Summer's the only season where music is an absolute must. I made a playlist back in 2003 and its funny - its always timely no matter what songs I add to it. And y'all know it ain't summer until Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince say so.
Something about songs to play in the background while you're cruising, at a house party or cooking on the grill makes you feel good. I define a summer jam as a song that just gives you a great vibe for summer break, vacation or just lounging.
Here's my list and not every song has to say summer to give you that feel. Drums please!
DJ Jazzy Jeff and Fresh Prince - Summertime
Ace of Base - Cruel Summer (love this more than the original)
Smash Mouth - Walking on the Sun
Lil Rob - Summer Nights
Sugar Ray - Fly, Someday, When It's Over (They owned summer for five years)
Don Henley - Boys of Summer (The Ataris did a fantastic cover)
Dr. Dre - Let Me Ride
Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg - Nuthin But a G'Thang (duh!)
Len - Steal My Sunshine
Eve 6 - Inside Out
Third Eye Blind - Semi-Charmed Life/Never Let You Go
Howie Day - Collide
Jay-Z - Dear Summer
Dove Shack - Summertime in the LBC
Roscoe - I Love Cali (Kurupt's younger bro's only hit but a classic)
Rancid - Time Bomb
Beach Boys (ummmmmm pick a song, any song, I'll pick "In My Room", "California Girls")
LFO - Summer Girls
Sly + The Family Stone - Hot Fun in the Summertime
Slighty Stoopid - Sweet Honey
Kool + The Gang - Summer Madness (sampled by Will and Jazz, classic goodness)
Incubus - Summer Romance
Tribe Called Quest - Find My Way
Vitamin C - Smile
Sublime - What I Got/Doin' Time
Arrested Development - Mr. Wendal
Boyz II Men - Vibin'
Lighter Shade of Brown - Hey DJ
Naughty By Nature - Jamboree
Steel Pulse - Can't Stand It (might remember this from Do The Right Thing)
311 - Amber/Champagne
Home Grown - Surfer Girl
+44 - Lycanthrope
Fishbone - Party at Ground Zero/Everyday Sunshine
What's your favorite? And what's gonna add itself to my list? I give Katy Perry for trying her best to make a summer jam but it's sadly a lost art to craft a song to fit the best season. Certain songs just remind you of summer but we don't have too many songs just made for it.
As a bonus here's a link to a dope mixtape for the summer from Jazzy Jeff and Mick Boogie, arguably my favorite mixtape DJ in the game.
nice nice... I'm getting mines together...
ReplyDeleteUm, we're SO ON THE SAME PAGE. Oh 311, Sublime, Incubus, LFO, Rancid-- these artists and the songs you mentioned take me back to a number of very specific times/eras in my life. GREAT choice.
ReplyDeleteWe're doing a Lakehouse party this weekend-- I've been thinking about making a mixtape and I may very well just gank this list and start downloadin' and burnin'.
just added two more songs i had forgotten about from ur list to my summer mixtape:
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Len - Steal My Sunshine
Eve 6 - Inside Out
Arrested Development - Mr. Wendal
Lighter Shade Of Brown- Hey DJ
u know who u might like too CAKE the band.
ReplyDeleteI love a few of their songs. "The Distance" "Never Ever There" and "Short Skirt, Long Jacket" especially for that hilarious video. Reminds me that I need to DL "The Distance"
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