Aside from the obvious stuff like "Summer in the City" or "Summertime Blues" where summer is in the lyrics, what songs make you think of summer and why?  Is it because they were popular during the summer months during a key phase of your life, or is it a particular kind of upbeat medley that helps to cement it as a summer song for you?

Examples!!

The Go-Go's ,"We Got the Beat" always felt like a summer song for me, though I don't associate it with any particular thing in the summer of the year it was out.  Heck, not even sure it was out then.

Obvious as it sounds, but Mungo Jerry's In The Summertime always does it for me.

We I hear I Recall A Gypsy Woman by Don Williams that brings back memories of the hot summer of 1976 (in the UK).

The Dangerous Type by the Cars.  I think I was just stuck on that song one summer and it always brings me back.

oddly enough, "Our House" by Madness is one I think I would throw in there now... I just listened to it, and I remember that from summer camp for some reason and it just seems like a summer song to me now as I listen to it, though I break out the Madness several times a year.

I spent many weeks at summer camps growing up, and I remember my counselors one year playing a lot of Judas Priest and Motley Crue (at a Christian camp no less), yet I don't associate any of their work as being summer songs.  Nor many of the other songs I seem to have tied with summer camp memories, like "Der Komissar" or "Hooked on Classics" (don't ask!)

Holiday Road by Lindsay Buckingham (this song is on the movie, National Lampoon's Vacation)

Walking On Sunshine, Katrina & The Waves

Holiday Road by Lindsay Buckingham (this song is on the movie, National Lampoon's Vacation)

Walking On Sunshine, Katrina & The Waves
Oooh, Holiday Road is a good one!  8)

I think upbeat music in general evokes a Summertime feeling, just because it's happy and carefree sounding (that means lots of '80s songs would count, lol). It kinda goes along with tropical music to me.

Here's some off my head that I think would be a good Summer soundtrack (some aren't as obvious):

Cruel Summer - Bananarama
Summer of '69 - Bryan Adams
All Night Long - Lionel Richie
Rush Rush - Paula
The Boys of Summer - Don Henley (it's kinda dark and carefree at the same time, lol)
Take on Me - A-ha
California Girls - David Lee Roth
Kokomo - Beach Boys (most of their music does actually)
Heaven is a Place on Earth - Belinda Carlisle
Waiting For a Star to Fall - Boy Meets Girl (reminds me of Hawaii)
Margaritaville - Jimmy Buffett
Magic - The Cars
Two Hearts - Phil Collins
Caribbean Queen - Billy Ocean (his music reminds me of Florida, and I think he's from Trinidad too)

Here's a few that makes me think of Summer....a lot of them taking me back to the Summers of my life.  :)

Summertime - DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince
Cruel Summer - Bananarama
Unbelievable - EMF (the title of the song makes me think of the summer temperatures  ;D)
Right Here Right Now - Jesus Jones
Into the Groove - Madonna
La Bomba - Ricky Martin
Por Amor - Thalia
Que te pasa - Yuri
The Rhythm Is Gonna Get You - Gloria Estefan and Miami Sound Machine
Heat of the Moment - Asia
Forever Your Girl - Paula Abdul
Poison - Bell Biv Devoe
I Just Died In Your Arms Tonight - Cutting Crew
New Sensation - INXS
Where's the Party - Madonna
Please Don't Go Girl - New Kids on the Block
Come Go With Me - Expose
Let Me Be the One - Expose
Hooked On You - Sweet Sensation

Ok, I think I'll stop there.  ;D

Anything by The Beach Boys

Our Lips Are Sealed - The Go Gos

I think upbeat music in general evokes a Summertime feeling, just because it's happy and carefree sounding (that means lots of '80s songs would count, lol). It kinda goes along with tropical music to me.

Here's some off my head that I think would be a good Summer soundtrack (some aren't as obvious):

Cruel Summer - Bananarama
Summer of '69 - Bryan Adams
All Night Long - Lionel Richie
Rush Rush - Paula
The Boys of Summer - Don Henley (it's kinda dark and carefree at the same time, lol)
Take on Me - A-ha
California Girls - David Lee Roth
Kokomo - Beach Boys (most of their music does actually)
Heaven is a Place on Earth - Belinda Carlisle
Waiting For a Star to Fall - Boy Meets Girl (reminds me of Hawaii)
Margaritaville - Jimmy Buffett
Magic - The Cars
Two Hearts - Phil Collins
Caribbean Queen - Billy Ocean (his music reminds me of Florida, and I think he's from Trinidad too)



