Music

Top Ten (unconventional) Summer Listens

11 August 2016

By Lois

Summer is a time for holidays, disappointing weather, days out and long walks. Every year, Radio 1 come up with their own summer playlist (which, by the way, I wholly recommend), and in honour of this, I have lovingly put together a list of my ten favourite summery songs. Some old, some new, some cheesy, some classics – all of them great. I hope you enjoy this eclectic and somewhat unconventional mix as much as I enjoyed putting it together.

1. ‘T-shirt weather’, Circa Waves – Number one is one of the more obvious songs on the list. Released last year, it never did very well in the charts, peaking – rather unfairly in my opinion  – at number 60. However it’s very upbeat and a must-add to your summer playlist.
2. ‘California’ – Tchad Blake Mix, Phantom Planet – This was released in 2002 and received a great deal of attention when it became the title song of ‘The O.C’ (yes, the show at the root of everyone’s favourite ‘mmm watcha say’), and although it’s perhaps not the cheeriest song on this list, it certainly screams summer and always reminds me of long drives.
3. ‘Ain’t Nobody’, Chaka Khan – Whilst raiding numerous summer playlists to find suggestions for this list, I came across the Felix Jaehn version of this 80s classic, and whilst I have nothing against that version, nothing comes close to a bit of the original Chaka. This is one of those that I always forget how much I love until I hear it again, and it really is the best for putting you in a great summer mood.
4. ‘Hey Ya’, Outkast – Predictable as this may be, this song deserves a place on every list of songs that has ever been made. I don’t have much to say; we all know this classic, and it’s undeniably the best summer song ever made. Nothings lasts forever, but hopefully this song will.
5. ‘Kathleen’, Catfish and the Bottlemen – In my opinion, Catfish and the Bottlemen are one of the coolest current bands going, and of late have rightly enjoyed a growing fame. This is one of their best known (for good reason) songs, and is a fantastic listen for those of a rocky inclination.
6. ‘Escape (The Pina Colada Song)’, Rupert Holmes – Although cheesy (aren’t all the best summer songs?), this is quite frankly one of the best songs ever written. It’s a song that boasts a place on many great film soundtracks (Grown Ups, The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty, Guardians of the Galaxy and Shrek, which we all know as notorious for its superb soundtrack). Really, there never was a more summery, catchy song and we should all accept our love for it and admit it has a place in all of our lives.
7. ‘What’s Up?’, 4 Non Blondes – On the surface this probably isn’t a particularly summery song (it has something in common with one or two other songs on the list, then!) but I think all the best summer songs are the ones that you can’t help but sing along to, and this is one that never fails to put me in a good mood.
8. ‘Goodbye Mr A’, The Hoosiers – This was the band’s second single from their debut album The Trick To Life. The whole album is excellent, and ‘Worried About Ray’ is probably also worth a place on this list (two for the price of one, there!).
9. ‘Birdhouse In Your Soul’, They Might Be Giants – This is very possibly the most random addition the list, but it is also a great song which I love, and is in fact almost impossible not to like. It is cheery and has the lovely pure core that They Might Be Giants somehow manage to instil into all of their songs.
10. ‘Lampshades On Fire’, Modest Mouse – This is probably the perfect way to end what has been a really rather haphazard and somewhat (I’m sorry) self-indulgent collection; it really is a very good song and embodies all the things that are required for a nice, fairly relaxed summer song. Kick back and relax to a lovely bit of Modest Mouse.

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