Summer jams: 25 songs that are synonymous with the season

When DJ and producer Calvin Harris released his 2014 hit “Summer,” there seemed to be no escaping it. People heard the song everywhere, from radio airplay to rooftop brunches, to pool parties in Las Vegas. It's the perfect track that people want to hear during the hot season, a feel-good song that makes people want to dance. It was only right that Spotify coined the track as the 2014 song of the summer. 

For a classic that should always be played at every summer function, it’s hard to believe that DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince released “Summertime” over 30 years ago. The video gives the perfect summer vibes filled with BBQs, basketball games, and riding around in jeeps—it embodies the epitome of having a good time during the warm season. 

For people who remember the good days when networks like MTV and VH1 played music videos, Sugar Ray was the type of band that was in heavy rotation. One of the band’s standout singles was the 1999 hit, “Someday.” The guitar-driven production made for a smooth listen as the video showcased the band performing on a beach. 

Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee teamed up with Justin Bieber on the remix to their 2017 hit song, “Despacito.” The track became the first Latin song to receive diamond-selling certification and is the second most viewed video in YouTube history. "Despacito" was heard everywhere, from rooftop events, to pool parties, to the radio airwaves—the song was inescapable and became the biggest track of the year. 

When Amerie released her debut single “Why Don’t We Fall In Love,” it was eminent the singer was enamored with a summer love. The song was a top ten hit on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. With a breezy production and a video displaying a summer day in the inner city, it's no wonder that Amerie is always a trending topic on Twitter during the summer solstice.

While Miley Cyrus' diamond-selling single “Party in the U.S.A.” tells the story of a person moving to California to follow their dreams, the breezy pop anthem was made for people who simply want to have a good time. As Cyrus says on the hook, “So I put my hands up / They’re playing my song, the butterflies fly away / I’m nodding my head like ‘yeah’ / Moving my hips like ‘yeah’.” 

Ever heard a song that describes the feelings of being in a new relationship? Childish Gambino does just that as he defines his infatuation with “Summertime Magic.” The track finds Gambino putting his feelings on display about a lover that feels like summertime to him. 

In 1982, The Go-Go’s released their hit single “Vacation." The song tells the story of a girl who meets a guy while she's on vacation. However, when she returns back home, the guy that she met is still on her mind and she's hoping for another fun getaway. 

In the early 2000s, production duo The Neptunes were creating hits for some of the biggest artists in the game. They gave a summer-type production to Beenie Man on his Janet Jackson-assisted track “Feel It Boy.” The video is filled with people partying on a beach, but more importantly on an island—and that's the ultimate summer destination.

Katy Perry teamed up with Snoop Dogg on her hit song, “California Gurls.” It's the ultimate anthem for women hailing from the West Coast as it suggests that women who were born anywhere else just don't compare. Perry defines California living from the best weather, to the fashion sense, to the party scene, and as she says in the song, “You could travel the world / But nothing comes close to the golden coast.” 

One of the standout tracks from Justin Timberlake’s sophomore album FutureSex/LoveSounds is the fourth single, “Summer Love.” Timberlake teamed up with super-producer Timbaland as the two toy with the idea of finding love and summer flings. The song is all about someone catching Timberlake’s eye and is ensuring himself that the love shouldn’t fade simply because summer eventually ends.

Sometimes the sizzling season calls for a song that puts a listener’s mind at ease. Kool & The Gang did just that with their 1974 hit, “Summer Madness.” While the track is simply just an instrumental, it makes for a smooth listen on cool, summer nights. The track has also been sampled by a number of artists including Mary J. Blige, Jhene Aiko, and DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince. 

By the time Pink released her sophomore album Mizunderstood, the singer went with a punk-rock sound. Although the album’s lead single “Get the Party Started” was released in the fall, it’s the type of song that can be played all year long, especially at the club or rooftop parties. 

Sheryl Crow has a few songs in her discography that could be used for cool, summer days, especially the fan-favorite, “Soak Up the Sun.” However, another standout track is “All I Wanna Do,” in which Crow sings about living life to the fullest and seeking joy even in the smallest things.

In 2003, Beyoncé released her debut solo album Dangerously In Love and one of the singles was the Sean Paul-assisted track “Baby Boy.” At the time, Paul was dominating the reggae and dancehall scene, and his voice was a perfect match alongside Queen Bey. The Scott Storch-produced track tells the story of being infatuated with a potential lover. 

Alt-rock band Smash Mouth came on to the scene in 1997 with their debut single, “Walkin’ on the Sun." Since the track was released during the summertime and had production reminiscent of a '60s pop-rock song, the video was perfect to showcase the band having a good time on the beach. 

In the early 2000s, Nelly put the world on notice that the city of St. Louis was on the come-up in the rap game. On his sophomore album Nellyville, he teamed up with The Neptunes to produce his lead single, “Hot In Herre.” The video showcased Nelly and his friends going to a club, a place in which partygoers can work up a sweat when they hit the dance floor. The song was released in May, making it the perfect time to become a summer anthem. 

Latin rock band Santana has been in the industry since the ‘60s and is still known as one of the best-selling groups of all time. In 1999, the band released its 18th album Supernatural which featured collaborations with artists including Dave Matthews, Eric Clapton, and Lauryn Hill. The album’s lead single "Smooth" is a breezy collaboration alongside Matchbox Twenty's frontman Rob Thomas. The video showcased a summer day in Spanish Harlem, from people dancing in the street, to playing a game of dominoes—it's the type of song that makes people feel smooth.

In 1969, Sly & The Family Stone released their hit single “Hot Fun In The Summertime" and even though the song is well over five decades old, it's still a staple on summer playlists. The song describes everything summer could ask for, such as enjoying school breaks and attending county fairs.

When people hear The Beach Boys' hit song “Surfin’ U.S.A.," it embodies that classic California sound. The song defines California as a beach state that many people envy and it pushes the notion of having fun and living carefree. 

Ever hear a song that sounds good, but the lyrics don’t always make the most sense? That’s the feeling of LFO’s 1999 single, “Summer Girls.” The band is talking about the girls they like and meeting them in the summer, but they also make a lot of references to other things in pop culture like New Kids On The Block, New Edition, Larry Bird, and Michael J. Fox. While the lyrics may seem it bit confusing to listeners, the guitar-driven production makes for a catchy listen. 

Over the past couple of years, Megan Thee Stallion has become one of hip-hop's brightest stars. Besides the rapper releasing songs that fans can twerk to, she's also adamant about encouraging people with her music. She did just that when she teamed up with Nicki Minaj and Ty Dolla $ign on her hit song, "Hot Girl Summer." On the track, Megan is unapologetic, fun, and confident in herself—traits that people should have all year round. 

Guitar-driven songs always give a chill and laidback feel to a listener. Weezer did just that when they released their 2001 song, “Island in the Sun.” The song reflects on how sometimes people just want to run away with the person they love, and the perfect getaway could be on an island. 

MGMT put a modern twist on '70s hippie music with their 2007 hit song, “Electric Feel.” The smooth production makes for an easy listening session as the group reflects on feeling electric when they are intimate with their lovers.

Kenny Chesney describes the warm season perfectly on his single, “Summertime.” The summer is known for many things like school breaks, baseball games, and bikinis—and Chesney reflects on how sweet the summertime can be.