Here's a few that makes me think of Summer....a lot of them taking me back to the Summers of my life.   :)

Summertime - DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince
Cruel Summer - Bananarama
Unbelievable - EMF (the title of the song makes me think of the summer temperatures  ;D)
Right Here Right Now - Jesus Jones
Into the Groove - Madonna
La Bomba - Ricky Martin
Por Amor - Thalia
Que te pasa - Yuri
The Rhythm Is Gonna Get You - Gloria Estefan and Miami Sound Machine
Heat of the Moment - Asia
Forever Your Girl - Paula Abdul
Poison - Bell Biv Devoe
I Just Died In Your Arms Tonight - Cutting Crew
New Sensation - INXS
Where's the Party - Madonna
Please Don't Go Girl - New Kids on the Block
Come Go With Me - Expose
Let Me Be the One - Expose
Hooked On You - Sweet Sensation

Ok, I think I'll stop there.  ;D



Great lists. You guys named alot of the same songs I was thinking about. :)

Other than those songs, "Dance The Night Away" by Van Halen, "These Dreams" by Heart, "Wildfire" by Michael Murphy, "Thunder Road" by Bruce Springsteen, and "In The House Of Stone And Light" by Martin Page are some random songs that remind me of summers when I was a kid, even if none of those songs have anything to do with summer.

Summer Time-Jazzy Jeff and Fresh Prince(1991) and New Kids On The Block(2008)-they are different songs-same titles.
Can;t Help Falling In Love-UB 40(1993)(#1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in July of 1993)

These were all played during summer months wherever I was at, whether it be on radio or in the clubs:

"Summergirls" - Dino
"I Think We're Alone Now" - Tiffany
"I Ran" - A Flock Of Seagulls
"Iko Iko" - Belle Stars
"Montego Bay" - Amazulu
"Head To Toe" - Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam
"Sunrise" - Simply Red
"Better Off Alone" - Alice Deejay
"Bring Me Edelweiss" - Edelweiss
"Spin That Wheel" - Hi Tek 3
"The Power" - Snap
"Gypsy Woman (She's Homeless)" - Crystal Waters
"Back In Time" - Huey Lewis & The News
"Rumors" - Timex Social Club
"Walk This Way" - RUN-D.M.C.

'It's Over' - Funkmasters

A reasonably big UK hit in the long, hot summer of '83...just hearing the first few seconds immediately transports me back to that time!

Great lists. You guys named alot of the same songs I was thinking about. :)

Other than those songs, "Dance The Night Away" by Van Halen, "These Dreams" by Heart, "Wildfire" by Michael Murphy, "Thunder Road" by Bruce Springsteen, and "In The House Of Stone And Light" by Martin Page are some random songs that remind me of summers when I was a kid, even if none of those songs have nothing to do with summer.



Yeah, it's funny how we associate our own memories of songs into how we perceive them, whether or not it even fits. Like since I first heard "Waiting for a Star to Fall" when my parents and some family friends were on vacation in Hawaii in 1988, it automatically seems vacational to me.

That was over Christmas too actually, but it's always Summerlike over there, lol.

Christmas songs, being in the southern hemispere. (even songs about snow, lol)

Basically anything with the word "summer" or "sun", "sunshine", "heat", etc in the title.

Reggae/dub songs have that distinct summer feel.

and others

'Wave Babies' by Honeymoon Suite (1984)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZlm4-61SHY

The video for this song was filmed on the Glenora Ferry and at Sandbanks Provincial Park in Picton, Ontario (The park consists of three beaches:  Sandbanks, Dunes and Outlet Beach.  They also have a camping area).  When I was a kid, my mom took us to there sometimes during the summer, and we'd take the Glenora Ferry (It's about a 30 minute drive from where I live).

On a similar note, the 45 rpm for 'Wave Babies' was the first 45 I ever bought, just for this reason alone.  It takes me back to those great summers I had at the beach 8)

http://www.vinyltap.co.uk/gallery/ho/honeywb4974281503101190.jpg

Rio by Duran Duran, it reminds me of countless hours at the pool.

Gonna second the nomination for the Go-Go's We Got The Beat.  And anything else that showed up in the soundtrack for Fast Times at Ridgemont High.  More recently from the Go-Go's, I'll take Stuck In My Car (2001) on a roadtrip.  As long as I've got a girl group in the mix, I'll toss in Roxette's Joyride. And just about anything from the B-52s.

Maybe do some Reflex, Politics of Dancing in there, to bridge us to...

