We start off with the sunbather's anthem, and undoubtedly Sheryl Crow's most recognizable song. It is also definitely the only summer anthem that begins with a reference to a communist who holds meetings in his RV! Once beach weather hits, it's hard to escape this bouncy optimistic song, about summer and all the good things that come with it. Remember, the key to happiness is not having what you want, it's wanting what you have!
Sometimes the sun is just the sun..but other times it's a symbol of a better life. It's hard not to smile as you listen to Akon sing about escaping a rough life and looking forward to better days.
This live version of Cream's smash hit and perennial summer favorite is worth watching for the energy of of the band and the amazing playing of Eric 'Slow Hand' Clapton. Jack Bruce's bass line carries the tune, and to this day remains Bruce's favorite bass line he's ever played. Because, as he puts it "Whenever some kid in a music shop wants to try out a bass, this is the bass line they play."
Lana Del Rey's 'Summertime Sadness' was given the remix treatment by French DJ/producer Cedric Gervais and became a worldwide dance hit. Which proves that just because a song focusses on sadness doesn't mean it can't bring a smile to your lips.
Feeling the summer sun warm up the cold concrete canyons of New York will make anyone sing! Sounding a little like "The Ramones Go To The Beach", its virtually impossible not to start doing the twist when you hear this classic punk rock song.
This was British soul singer Labrinth's breakout single, inspired by a breakthrough session of song writing that lasted all night. In his own words,"It was influenced by the sun coming up. I was working in my little studio in my bedroom. My brother was sleeping in the bunk bed behind me and kept waking up saying, 'Keep it down, you're making too much noise.' At that time, I felt I was learning so much musically and it felt like the most perfect moment writing that track with the first rays of sun shining into the room. People listen to it and they say it sounds like a 'eureka!' moment and it was."
This song was inspired by the extreme sunshine and darkness of the seasons in the band's home town of Wasilla, Alaska, “...it’s all 1987 to 1993 and that was so much a little kid’s mind working in all daylight during the summers and all darkness during the winters. That’s just total sci-fi. That’s so Fantastic Planet and Light Years and all the cartoons we watched when we were little. You end up just looking up at the stars for 18 hours a day. It really gets your imagination going... lyrically it was so much fun for us to do because it was so easy to step into when we were 10 years old.”
Here in Michigan, home of Jam Audio, the winters can be brutal. But the summers...the summers are glorious. There's nothing finer than kicking back and enjoying a cold one on the shores of a northern Michigan lake. Kid Rock's homage to this sweet season captures it perfectly.
