REPLAY: Most Eclectic 16-track Mix for Your Summer Playlist
Song List with Commentary
Originally posted in summer 2024
HELLO, SUMMER!
NOW HEAR THIS:
An hour’s long PLAY of SUMMER for your seasonal Winnebago trip, summer flight or roadtrip. Some songs featured are moody or dark as hell, but most of the list is typical “Summer upbeat”. A few usual suspect summer play tracks made the list. Nostalgia is ever present on the list. All tracks have “summer” in their title in some form.
Pair songs with an fave cold one ( I would go for an iced chai matcha or pale ale
(don’t forget to hydrate electrolyte water !)
HEAR ALL SONGS IN THEIR ENTIRETY ON VIA SPOTIFY HERE- PLAYLIST LINK
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My reciting of “A Summer Song” by Chad and Jeremy
AND “Summertime” by Sam Cooke
Which or these— if any— make an impression on you the most?
Have a suggestion for another summer playlist? Let me know.
VID CLIPS, ALT SONG VERSIONS
AND COMMENTARY FROM THE LIST
Summer Son by Texas
Almost 66 mil plays on Spotify
Reached in Top 10 singles music charts across Europe in 1999
You can’t help but to dance or sway hard to this electrifying track!
Hear original version on the playlist, play a dance remix version and a rock-ier version of song with orchestra: BBC performance
Summer Breeze- Seals and Crofts
231 mil plus plays on Spotify
Classic song, reached TOP 10 on the US Billboard Singles
No. 13 in Rolling Stone′s "Best Summer Songs of All Time"
Dirty Black Summer by Danzig
Heaviest Track by far on the list
One of a few mainstream radio hits by Danzig
Such a beefy, swaggery song from Danzig. Photo collage of images from original music video of the song.
Cruel Summer by Bananarama
148 mil plus plays
80s anthem
Hmmm… this song probably should be obnoxious to me by now but it doesn’t get old when actually played during summer.
Summer Song by Yellowjackets
Jazziest pick of the lot
Soulful vocal
Evening vibes kind of tune. Play as the sun goes down. You’ll get chills, musically.
A Summer Song by Chad & Jeremy
A Top 10 song on the US Billboard Chart
C’est beau! A French version of "A Summer Song", entitled "Souviens-toi des nuits d'été", was released in 1965, done by Frank Alamo on the Rivièra label.
Summertime by DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince
Almost 106 mil Spotify plays
Official Summer Cookout song
Fave part: opening of song, drumtrack please at the beginning
Be taken to a time when we were more smitten by FP Will Smith or at least had a very favorable (or was way less suspect!) At least, Jeff has remained a cool character who’s been seemingly unblemished.
Summertime (Live) by Kenny Chesney No Shoes Radio link
109 mil plus plays (original version)
One of several No # 1 Country Songs by Kenny (judging various official country charts, including Billboard Hot Country)
From the very onset of the music video, Kenny defines the American idealistic “summer” to a tee.
Summertime by Sam Cooke
Originally a B-side song to his “You Send Me” record
Originally, an aria composed in 1934 by George Gershwin for the 1935 opera Porgy and Bess.
Summertime Sadness by Lana Del Rey
Most popular track of all on list: 1.5 billion plays on Spotify
It did not go number 1 in the U.S. —but did so in Poland, Ukraine and Armenia
This is actually one of Lana’s less depressing songs! Lush, haunting slow version of song performed live is a must-hear:
Summer Madness by Kool & The Gang
Most chill track- although there’s a kind of eerieness to it in the end, right? (cords from the 2:20)
Didn’t you hear part of this song before? Yeah, it’s quite sampled in “Summertime” by DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince!
Summer by Vivaldi/The Four Seasons
*Video below features different musicians from the playlist*
Lovely to play for your calm summer moments (that being said, there are some fast parts of the composition which may startle you somewhat!)
Summertime Blues by Alan Jackson
Fun “rednecky” remake of the classic song, originally released by Eddie Cochran
A number 1 country hit by the country star from Georgia
Estate- Andrea Bocelli
Estate means “summer” in Italian
Original song is an Italian
Verano by La Oreja de Van Gogh
Verano means “summer” in Spanish
Mid-tempo track about reminisicing and old summer romance
See original Spanish and English translation lyrics
The Boys of Summer by Don Henley
560 mil plays on Spotify (runner-up of Most Popular of this list on Spotify)
80s heartbeat kind of track
The song reached number 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and number 1 on the Billboard Top Rock Tracks chart.
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