Backtracks: Summer Songs
Source: www.ew.com
100. STAY (I MISSED YOU) (1994)by Lisa Loeb
Every summer needs its lovelorn ballad along with its roof raisers, and Loeb's winsome plea fit the bill.
Download
99. TENNESSEE (1992)by Arrested Development
Yes, technically, it's a hip-hop meditation on the troubling history of the South. But only out of the classroom could a history lesson sound so smooth and intoxicating. Download
98. WE'RE AN AMERICAN BAND (1973) by Grand Funk Railroad
A paean to that greatest of summer road trips: the pavement-grabbin', money-grubbin', groupie-gropin' rock tour. Thirty-five years later, a few fathers still have their daughters locked up. Download
97. RADAR LOVE (1974) by Golden Earring
Before cellulars — before the peak of the CB craze, even — these Dutch boys had road telepathy to keep in contact with their honeys. Which was almost as cool as a fuzzbuster.
96. THE LOVE YOU SAVE (1970) by The Jackson 5
There's no better soundtrack for that sleep-away camp fling than one of the J5's peppy puppy-love anthems — just ask Jacko. Download
95. DANCING IN THE DARK (1984) by Bruce Springsteen
One of the Boss' greatest escape songs — an on-the-prowl choogler that, even better, never mentions cars. Download
94. FUNKYTOWN (1980) by Lipps Inc.
This one-hit wonder belonged to the tail end of the disco era but also presaged the techno-pop epoch about to come...totally synthetic, totally cool.
93. YAKETY YAK (1958) by The Coasters
Parents. Even in summer, there are always parents to contend with. And, not to talk back or anything, but shouldn't you folks be out in the Hamptons or something? Download
92. SUMMERTIME, SUMMERTIME (1958) by The Jamies
Harvey Keitel spent most of the 1978 film Fingers being obsessed with the Jamies' hyperchirpy seasonal glee. His fixation on their falsettos was contagious.
Download
91. GANGSTER'S PARADISE (1995) by Coolio
Slinky Stevie Wonder samples and somber lessons about the price of a life of crime. If that doesn't scream ''summer jam'' to you, then clearly you've never been a member of a violent gang or seen Dangerous Minds...fool.
Download
90. KISS FROM A ROSE (1995) by Seal
Imagine Al Green in Camelot: Hitching a medieval melody to an R&B soul, Seal delivered a stunner as haunted and timeless as ''Sea of Love.''
89. MACHO MAN (1978) by The Village People
A gay manifesto for those who ''got it''; a wedding-band staple for everyone else.
88. MY CHERIE AMOUR (1969) by Stevie Wonder
No-longer-little Stevie inspired a nation of kids to, uh, speak French. The prom never sounded so Continental.
Download
87. WATERLOO (1974) by ABBA
Couldn't resist if we wanted to. Surrender never sounded so sweet as in ABBA's first and most jubilantly Spectoresque assault on our guilty pleasure centers.
86. SUMMERTIME (1991) by D.J. Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince
Barbecues, girls, cars. Must be summer in Philly again. Download
85. THE END OF THE INNOCENCE (1989) by Don Henley
It's two, two, two innocence-lost songs in one, with Henley alternately decrying heightened, post-Iran-contra cynicism and helpfully offering to deflower some sweet thing in a field.Download
84. SAN FRANCISCO (BE SURE TO WEAR FLOWERS IN YOUR HAIR) (1967) by Scott McKenzie
Who cares how many ''gentle people'' in Haight-Ashbury really did. This cheesy siren song still makes a man pack his bags and head for the Bay.
83. MY LOVE (2006) by Justin Timberlake
Timbaland and Timberlake's greatest achievement together may have originally been released in the fall, but those breezy synths and sweet-talking lyrics (''I can see us holding hands/Walking on the beach, our toes in the sand'') are perfect for a hot summer day.
82. UNDER THE BRIDGE(1992)by Red Hot Chili Peppers
For those pensive, solitary walks on the beach, when no one understands and it doesn't matter anyway. Download
81. HOT IN HERRE (2002)by Nelly
During one of those fin de siècle summers when the Neptunes seem to rule the earth, a man with a Band-Aid on his cheek noted the temperature and encouraged us to feel like bustin' loose. Ever notice how those keyboards sound like they're actually melting? Millions of clothes-taking-offs later, just a snippet of Nelly's biggest still raises the Fahrenheit about 20 degrees.
80. WILD THING (1966)by The Troggs
Get tan, get drunk, get stupid. Download
79. HOT BLOODED (1978) by Foreigner
Molten riffs and lecherous lyrics make this a car-stereo classic — if not the most politically correct one. Download
78. TAKIN' CARE OF BUSINESS (1974) by Bachman-Turner Overdrive
In which a bunch of overfed Canadians made fun of working stiffs, boasted about living like privileged rock stars, and made us love it.
77. LIVIN LA VIDA LOCA (1999) by Ricky Martin
Those lips! Those hips! That Spanglish! His bonbon doesn't shake much anymore (at least not publicly), but back in the summer of '99, Martin was on top of el mundo with his unavoidable ode to red lips, dancing in the rain, and engaging in various activities both upside and inside out.
76. DON'T YOU WANT ME (1982) by Human League
The British synth-pop invasion begins, but you don't need an accent to shout along with the title refrain. Download
SONGS:
watcha think?
