of my other summer favorites from this album.
4. born to die: Paradise edition by lana del rey
It wouldn’t be a summer album list without this one. Much like Springsteen, Lana captures a classic Americana feel with this album. She tunes into the more emotional, heavy, and nostalgic aspects of summer with songs like “Summertime Sadness,” “Ride,” and “Born to Die.” This album is perfect for a long summer road trip with the windows down and the radio on full blast. And, of course, don’t forget to play “National Anthem” on the 4th of July.
5. Solar power by lorde
If you want to experience an idyllic beach day through music, this is the album you need to listen to. The songs on the album are gentle, inspiring, and whimsical. “Oceanic Feeling” is one of my personal favorites; it makes me feel like I’m lying on the beach, listening to the waves roll in. The title track, “Solar Power,” is perfect to listen to in early summer, right when you are breaking through and defrosting from the cold winter you just escaped.