The enjoyment of music has much to do with the summer as well, especially the songs that are about summer. People my age remember many summer songs on the radio, especially the first year I was a big listener, in the summer of 1966. "Summer in the City", "See You In September", "Sunny Afternoon (in the Summertime)" were just three songs that came to mind that year. And there's been many since: "In the Summertime" by Mungo Jerry, "Summer" by War, "Beach Baby" by First Class, from the 1970's; "Vacation" by The Go-Go's, "Cruel Summer" by Bananarama from the 1980's, "Summer Vacation" by The Party, "Summertime" by DJ Jazzy Jeff & Fresh Prince, and "Summer Girls" by LFO from the 1990's, among many others.
During my blog era, there have been some cool summer tunes as well. Going down my master list, I found five legitimate songs that had to do with summer, or at least have "summer" and "beach" in the title. So here, I present, my top five summer songs of the blog era:
5. "Summer Day", Sheryl Crow (2010)
One of the first songs to hit my blog chart (it would debut at #20 on my first edition, and would peak at #17 the next week), this is a cool, laid-back soulful effort, just inviting you to just hang out in your hammock and feel a breeze hit your face. It was from her album 1000 Miles from Memphis, which tells you all you need to know about its sound. By 2010, she was a veteran singer/songwriter and was willing to try new sounds. But Sheryl isn't any stranger to the summer. At her commercial peak in 1994, she offered "All I Want to Do", her biggest hit, and although it wasn't about the season, was a big hit the season of that year.
4. "Last of the Summer Wine", Palma Violets (2013)
Band hails from London, and in 2013 came out with their first album, 180. Beginning with a haunting effect, it soon turns into a bit of psychedelic/jangly effect that would definite fit in with a summertime party, or maybe at a beach dance or something to that effect. And they could be the band that would play at it. The tasty and fun mind-blowing (at the end, anyway) reached #15 on my blog in August, 2013.
3. "Summer", Calvin Harris (2014)
One of two songs on the list that actually became a national hit (#7 on Billboard), and actually did so in the spring, it wasn't until the summer that I picked up on it, taking it to #3. Harris has been one of the most successful pop acts on my blog list, with five entries to date, including four in the top ten. He is a producer who usually has featured vocalists performing, but in this case, he does the singing all on his own here. He has a cool formula which begins with a verse, followed by a catchy techno-style jam, and this is no exception. Just listen to the song, and perhaps you envision yourself on a hot, steamy street in the city. Or maybe the beach as well.
2. "Summertime Sadness", Lana Del Rey (2013)
Lana has been another blog favorite over the years, and her new one is the top debut which I will talk about below. But she was hot on my list in 2013 with her huge (for me) song, "Ride". This, however, was a worthy follow-up, and it was the one that became a big hit on the Hot 100, peaking at #6. On my list, it topped out at #5. There were actually two versions of this song, one in her usual, haunting, gloomy-like vocal, similar to the prior song. It's gloomy but with a lot of soul. You probably would never hear this version at any summer beach party or club, but still it's a staple of it. On the other hand, the version that was played on the radio was a Cedric Gervais remix, that revs up the beat that is also well suited in the clubs. It's still haunting and creepy at times, but the beats kind of make up for it.
1. "At the Beach", Paul Czekaj (2013)
When it comes to my blog, there's no contest of what would be my favorite summer song of the blog era. I got familiar with Paul's music back in 2011 when "My Home New Jersey", a song about our beloved Garden State, complete with a music video of all the cool places to go here, hit my top 20 and went viral. He went on to release more songs about our home, including a "Part 2" to the above, and then a song about our recovery after Superstorm Sandy, "Even Better Than Before". This time around, it's just a fun, summertime romp about the joys of heading to our favorite Shore. To appreciate it, of course, you need to watch the video, but out of all the songs I featured, this one is the throwback to the joys of the warmest season. I suggest you play this over a few times. This song also made my Top 100 of the last five years, a list I will publish in a couple of week. Oh, and it #1 on my list and stayed there for six weeks!
TO THE CURRENT: You'll nice that three songs from two summers ago are on the last. Well, there are three songs with the word "summer" in it for this year, and although it appears that none of them will be the big hits with me that the above five were, they still have a presence.
Leading that pack is Maroon 5's, "This Summer's Gonna Hurt......" which is my Top 20 Impact song this week, landing at #18 this week. It's the fourth single from Adam Levine & company's V album. Unfortunately, in a summer loaded with hip-hop songs and displaced pop stars, this one only reached #23 and broke a string of eight top 10 songs in a row. After listening to this one, one can only deduce that hip-hop artists are dominating pop radio once again and this was one of the victims, because this is a great song. I can see why top 40 stayed away from this (and it has nothing to do with the expletive in it). Its actually got a melody and soul to it. Levine's voice is soulful as usual, and there is life to it. This band has pretty much held up the pop-rock banner by itself for the past four years. And you need to give them more credit for their innovativeness. Remember that the spacey "Come Away to the Water" hit #1 on my chart while only getting a passing glance on the charts.
Moving up to #38 this week is "In the Summer" by Ann Arbor, Michigan act IAMDYNAMITE. It's from their second effort Wasa Tusa. "Hey Girl" from their previous effort hit my top 20 in 2013. The new one is doing well on alternative radio, and is a good choice. Another song that has life to it, it's a steady, rhythmic effort. Although there is nothing that really stands out about it, it's not boring, either. I could put this on a playlist and bring to a get-together with no complaints about it.
