Summer has finally come!!! And, to commemorate this wonderful time in our lives, I pulled together Her Campus Princeton’s favorite “Summer” songs. There’s a great mix here, from jazz to hip-hop, from mellow to party, and from old to new. There are even songs I’ve never heard of. Hopefully, you’ll enjoy our Summer playlist.
1. “Summertime” by Louis Armstrong & Billie Holiday (1957) – This is a lovely, jazzy, sensational song. The strong duo of Louis and Billie make this a strong and beautiful melody, full of love and relaxation.
2. “Summer Breeze” – Seals and Crofts (1972) – A great soft-soul song is all about being relaxed in the summer breeze. It’s a great song to lie around listening to. Also, there are several covers of this song that I love including ones by Bob Baldwin (instrumental), The Isley Brothers (my personal favorite), and the newest one out by Jason Mraz.
3. “Summer Nights” by John Travolta & Olivia Newton-John (1978) – This song from the musical Grease is a classic. It is the epitome of summer romance songs. If you haven’t heard this before, put that on the top of your to-do list.
4. “Hot Fun in the Summertime” by Sly and the Family Stone (1981) – Another mellow tune, but it reminds me of laying out in the beach and just relaxing. It’s all about the “hot fun” of romance in the summer. It’s kind of a short song, but its great all the more.
5. “Summer” by Sum 41 (2001) – Now, this is different from the other summer songs I’ve heard so far. This song is super energetic is a shocker, and a great song to rock out to. Definitely full of summer spirit.
6. “Summer Again” by The Afters (2008)– I really like this soft ballad about a man trying to save a girl from falling into “October.” Its very sad, but the voice and the music are beautiful.
7. “Cruel Summer” by Bananarama (1984) – A song from the eighties means big hair and wonderful fashion. Also, this almost-classic song about being left alone all summer. It’s very catchy, so give it a try.
8. “Summer Love” – Justin Timberlake (2006) – A J.T. song is pretty much all about love and moving beyond the summer hook-up stage, and this is no exception. However, this song has that mix of mellow-ness and dance beats that makes a great J.T. song.
9. “Summer” by The Summer Project (2010) – I love the band in this song; it just sounds great. However, this song seems to be all about what people don’t want to think about during summer, leaving people you love behind at the start and end of summer. It’s a fairly new and unheard song, but it’s worth listening to it a few times.
10. “Summer Nights” by Rascal Flatts (2009) – I’m not a big country fan, but even I know that country songs make some of the best summer songs. This song brings out the partying spirit of summer.
11. “Summertime” by Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince (1990)– That’s right, it’s the Fresh Prince. And all he wants is for the world to mellow out. It’s really about calming out and living daily life as peacefully as possible.
12. “Summer” – David Garrett (2009) – This rock-classical piece is the complete opposite of every song so far. While every song (except Sum 41’s) was about mellowing out, this song is the fastest, loudest, and most energetic. Even if you’re not into classical music, I promise that you’ll enjoy this.
13. “The Boys of Summer” by The Ataris (2003) – Another great rock song. This one’s about a boy waiting for a girl to get over her summer crushes. Its kind of sad, but really energetic at the same time.
14. “Summer Days” by Phoenix (2000) –This song, from some of Phoenix’s earlier work, is a good laid-back song about taking your time and enjoying life. Definitely want I want to do this summer.
15. “Summertime Blues” by The Black Keys (2004) – This song is a great blues song and it was actually only released on the Japanese edition of this album. It’s all about the blues, but the music sends a great vibe, and I really like this song.
* The song’s are in no particular order. There’s no meaning behind the numbers
P.S. In the midst of our summer song hunt, we’ve also found a few great non-“Summer” summer songs, that we’d also think you’d enjoy.
1. “School’s Out” by Alice Cooper – This song pretty much shows all the school-related excitement I have at the moment.
2. “We Don’t Care” by Let’s Get It – This song was just recently released a few weeks ago, and the band’s first album comes out on 5/24. It’s a mix of alternative rock and jazz, and is a great new song for the summer.
3. “Surfin’ U.S.A.” by The Beach Boys – The Beach Boys are the icon of summer. I couldn’t leave them out. And, surfer chick or not, this is the classic summer song.
4. “Chasing the Night” by Every Avenue – Anyone remember them from Lawnparties? Well, I figured this was just not a great summer song, but a great song to just listen to and enjoy life and friends with.
5. “Getting’ Jiggy Wit It” by Will Smith – This song and the music video are just silly, but I think that’s one of the great things about summer. You can be silly, enjoy the parties and beaches, and have a great time with no worries.
So, have a great summer. And don’t hold back. Make this a summer to forever remember!
Image Credit: Here