100. STAY (I MISSED YOU) (1994)by Lisa Loeb
Every summer needs its lovelorn ballad along with its roof raisers, and Loeb's winsome plea fit the bill.
Download
99. TENNESSEE (1992)by Arrested Development
Yes, technically, it's a hip-hop meditation on the troubling history of the South. But only out of the classroom could a history lesson sound so smooth and intoxicating. Download
98. WE'RE AN AMERICAN BAND (1973) by Grand Funk Railroad
A paean to that greatest of summer road trips: the pavement-grabbin', money-grubbin', groupie-gropin' rock tour. Thirty-five years later, a few fathers still have their daughters locked up. Download
97. RADAR LOVE (1974) by Golden Earring
Before cellulars — before the peak of the CB craze, even — these Dutch boys had road telepathy to keep in contact with their honeys. Which was almost as cool as a fuzzbuster.
96. THE LOVE YOU SAVE (1970) by The Jackson 5
There's no better soundtrack for that sleep-away camp fling than one of the J5's peppy puppy-love anthems — just ask Jacko. Download
95. DANCING IN THE DARK (1984) by Bruce Springsteen
One of the Boss' greatest escape songs — an on-the-prowl choogler that, even better, never mentions cars. Download
94. FUNKYTOWN (1980) by Lipps Inc.
This one-hit wonder belonged to the tail end of the disco era but also presaged the techno-pop epoch about to come...totally synthetic, totally cool.
93. YAKETY YAK (1958) by The Coasters
Parents. Even in summer, there are always parents to contend with. And, not to talk back or anything, but shouldn't you folks be out in the Hamptons or something? Download
92. SUMMERTIME, SUMMERTIME (1958) by The Jamies
Harvey Keitel spent most of the 1978 film Fingers being obsessed with the Jamies' hyperchirpy seasonal glee. His fixation on their falsettos was contagious.
Download
91. GANGSTER'S PARADISE (1995) by Coolio
Slinky Stevie Wonder samples and somber lessons about the price of a life of crime. If that doesn't scream ''summer jam'' to you, then clearly you've never been a member of a violent gang or seen Dangerous Minds...fool.
Download
90. KISS FROM A ROSE (1995) by Seal
Imagine Al Green in Camelot: Hitching a medieval melody to an R&B soul, Seal delivered a stunner as haunted and timeless as ''Sea of Love.''
89. MACHO MAN (1978) by The Village People
A gay manifesto for those who ''got it''; a wedding-band staple for everyone else.
88. MY CHERIE AMOUR (1969) by Stevie Wonder
No-longer-little Stevie inspired a nation of kids to, uh, speak French. The prom never sounded so Continental.
Download
87. WATERLOO (1974) by ABBA
Couldn't resist if we wanted to. Surrender never sounded so sweet as in ABBA's first and most jubilantly Spectoresque assault on our guilty pleasure centers.
86. SUMMERTIME (1991) by D.J. Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince
Barbecues, girls, cars. Must be summer in Philly again. Download
85. THE END OF THE INNOCENCE (1989) by Don Henley
It's two, two, two innocence-lost songs in one, with Henley alternately decrying heightened, post-Iran-contra cynicism and helpfully offering to deflower some sweet thing in a field.Download
84. SAN FRANCISCO (BE SURE TO WEAR FLOWERS IN YOUR HAIR) (1967) by Scott McKenzie
Who cares how many ''gentle people'' in Haight-Ashbury really did. This cheesy siren song still makes a man pack his bags and head for the Bay.
83. MY LOVE (2006) by Justin Timberlake
Timbaland and Timberlake's greatest achievement together may have originally been released in the fall, but those breezy synths and sweet-talking lyrics (''I can see us holding hands/Walking on the beach, our toes in the sand'') are perfect for a hot summer day.
82. UNDER THE BRIDGE(1992)by Red Hot Chili Peppers
For those pensive, solitary walks on the beach, when no one understands and it doesn't matter anyway. Download
81. HOT IN HERRE (2002)by Nelly
During one of those fin de siècle summers when the Neptunes seem to rule the earth, a man with a Band-Aid on his cheek noted the temperature and encouraged us to feel like bustin' loose. Ever notice how those keyboards sound like they're actually melting? Millions of clothes-taking-offs later, just a snippet of Nelly's biggest still raises the Fahrenheit about 20 degrees.
80. WILD THING (1966)by The Troggs
Get tan, get drunk, get stupid. Download
79. HOT BLOODED (1978) by Foreigner
Molten riffs and lecherous lyrics make this a car-stereo classic — if not the most politically correct one. Download
78. TAKIN' CARE OF BUSINESS (1974) by Bachman-Turner Overdrive
In which a bunch of overfed Canadians made fun of working stiffs, boasted about living like privileged rock stars, and made us love it.
77. LIVIN LA VIDA LOCA (1999) by Ricky Martin
Those lips! Those hips! That Spanglish! His bonbon doesn't shake much anymore (at least not publicly), but back in the summer of '99, Martin was on top of el mundo with his unavoidable ode to red lips, dancing in the rain, and engaging in various activities both upside and inside out.
76. DON'T YOU WANT ME (1982) by Human League
The British synth-pop invasion begins, but you don't need an accent to shout along with the title refrain. Download
SONGS:
watcha think?
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