Here's a list of some of my all-time favorite summer songs, each of them having the power to bring back memories of that blissful sea breeze, no matter how far from the shore you may be. Click each of the song titles for a link to the best Youtube videos of the songs I could find!
- "Summertime" by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong My favorite version of this classic song. The slow, easy, warm voice of Ella Fitzgerald melts right into your soul, and Louis Armstrong's raspy sound is like the glue that keeps it lingering there long after the song has ended.
- "Three Little Birds" by Bob Marley Bob Marley is the Champion of Chill. What better way to settle into the sand than listening to the smooth, reggae sounds that implore you not to "worry about a thing"?
- "OB-LA-DI OB-LA-DA" by The Beatles In sticking with the message of carefree summer days, I consider this song to be one of the happiest ever written
- "Fourth of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)" by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. I've gone down to the Jersey Shore during every summer for as long as I can remember, and as a New Jersey native, Springsteen can bring those fleeting, summer nights of your youth to life.
- "California Girls" by The Beach Boys You can't have a summer playlist without The Beach Boys -- it's just unnatural. Forget Katy Perry's "California Gurls;" it's all about the original. (Watch this video for a good laugh)
- "Strawberry Swing" by Coldplay Everything about this song and music video make me smile.
- "Groovin'" by The Rascals, formerly known as The Young Rascals I picture myself sitting in the shade with an ice cream cone in hand for this one.
- "Cabin By the Sea" by The Dirty Heads If anyone were to ask my idea of a perfect vacation, I think I'd play them this song.
- "Ooh La La" by The Faces Summer just seems synonymous with being young and the mistakes we make because we're young.
- "5 Years Time" by Noah and the Whale It's the combination of whistling and ukulele playing that make this the perfect summer song.
- "Home" by Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros During their performance at the Firefly Music Festival, Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros asked the audience to fill the spoken verse of the song with their own stories, so write your own summer romance to the tune of this song.
- "Beyond the Sea" by Bobby Darin ... Or, if you prefer a more traditional love song, imagine yourself making eye contact with your summer love as this song plays in the background.
- "Daylight" by Matt and Kim This is my favorite song to play on the way to beach, with the windows rolled down so your cares can fly through them.
- "Gobbledigook" by Sigur Rós You don't have to speak Icelandic to feel the pure joy that emanates from this song. To me, it's an ode to finding that completely carefree zone in which everything is beautiful.
- "Sitting on the Dock of the Bay" by Otis Redding Arguably one of the greatest songs ever recorded. I'm not sure we'll ever be graced with a soul singer as tremendous as Otis Redding.
- "Dancing in the Moonlight" by King Harvest There's no better way to end your day at the beach (or your day at the office) than by dancing barefoot in the grass to this song.
Have some fun putting together your own summertime playlist and make every day a beach day!
Below are some snapshots I took in Ocean City, MD. Enjoy!
- "Summertime" by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong My favorite version of this classic song. The slow, easy, warm voice of Ella Fitzgerald melts right into your soul, and Louis Armstrong's raspy sound is like the glue that keeps it lingering there long after the song has ended.
- "Three Little Birds" by Bob Marley Bob Marley is the Champion of Chill. What better way to settle into the sand than listening to the smooth, reggae sounds that implore you not to "worry about a thing"?
- "OB-LA-DI OB-LA-DA" by The Beatles In sticking with the message of carefree summer days, I consider this song to be one of the happiest ever written
- "Fourth of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)" by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. I've gone down to the Jersey Shore during every summer for as long as I can remember, and as a New Jersey native, Springsteen can bring those fleeting, summer nights of your youth to life.
- "California Girls" by The Beach Boys You can't have a summer playlist without The Beach Boys -- it's just unnatural. Forget Katy Perry's "California Gurls;" it's all about the original. (Watch this video for a good laugh)
- "Strawberry Swing" by Coldplay Everything about this song and music video make me smile.
- "Groovin'" by The Rascals, formerly known as The Young Rascals I picture myself sitting in the shade with an ice cream cone in hand for this one.
- "Cabin By the Sea" by The Dirty Heads If anyone were to ask my idea of a perfect vacation, I think I'd play them this song.
- "Ooh La La" by The Faces Summer just seems synonymous with being young and the mistakes we make because we're young.
- "5 Years Time" by Noah and the Whale It's the combination of whistling and ukulele playing that make this the perfect summer song.
- "Home" by Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros During their performance at the Firefly Music Festival, Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros asked the audience to fill the spoken verse of the song with their own stories, so write your own summer romance to the tune of this song.
- "Beyond the Sea" by Bobby Darin ... Or, if you prefer a more traditional love song, imagine yourself making eye contact with your summer love as this song plays in the background.
- "Daylight" by Matt and Kim This is my favorite song to play on the way to beach, with the windows rolled down so your cares can fly through them.
- "Gobbledigook" by Sigur Rós You don't have to speak Icelandic to feel the pure joy that emanates from this song. To me, it's an ode to finding that completely carefree zone in which everything is beautiful.
- "Sitting on the Dock of the Bay" by Otis Redding Arguably one of the greatest songs ever recorded. I'm not sure we'll ever be graced with a soul singer as tremendous as Otis Redding.
- "Dancing in the Moonlight" by King Harvest There's no better way to end your day at the beach (or your day at the office) than by dancing barefoot in the grass to this song.
Have some fun putting together your own summertime playlist and make every day a beach day!
Below are some snapshots I took in Ocean City, MD. Enjoy!
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