There’s nothing worse than blasting the radio during your summer road trip and hearing the same five songs over and over again, and if you let your BFF man the radio, she’ll change the station every three minutes. No good! So our staff is coming to the rescue again with another playlist that will just scream summer for you and your buds. There’s nothing like a good list of tunes to get you dancing in the summer sun, so check out this set of fifteen songs chosen by us, especially for you.
1. “I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)” – Whitney Houston
You know that feeling you get when you walk out of your last exam or hand in that final paper? That feeling is this song. No, really. Don’t you wanna dance with me, baby? Now that summer is here, we totally want to dance. And there’s nothing quite like some old-school 80s Whitney to get the jam sesh rolling!
Our fave line: “I wanna dance with somebody/ I wanna feel the heat with somebody”
2. “The Beat” – Ben Rector
Speaking of dancing, this “beat” by Ben Rector is another great way to start out the summer. It’s all about a girl who goes to club to dance her troubles away. And right after the end of a rough semester, we totally know that feel.
Our fave line: “And then the beat comes/ And then she’s moving on the dance floor”
3. “Tik Tik Boom” – Britney Spears
All this dancing has us craving some club music – so we turn, of course, to Britney! This song is sexy and catchy. And it definitely exudes that devil-may-care summer attitude!
Our fave line: “Hush, please no more games/ No more of the same thing”
4. “It Won’t Stop” – Sevyn Streeter (ft. Chris Brown)
We love Sevyn Streeter. She has an amazing voice, and she’s so super-fab! Just listen to this song; it’s got that chill sort of vibe to it. Perfect for a low-key beach day. Now if only we could learn her sick dance moves!
Our fave line: “Every little thing you do got me feeling some type of way/ When you give me that thunder you make my summer rain”
5. “Red Red Wine” – UB40
If you’re looking for more low-key music, you’ve found it with this song. British reggae/pop is super chill and perfect to relax to. So pour some red, red wine and treat yourself to a spa day.
Our fave line: “Red, red wine/ Stay close to me”
6. “Sunshine” – Matisyahu
We’re following up UB40 with another Reggae-esque jam. We can’t get enough of this happy-go-lucky song by Matisyahu. Seriously; try not to smile while listening to this song. We’ll bet you can’t. His happiness is infectious. Go and spread some smiles by humming this jam as you walk along the beach.
Our fave line: “Forever by my side/ You’re my golden sunshine”
7. “Summertime” – Fresh Prince and DJ Jazzy Jeff
Is there anything better than Will Smith as the Fresh Prince of Bel Air? If there is, we certainly can’t think of it—at least, not while we’re enraptured in this four minutes of 90s reminiscence. This fantastic duo can’t be beat. We think it should be law that this song be played as the official anthem of the first day of summer.
Our fave line: “There’s an air of love and of happiness/ And this is the Fresh Prince’s new definition of summer madness”
8. “Safe and Sound” – Capital Cities
This pop jam by Capital Cities has infected radio stations everywhere. It’s got a rocking beat, and personally, I love the trumpet bits. This is a great road-trip song, mostly because it’s almost always playing on the radio anyway.
Our fave line: “Even if the sky is falling down/ I know that we’ll be safe and sound”
9. “Something Beautiful” – Needtobreathe
Needtobreathe is such an awesome alterna-rock group. Bear Rinehart’s voice is soothing and coarse at the same time – the sort of combo that sends chills up your spine when you hear it. We love these boys, and we think there music sure is something beautiful.
Our fave line: “And the water is risin’ quick/ And for years I was scared of it/ We can’t be sure when it will subside”
10. “Midnight City” – M83
While this song has an eerie, haunting vibe, we can’t help but love it. It’s not your typical party song, but we adore the backbeat. This song is an easy one to jam to without even realizing it.
Our fave line: “Drinking in the lounge/ Following the neon signs”
11. “Adolescent Fluorescent” – Arctic Monkeys
We’ve brought the Arctic Monkeys back for another Staff Playlist because this song totally screams summer fun. What’s more movie-college-summer than being a little bit of a troublemaker (or thinking back to when you were, as the case may be)!
Our fave line: “That Bloody Mary’s lacking in Tabasco/ Remember when you used to be a rascal?”
12. “Take You Higher” – Goodwill & Hook N Sling
This song makes us want to go for a random spur-of-the-moment road trip with a total stranger (but we don’t recommend that – seriously, don’t do it; it’s dangerous). At the very least it makes us want to meet new people and make new friends – or maybe find a summer fling!
Our fave line: “She said “Hello, Mister/ Pleased to meet you”/ I wanna hold her/ I wanna kiss her”
13. “Please Don’t Go” – Mike Posner
We’ve never been more aware of how quickly time passes than when we’re listening to this song. How many days are left of summer? Only that many? If only we really could run away from tomorrow… that’s one day closer to the end of summer. But we still really dig this song.
Our fave line: “I stay running from tomorrow”
14. “Officially Missing You” – Tamia
This song might be from 2006, but we are so feeling it now. How is summer almost over? Didn’t it just start yesterday? We’ve still got a week, but we’re already missing summer! You know what else we’re missing? Tamia’s voice at the end of this song! Replay!
Our fave line: “Just a week ago you were my baby/ Now I don’t even know you at all”
15. “More Time” – Needtobreathe
Well, the summer’s over, and we totally wish it weren’t. Can we go back to the day after our last final? Just a few more months of summer – that’s all we need! At least we’ve got this awesome Needtobreathe song as a consolation. These boys can make even the last day of summer feel like a party.
Our fave line: “Cause I need more time/ Just a few more months and we’ll be fine”
Happy summer, collegiettes! We’ll see you back here in September. HCXO!