5 of the Best ‘Summer’ Songs

Summer seems to be a rich topic for songwriters. There's a multitude of songs with the word summer in them. And I like a lot of them. But I love a handful. Here, in no particular order, are my five favorite songs with “summer” in the title:

Summertime
DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince (1991)

Their use of the 1975 Kool & the Gang B-side, “Summer Madness” fits perfectly with the mellow vibe of the rap. And I love how the lyrics work in all things associated with summer; the BBQ's, the cruisin', the hangin' at the park. Or as the Fresh Prince puts it, “the way that people respond to summer madness.” To borrow a 90's phrase, this song is dope!

All Summer Long
Kid Rock (2008)

Mixing samples of “Sweet Home Alabama” with “Werewolves of London” is genius. And although the song chronicles the summer of 1989 in Northern Michigan, lyrics like “And we were trying different things, and we were smoking funny things” reminds me of a summer a decade earlier in my small Texas town: the summer between my junior and senior year. Hey, don't judge. I was going through an experimental phase.

Summer Breeze
The Isley Brothers (1973)

I just love how The Isley's souled out the Seals & Croft pop classic. The way they mix their brand of R&B with what would become their signature rock guitar sound throughout the rest of the 70's is, in a word, sweet.

Sausalito Summernight
Diesel (1980)

The catchy guitar line, the plentiful sing-a-long hooks … what's not to like about this early 80's Steve Miller-ish sounding driving song?

Summer Nights
Lil Rob (2005)

I love the kick back vibe of this song and the imagery it evokes. I've never owned a rag top, but when I listen to this song I can picture myself cruisin' in one with my lady. Aahhh yyeeaaahhhh.