...the one I'd pick if I was stuck down to one "summer" track.  The Other Ones, Holiday, 1986.  ("Another holiday" "Holla-holla-ho, and a-holla-holla-hey, another holiday" "Distant lands are not so far away / I don't know why we don't go / Take my hand, I'll show you the way / Pack your bags and sail away...")

Going further back, I'll take Diesel, Sausalito Summernight, 1981.  And if we're going to bring guitars/rock into the mix, it's gotta have Sammy Hagar's I Can't Drive 55, 1983, and anything by the late-80s self-parody that was Zodiac Mindwarp.

Karma to whistledog for the CanCon pop-metal of Honeymoon Suite, which I'll up by adding Helix: Heavy Metal Love, Rock You, Gimme Good Lovin', and Kids Are All Shakin'.  And don't make me drag out the Lee Aaron, Hot to be Rocked.

Going forward a decade or two, (although I suppose the "electro" movement of the dot-com era is also "retro" by now), I'll go with something like Apollo 440, Stop the Rock or Altamont Super-Highway Revisited, and just about anything by the Prodigy or the Chemical Brothers, with bonus points if it was in the soundtrack to the movie Hackers or The Matrix.

My fave is Beach Baby.

Great lists here - I agree with almost all of them.  I would just add Endless Summer Nights by Richard Marx.  That song gets me every time.

These were all played during summer months wherever I was at, whether it be on radio or in the clubs:

"Summergirls" - Dino
"I Think We're Alone Now" - Tiffany
"I Ran" - A Flock Of Seagulls
"Iko Iko" - Belle Stars
"Montego Bay" - Amazulu
"Head To Toe" - Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam
"Sunrise" - Simply Red
"Better Off Alone" - Alice Deejay
"Bring Me Edelweiss" - Edelweiss
"Spin That Wheel" - Hi Tek 3
"The Power" - Snap
"Gypsy Woman (She's Homeless)" - Crystal Waters
"Back In Time" - Huey Lewis & The News
"Rumors" - Timex Social Club
"Walk This Way" - RUN-D.M.C.

I ran By flock of segulls.. I heard it on the way to the hospital in llabor for my daughter,and it kept running though my head.
Her b'day is July 30th.
But my fav summer song memories are being on the beach in the mid sixties and everybody's' transistor radios all being tuned to WMCA "The good guys" I grew up near NYC  playing the top 40 songs.

Great topic.

Here is my list.


Cruel Summer-Bananarama
Suddenly Last Summer-The Motels
Circle in the Sand-Belinda Carlyle (specifically summer of 1989)
Beach Baby- First Class (specifically summer of 1974(?) )
Anything by the Beach Boys
Sealed With a Kiss-Brian Hyland
Summer Nights-John Travolta & Olivia Newton John
You Took the Words Right out of my Mouth-Meatloaf ("On a hot summer night, would you offer your throat to the wolf with the red roses?") (specifically summer of 1979/summer of 1980)
Paradise by the Dashboard Light-Meatloaf (specifically summer of 1979/summer of 1980)
Smooth-Santana
Remember (Walking in the Sand)-Shangri-Las
Afternoon Delight-Starland Vocal Band (specifically summer of 1976)
I'd Really Love To See You Tonight-England Dan & John Ford Coley (specifically summer of 1976)


I'm sure I will think of more later.



Cat

Elton John's 1970's hits:  Honky Cat, Crocodile Rock, Little Jeannie, Philadelphia Freedom, Don't Let the Sun Go Down On Me, etc.

It's something about his style from that era which just screams "summer" and seems designed for listening outside on lazy warm summer afternoons.  Philadelphia Freedom also specifically reminds me of the U.S. Bicentennial and the Summer of '76.  It wasn't until recently that I learned that the song was actually about Billie Jean King.



Aside from the obvious stuff like "Summer in the City" or "Summertime Blues" where summer is in the lyrics, what songs make you think of summer and why?  Is it because they were popular during the summer months during a key phase of your life, or is it a particular kind of upbeat medley that helps to cement it as a summer song for you?

Examples!!

The Go-Go's ,"We Got the Beat" always felt like a summer song for me, though I don't associate it with any particular thing in the summer of the year it was out.  Heck, not even sure it was out then.

Agree with most of your list, but I've always associated "The Boys of Summer" with autumn.

I kept hearing it all the time during the fall of ... what was it, '84?  Moreover the lyrics "empty streets ... the sun goes down alone ... after the boys of summer have gone" makes it sounds like summer is irretrevably over.  Plus the tune itself just sounds so depressing and lonely ==> autumn.