Finally, debuting at #93 is "Cool for the Summer" by pop singer/songwriter Demi Lovato. She is no stranger to the pop charts. But my blog is a different story. She spent one week on my blog when "Give Your Heart a Break" resided at #100 on March 12, 2013. And granted, I added this song because of the summer theme. It's not that I am not a fan, it's just that I really haven't had a chance to check her out in spite of her being around since 2009. Well, after a listening to this song, I wondered why I stayed away all this time. The song's verse starts innocently, echoing Katy Perry's "Last Friday Night" at times, at which time, it explodes into a Pink-ish rock display. I started this at a low position because the sample I heard on Amazon was just the mellow part, but listening to the entire song, it's a romping tour-de-force. Look for a big jump next week. By the way, this is #17 on the Hot 100, and although it would be nice to see this in the national top 10, given the current climate (and the songs guitars), it probably won't be given the chance. Oh well.
So there you have three really good summer songs for 2015. Whether or not the summer has been good to you or not, perhaps these three efforts will make it better.
LANA AND THE MACHINE: A fourth "summer" entry? I mentioned Lana Del Rey's entry in the summer sweepstakes above, and this week, she comes out with a new effort which debuts at #68, "High By the Beach". (Wait a minute, can we call this another summer song? I think we can!). It's the lead single from her new album Honeymoon, her fourth. She has five top 20 songs on my blog. 2013 was her most successful year as three songs, all from different albums, made the top 10, including the #1 "Ride". Since then, the last two releases have been a disappointment, although "West Coast" grew on me and hung around in the middle rungs of my chart for quite awhile, before dropping out a couple months ago.
This new one is her usual gloomy, haunting romp, but this time, there is the summer dimension attached to it. Unlike "Summertime Sadness", this one puts you right on the beach at perhaps sunset. If you put your mind to it, close your eyes and listen, perhaps you can find yourself there or at a lagoon, amidst the warm evening breezes. Am I painting a good enough picture? Well, bottom line, I like the song a lot.
Lana has, for some reason, been brought up on the Facebook page for Florence + the Machine as if there is some kind of rivalry, and I'm uncertain as to why that is. True, they are both female vocalists who put a lot into their work, but aside from that, I don't see the comparison. Many of Florence's fans are critical of Del Rey for some reason, and the topic of her new single was brought up on Ms. Welch's page. Both have a seemingly young fan base. But heck, I love both acts, and maybe a rivalry is a good thing.
TIT-FOR-TAT: The next debut is actually a reentry. Normally when I drop a song from the list, that is it. But often I leave them on my "current" playlist on my "IPod" since perhaps the song hadn't come up in rotation to appreciate it. Such as the case with "Crème of Chrome" by Brooklyn act Ratatat. After a few listens, you get what is going on here. It's a cool, mostly techno-instrument excursion that just cooks the more you listen to it. Bouncy and accessible, it's great if you just want your songs without vocals. Definitely worth a second look. It re-enters at #73.
FINALLY: I am please to report that two aspiring female singer/songwriters have met their goals in funding their new projects. Charlotte's Taylor Centers reached her goal for her upcoming release, her foray into country. But more importantly, New Jersey's own Rachel Allyn also got her goal for funding her soon-to-be-released EP Next Year's Girl, which she is so excited about. And if she's excited so am I. I look forward to the release.
| This Week | Last Week | ARTIST-Title | Weeks on List |
| 1 | 1 | NUMBER ONE:
"Dead
Fox"
Album: Sometimes I Sit & Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit
(2 weeks at #1)
|
7 |
| 2 | 2 | Elle King - Ex's and Oh's | 13 |
| 3 | 3 | Beck - Dreams | 8 |
| 4 | 4 | Ed Sheeran - Thinking Out Loud | 23 |
| 5 | 5 | Tame Impala - Let It Happen | 18 |
| 6 | 10 | Fitz and the Tantrums - Last Raindrop | 6 |
| 7 | 7 | Coin - Run | 11 |
| 8 | 6 | The Decemberists - Calvary Captain | 18 |
| 9 | 11 | The Arcs - Outta My Mind | 7 |
| 10 | 13 | Phases - I'm In Love With My Life | 5 |
| 11 | 14 | Django Django - Reflections | 7 |
| 12 | 15 | Allison Iraheta & Halo Circus - Gone | 9 |
| 13 | 16 | Circa Waves - T-Shirt Weather | 9 |
| 14 | 8 | Florence + the Machine - Ship to Wreck | 14 |
| 15 | 9 | Grace Potter - Alive Tonight | 12 |
| 16 | 19 | Borns - Electirc Love | 7 |
| 17 | 18 | Ting Tings - Wrong Club | 13 |
| 18 | 23 | TOP 20 IMPACT OF THE WEEK:
"This Summer's
Gonna Hurt..."
Album: V
|
8 |
| 19 | 12 | St. Paul and the Broken Bones - Like a Mighty River | 15 |
| 20 | 22 | Fall Out Boy - Uma Thurman | 11 |
Tremors:
| 101 | 98 | The Struts - Could Have Been Me |
|
|
Songs
with the greatest increase in favorite points over the prior week.
● Songs
with 25 or more plays on my iPod.
▲ Songs with 50 or more plays on my iPod.
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