Readers Poll: The Greatest Summer Jams
Summer may not officially start until June 21st, but everybody knows that the season really begins Memorial Day weekend. As if on cue, it was scalding hot in parts of the U.S. in the past few days. To celebrate, we asked our readers to pick their favorite summer jams. The words "summer" and "sun" are in the title of eight of the top 10 songs. Click through to see the winners.
By Andy Greene
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10. Kid Rock, ‘All Summer Long’
Everybody loves "Sweet Home Alabama" and "Werewolves of London," but it takes a certain kind of crazed genius to combine them into a summer anthem. Kid Rock is such a man – and in the summer of 2008 his song "All Summer Long" was inescapable. Some rock and roll purists howled at the usage of two Seventies classics, but it was hard to deny just how catchy the song was. It was Kid Rock's biggest hit in years, and helped turn Rock n Roll Jesus into one of his biggest albums.
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9. The Beach Boys, ‘California Girls’
Does any single song sum up the Beach Boys' worldview better than "California Girls?" Some might point to "Surfin' U.S.A" or "Surfin' Safari" – but my vote goes to "California Girls." It celebrates not only their beloved California, but also the native women. There's a reason they've opened up countless concerts with it during the past five decades. It sets the tone for the entire night. The Beatles paid tribute to the song with "Back In The U.S.S.R," and in 1985 David Lee Roth scored a big hit with a cover of the song – featuring Carl Wilson on background vocals. It's also unlikely Katy Perry would have ever written "California Gurls" without the inspiration of the Beach Boys.
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8. Mungo Jerry, ‘In The Summertime’
Most people have never heard of the British pop group Mungo Jerry, but play anybody the opening notes of their 1970 hit "In The Summertime" and they'll instantly start singing along. The song radiates joy, and you can almost feel the sun on your back when it plays. Mungo Jerry still performs and they even scored a few more hits overseas, but in America they'll always be that group that sang "In The Summertime." Sidenote: Bob Dylan had a song with the exact same title, but it wasn't even half as good.
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7. Lovin’ Spoonful, ‘Summer In The City’
Walking around New York in the brutal summer heat it's hard to not have the Lovin' Spoonful's 1966 classic "Summer In The City" occasionally pop into your head. If you're a male of a certain age group, it's also hard to not think of the opening scene in Die Hard with a Vengeance. Say what you will about the Die Hard series and Bruce Willis in general, but they really nailed that third Die Hard movie. That last one wasn't even close to as good . . . Anyway. "Summer In The City" is just one of many classics written by the Lovin' Spoonful during their extremely brief burst of creativity in the mid-Sixties. The group still tours, but without frontman John Sebastian.
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6. Don Henley, ‘Boys Of Summer’
Has Don Henley ever written a better line than "Out on the road today/ I saw a Deadhead sticker on a Cadillac?" It's the perfect summary of how Sixties idealism gave way to the greed and consumerism of the Eighties. Henley was four years out of the Eagles when he released the track, and it helped transform him into a solo superstar. The Eagles reformed in 1994, but they play this song at every single concert. The Ataris covered it in 2003, but in their version it's a Black Flag sticker on a Cadillac.
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5. DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince, ‘Summertime’
Will Smith – a.k.a. the Fresh Prince – was just becoming a household name when he released "Summertime" in May of 1991. Built around a sample of Kool & The Gang's 1974 classic "Summertime," the song was all over the radio at a time when The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air just wrapped up its first season. The very next year he released his first movie Where The Day Takes You, launching one of the biggest film careers of the past 20 years. Smith doesn't perform much these days, but in the summer of 2005 he did a set at Live 8 in Philadelphia – and of course, he played "Summertime."
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4. The Beatles, ‘Here Comes The Sun’
When The Beatles recorded Abbey Road in 1969 the band knew it would likely by their final record. That motivated them to put aside their differences and work together to create a masterpiece. George Harrison contributed two of his most beloved songs to the effort: "Something" and "Here Comes The Sun." Harrison wrote the latter song at Eric Clapton's house, where he went to seek sanctuary from all the madness of the Beatles' rapidly imploding world. The tune has since been covered by everybody from Paul Simon to Sheryl Crow to Coldplay.
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3. Eddie Cochran, ‘Summertime Blues’
Eddie Cochran was just 19 when he recorded "Summertime Blues" in March of 1958. The track was a top 10 hit in America, and Cochran would've likely produced many more had he not died in a car accident just two years later. (Ironically, one of last hits was "Teenage Heaven.") The song has since been covered by the Beach Boys, the Who, Rush, Bruce Springsteen and most memorably, Sixties psychedelic rockers Blue Cheer.
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2. Alice Cooper, ‘School’s Out’
When Alice Cooper wrote "School's Out" in 1972 he was trying to capture every kid's favorite feeling: the final three minutes of the school year. He succeeded. The song hit the top 10 and has since become his signature number. Earlier this year he played it at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony with Rob Zombie. Cooper has also played the song with the Muppets and the widely forgotten early 2000s teen-pop group the A-Teens.
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1. Sly and the Family Stone, ‘Hot Fun In The Summertime’
It seemed like Sly and the Family Stone could do no wrong when they released "Hot Fun In The Summertime" in August of 1969. Just weeks earlier they had upstaged almost every act at Woodstock, and they were churning out brilliant songs at a frantic pace. "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)," "I Want To Take You Higher "and "Stand!" all hit shelves in short order. Sadly, within just a few short years massive cocaine abuse, internal strife and mental problems would bring the group to a screeching halt. Looking back years later, the summer of 1969 and "Hot Fun In The Summertime" showcased the group at their absolute peak.
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