I think upbeat music in general evokes a Summertime feeling, just because it's happy and carefree sounding (that means lots of '80s songs would count, lol). It kinda goes along with tropical music to me.

Here's some off my head that I think would be a good Summer soundtrack (some aren't as obvious):

Cruel Summer - Bananarama
Summer of '69 - Bryan Adams
All Night Long - Lionel Richie
Rush Rush - Paula
The Boys of Summer - Don Henley (it's kinda dark and carefree at the same time, lol)
Take on Me - A-ha
California Girls - David Lee Roth
Kokomo - Beach Boys (most of their music does actually)
Heaven is a Place on Earth - Belinda Carlisle
Waiting For a Star to Fall - Boy Meets Girl (reminds me of Hawaii)
Margaritaville - Jimmy Buffett
Magic - The Cars
Two Hearts - Phil Collins
Caribbean Queen - Billy Ocean (his music reminds me of Florida, and I think he's from Trinidad too)

oddly enough, "Our House" by Madness is one I think I would throw in there now... I just listened to it, and I remember that from summer camp for some reason and it just seems like a summer song to me now as I listen to it, though I break out the Madness several times a year.

I spent many weeks at summer camps growing up, and I remember my counselors one year playing a lot of Judas Priest and Motley Crue (at a Christian camp no less), yet I don't associate any of their work as being summer songs.  Nor many of the other songs I seem to have tied with summer camp memories, like "Der Komissar" or "Hooked on Classics" (don't ask!)


I agree: "Der Komissar" I've always associated with autumn and "Hooked on Classics" with winter.  (The latter because it was so popular during the winter of '... 81-'82 (I think))

Saturday In The Park by Chicago screams summer! Love it!  :) Also, Schools Out For Summer, Here Comes The Sun, Under The Boardwalk

Here's a few you probably won't know...


Peter Gelderblom - Waiting 4
I remember hearing this track for the first time, and thinking: WTF?!? :o Who's been butchering Red Hot Chili Peppers?  >:(
Little did I know it was to become one of the biggest hits of the year...It was played throughout the summer (well, summer... ::))

Underdog Project vs. Sunclub - Summerjam 2003
Summer of 2003, clearly. Hottest summer in years, and this song was just what we needed. 8)

Jody Bernal - Que Si, Que No
Summer 2000, and easily the biggest hit of the year.

Sasha - If You Believe
Summer of 1999, and like the Shania Twain song (see below) it kept playing on the radio...

Dario G - Carnaval De Paris
Summer of 1998, World Cup in France... and of course we should've won. ;) To me, this tune IS summer.

Bellini - Samba De Janeiro
Summer of 1997. What more can I say?

The Sunclub - Fiesta
Also from 1997. A big hit, and it worked again in 2003 (see up).





And some that you do...

Kaoma - Lambada
...although it was actually fall when this hit our charts.

Shania Twain - That Don't Impress Me Much
Summer of 1999, and it kept playing on the radio while I was busy decorating my new home.

Saturday In The Park by Chicago screams summer! Love it!  :) Also, Schools Out For Summer, Here Comes The Sun, Under The Boardwalk



I also think of spring when I hear "Here Comes The Sun".  But I do agree with you on the others.

Some others that I forgot (which I knew I would think of more lol)


Summertime-From Porgy & Bess. (Personally I think Sam Cooke does an outstanding rendition of this song).
Black Velvet-Alannah Myles


I'm sure more will come to me, later.



Cat

Ataris - Boys of the Summer
Len - If you steal my sunshine
Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit

  "Raspberry Beret" reminds me of summer...

  Don't know why...

  "Raspberry Beret" reminds me of summer...

  Don't know why...


I think that came out right before the summer of '85.

Summer by War is my favorite.

Cause it's summer
Summer time is here
Yes it's summer
My time of year

Summer Holiday by Cliff Richard and The Shadows

Love shack by B-52s - the video is so sunny!

Love shack by B-52s - the video is so sunny!


I saw that one the other day and it's definitely a 'summer-type' video!  :D

I saw that one the other day and it's definitely a 'summer-type' video!  :D


Interestingly enough, I was discussing the video with a few friends at work and they thought the male singer was creepy - I thought he was dead funny personally but there you go, lol.

The Cars: Magic
Elvis Costello: The Other Side of Summer
Aztec Camera: We Could Send Letters
The Cure: Close to Me
The Stranglers: Midnight Summer's Dream

oddly enough, "Our House" by Madness is one I think I would throw in there now... I just listened to it, and I remember that from summer camp for some reason and it just seems like a summer song to me now as I listen to it, though I break out the Madness several times a year.


