Throwing back to the week of September 3, 1994, we find Boyz II Men atop the Billboard Hot 100 with ‘I’ll Make Love to You.’
Written and produced by Babyface, this track was the biggest hit of 1994, spending a record-tying 14 weeks at #1. It would go on to be the third-highest charting song of the decade, behind only Los Del Rio’s ‘Macarena’ and (quite the flex) Boyz II Men’s collaboration with Mariah Carey, ‘One Sweet Day.’
Top Ten Songs of the Summer
#1 – The Police – ‘Every Breath You Take’ (1983)
If The Police’s ‘Every Breath You Take’ is an option for a list like this, you can bet it’s going to end up at #1. The only way another song could have claimed this spot is if A-Ha’s ‘Take On Me’ had made the Song of the Summer cut by peaking in July instead of October of 1984.
This is simply a perfect song, with Andy Summers’ hypnotic guitar lick and Sting’s impassioned vocals combining to form an addictive, creepily romantic vibe.
Top Ten Songs of the Summer
#2 – Rick Springfield – ‘Jessie’s Girl’ (1981)
The 80s are my favorite musical decade, so it’s no surprise that my top two Songs of the Summer are from that great era.
Rick Springfield’s 1981 hit ‘Jessie’s Girl’ was a slow builder, creeping up the Hot 100 until it finally reached #1 in August. That was enough to give it the Song of the Summer title over second place finisher ‘Better Davis Eyes.’ That Kim Carnes classic would have likely made my top five had it earned the crown, underscoring what a great time it was to be a music fan.
Top Ten Songs of the Summer
#3 – Rihanna – ‘Umbrella’ (2007)
Rihanna’s ‘Umbrella’ is the song that popularized the concept of the Song of the Summer. Following this smash hit, which spent seven consecutive weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100, music writers and fans alike started speculating about which tune would claim the title each year.
So for kicking off this mad exercise, and also because it’s a great song, ‘Umbrella’ makes it to the top three.
Top Ten Songs of the Summer
#4 – The Rolling Stones – ‘(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction’ (1965)
Songs of the Summer tend not to be all-time classics. Remember, The Beatles never managed to earn the title. But my #4 is one of the rare iconic songs by a legendary artist to make the cut.
Buoyed by one of the greatest guitar riffs of all-time, The Rolling Stones’ ‘(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction’ gave the band their first U.S. #1, reaching the top spot in July of 1965 and spending a month there that summer.
Meet Me In Montauk 