The Weather Network's Ultimate Summer Song Playlist
Thursday, May 19, 2016, 11:25 AM -
As part of The Weather Network's countdown to the long-overdue summer, we thought we'd take a look at the top songs that best capture the feeling of summer in our first annual All-Time Greatest Summer Songs list.
Think back to some of the greatest summers of your life. We bet you can name a song associated with that time. Whether it's days spent at the beach, late nights at the cottage with friends, or even a summer romance, when you hear a great summer song you should be able to feel the heat from the sidewalk, the sea breeze in your hair, or the sand between your toes.
So check out our list and let us know what you think is the greatest summer song of all time.
Let’s begin the countdown.
20. Summer Holiday – Cliff Richard (LISTEN NOW)
Cliff Richard and The Shadows reached #1 in the U.K. with the classic “Summer Holiday.” Released in 1963, the film with the same name was #2 at the box office that year.
19. Summertime – DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince (LISTEN NOW)
Featuring a young Will Smith, DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince reached #4 on the U.S. Billboard charts with ‘Summertime” in the summer of 1991.
THE WEATHER NETWORK'S ULTIMATE SUMMER GUIDE: Recipes, delicious summer cocktails, hottest trends, best beaches and even a spot for the weather. Read the Ultimate Summer Guide to Summer right here
18. Schools Out – Alice Cooper (LISTEN NOW)
Since 1972, Alice Cooper has summed up the best time of any student’s year – the last day of school, with nothing but the summer ahead of you. This track was #7 on the Billboard chart, #3 in Canada, and it was Alice Cooper’s first major hit, reaching #1 in the UK in August of 1972.
17. Soak Up The Sun – Sheryl Crow (LISTEN NOW)
The clip for Sheryl Crow’s 2002 hit "Soak Up The Sun" is everything a perfect summer should be: sun, sand, and surf.
16. Endless Summer Nights – Richard Marx (LISTEN NOW)
Richard Marx is on our chart at #16 with his 1988 hit ‘Endless Summer Nights.” This track peaked at #2 on the Billboard chart and was a top 20 hit in Australia.
15. Distant Sun – Crowded House (LISTEN NOW)
This is just one of the many songs where Crowded House uses weather to tell the story in their songs. “Distant Sun” was released in 1993 and was a hit throughout the U.K. and Australasia.
14. Waitin’ on a Sunny Day – Bruce Springsteen (LISTEN NOW)
While never released as a single in North America, Bruce Springsteen’s “Waitin’ on a Sunny Day” is now a crowd favourite at his epic live gigs with the E Street Band. This track appeared on the album “The Rising” from 2002, the first complete album Bruce recorded with the E Street Band since “Born in the U.S.A.”
13. Hot in the City – Billy Idol (LISTEN NOW)
Back in 1982, Billy Idol’s “Hot in the City” wasn’t a hit when it was first released. It became a top 20 hit when the track was re-released in 1987. Billy shouts “New York” in the official released version, however different versions were recorded for Boston, Minneapolis, and New Haven for various radio stations.
12. Summertime – Sam Cooke (LISTEN NOW)
George Gershwin’s classic from Porgy & Bess has been recorded over 25,000 times, but none better than the great Sam Cooke. Other versions were sung by Billie Holiday and The Marcels, and the most commercial version was from Billy Stewart. But no one does it better than Sam Cooke in his 1957 version of this classic.
11. Heat Wave – Martha the Vandellas (LISTEN NOW)
The tracks produced from a small house in Detroit changed music forever. Heat Wave from Martha & the Vandellas has every element of that distinct “Motown sound.” Recorded in the Hitsville USA studios in 1963, this track was a summer smash across America the same year.
NEXT PAGE: Counting down the Top 10 summer songs