That was at its peak in the summer of 1983 peaking on ATF at #12.  However, it was heavy rotation on MTV, which wasn't figuring into Billboard.

The sad thing is Madness gets lumped in with One Hit Wonders.  They had a dozen UK top 20 hits by the time "Our House" came out.  A follow-up single "It Must Be Love" was also a U.S. top 40 hit.  A One Hit Wonder is something like Zager & Evans "In the Year 2525"!
:D

Love shack by B-52s - the video is so sunny!



For me it is Rock Lobster by the B-52s.



Cat

The sad thing is Madness gets lumped in with One Hit Wonders.  They had a dozen UK top 20 hits by the time "Our House" came out.  A follow-up single "It Must Be Love" was also a U.S. top 40 hit.  A One Hit Wonder is something like Zager & Evans "In the Year 2525"!
:D


I completely agree with you, Max.

Madness are one of my favourite bands and, in the UK, they were an essential part of the early 80s scene. Songs like One step beyond, Our House, Baggy Trousers, House of Fun, Shut up, My girl, Driving in my car, Uncle Sam, Michael Caine, It must be love are all so cleverly put together.

I believe Madness were too British to get over in the US (for example the lead singer Suggs was not afraid to use his London accent or the English slice of life he often drew from in his songs - for example, Baggy Trousers was about schooldays and being a kid in 60s-70s England).

The fact that 'Our House' made it to the US pleasantly surprises me. :)

I completely agree with you, Max.

Madness are one of my favourite bands and, in the UK, they were an essential part of the early 80s scene. Songs like One step beyond, Our House, Baggy Trousers, House of Fun, Shut up, My girl, Driving in my car, Uncle Sam, Michael Caine, It must be love are all so cleverly put together.

I believe Madness were too British to get over in the US (for example the lead singer Suggs was not afraid to use his London accent or the English slice of life he often drew from in his songs - for example, Baggy Trousers was about schooldays and being a kid in 60s-70s England).

The fact that 'Our House' made it to the US pleasantly surprises me. :)


1983 was the height of what we called the Second British Invasion, so Brit pop was all the rage.  "Our House" was really an MTV-generated hit.  Here the band's sardonic side was absent while the cute and cuddly English thing reminded us of the early Beatles or something.
:)

I agree with Maxwell.  I never heard the song Our House on the radio, however the funny video was always on MTV.  I loved that song.

Summer songs to me are upbeat, light, and fun.  The songs that make me think of summer are:

Solar Stone - Seven Cities (Atlantis Mix)  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyHMFndlFiQ

Agnelli & Nelson - Everyday (Vocal Version)  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-QKslIMiFo

Asle - Golden Sun    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8pkBWFuDRuI

Weekend Players - Into The Sun    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZnflacbwQE

Lighthouse Family - Ocean Drive    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8nY84vL2pc

1983 was the height of what we called the Second British Invasion, so Brit pop was all the rage.  "Our House" was really an MTV-generated hit.  Here the band's sardonic side was absent while the cute and cuddly English thing reminded us of the early Beatles or something.
:)



Yes, I believe the Second British Invasion was because of MTV.

What you said makes sense, especially knowing 'Our House' is more generic and user-friendly than some of their other stuff ('House of Fun' for example is about coming of age. The lyrics tell the story of a boy on his 16th birthday attempting to buy condoms at a chemist).

Here's some summer fun mindless get up and dance pop:

Jellyhead by Crush:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5d37OaNqqDs

The Police: Every Breath You Take (it was everywhere in the summer of '83)

ALESSI BROTHERS - Oh Lori

The Boys Of Summer ~ Don Henley
All Summer Long ~ Kid Rock

This one always gets me into a summer mood:

The Summer Is Magic by Playahitty

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OR8HBhUdbSs

  Girls On The Avenue    Richard Clapton

Muslimgauze: The Infidel
(all mixes)

This distinctly reminds me of driving back to my folks' place in NH on those soggy summer nights after a humid day with this Middle Eastern technobeat stuff going "thump thump thump"!
8)

Macarena..... as Clinton dances along with  :D

No,  really plenty of songs from the Beach Boys.

I reckon in this thread there is a log and good bead-string of rhytms to my ears
to listen to when the sun becomes hotter and my throat claims for cool beer.

At the moment...

Wake Me Up When September Ends ~ Green Day

  The Cars' Heartbeat City IS the summer of '84...