End of the Spring and Here She Comes Back (The Summer Song Poll)

"To celebrate the return of our favorite season, we've scoured the Billboard chart archives and updated this definitive list of the most popular songs about summer ever recorded."

Yes, major update from the 2010 list I found: they moved Katy Perry to #1, and--very mysterious--Sly and the Beach Boys switched spots at #8/9. I wish they’d get rid of that stupid Bryan Hyland song.

1. "Hot Fun in the Summertime," Sly
2. "Summer," War
3. "Summertime," Jazzy Jeff

Those three are close to interchangeable for me. My next two would be "In the Summertime" and "Cruel Summer."

if this is based on billboard list i guess i can't really moan about absence of 'summer babe'. either way sly easily. runnerups to don fucking henley, jazzy jeff & fresh prince, seals & crofts, bananarama

Can I get a "Well, yeah"? My third tier would include Henley too, along with "Wipe Out" (although that's not really, or at least not specifically, a summer song to me), "Saturday in the Park," "School's Out" (totally different mood, though...in a sense, it doesn't belong), and "Summertime Blues" (ditto). Maybe "Summer Breeze"--I like "Diamond Girl" better.

Going for "Summer Breeze" on this one, runners-up:

7. "Summertime" - DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince - 1991
9. "Hot Fun in the Summertime" - Sly & the Family Stone - 1969
11. "The Boys of Summer" - Don Henley - 1984
15. "Summer" - War - 1976
16. "California Girls" - Beach Boys - 1965
19. "Summer Love" - Justin Timberlake - 2007
25. "A Summer Song" - Chad & Jeremy - 1964

"Hot Fun" for sure

Gonna have to stick with my usual rule here: when Sly is on a ballot, vote for Sly.

^^^ otm. Only exception: when "Tighten Up" is on the same ballot

Voted for Sly, for no particular reason. Just has that Summer feel.
But then so do many of my runner-ups: Seals, Fresh Prince, Henley, War, Mungo, 2 Beach Boys, Drifters, Travolta, Jan & Dean.

A few great ones with "summer" in the title:

“All Summer Long,” Beach Boys (1964)
“Indian Summer,” Beat Happening (1987) -- technically an autumn song
“Every Summer,” Friends (1990)
“Summertime, Summertime,” Jamies (1958) -- egregious omission from the Billboard list
“Summer Madness,” Kool & the Gang (1974) -- redundant in light of Jazzy Jeff, but still...
“The Door Into Summer,” Monkees (1967)
“Summer Never Ends,” Northern State (2004)
“Blue Summer,” Royalettes (1963)

Making up a list of great summer songs without the actual word in the title is more daunting and more subjective.

street fighting man, stones
dancing in the street, martha + vandellas/van halen/bowie + jagger/etc
night moves, seger
saturday in the park, chicago
so fine, elo
fourth of july, galaxie 500
stone in love, journey
saints, breeders
magic, cars

wanted to vote "Groovin'" here if you're looking for summer songs that don't acknowledge their milieu

"The Boys of Summer"

Go Giants!

The melancholia of "A Summer Song" is really rich. I hear a real lingering '50s romanticism in it. It doesn't sound like a British Invasion record.

Used well in Rushmore, but I've never really cared for it that much. Not sure how Rolling Stone left off "Groovin'," it's such an obvious choice for them--even though I've heard it too many times myself, it would top many people's lists.

For the Lovin' Spoonful, I'd take both "Do You Believe in Magic" or "You Didn't Have to Be So Nice" over "Summer in the City."

Can't top that insane vocal at the beginning of "Wipe Out".

http://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/2014/05/23/the-songs-summer/Qsua8QhPgWcbhe4bOmhFhJ/igraphic.html

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

Missed the Boston Globe link...Good list, for the most part. The three I most agree with are "Hot in Herre," "Good Times," and "Stoned Soul Picnic." Mystified by the Animal Collective/Nat King Cole graphic.

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.