Tag Archives: Songs of the Summer

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Song of the Day #5,907: ‘Every Breath You Take (Live)’ – The Police

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.

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Song of the Day #5,906: ‘Jessie’s Girl (Live)’ – Rick Springfield

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.

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Song of the Day #5,904: ‘(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction (Live)’ – The Rolling Stones

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.

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Song of the Day #5,903: ‘When Doves Cry (Live)’ – Prince

Top Ten Songs of the Summer
#5 – Prince – ‘When Doves Cry’ (1984)

The 80s is my favorite musical decade, so it follows that it’s also the decade that produced the best Songs of the Summer. Three of my top five SotS came from that great period.

1984 was a particularly good year. I’ll get to Prince in a second, but the runners-up that year included Bruce Springsteen’s ‘Dancing in the Dark,’ Billy Idol’s ‘Eyes Without a Face,’ Lionel Richie’s ‘Stuck On You,’ and Duran Duran’s ‘The Reflex.’ Also in the running were the two songs I blogged about yesterday, Tina Turner’s ‘What’s Love Got to Do With It’ and John Waite’s ‘Missing You.’

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Song of the Day #5,900: ‘Crazy in Love’ – Beyoncé

Top Ten Songs of the Summer
#6 – Beyoncé – ‘Crazy in Love’ (2003)

This is one of only three songs on my list from the current millennium — two from the 00s and one from the 20s.

The 2010s didn’t manage to land one song on the list, a dubious distinction that decade shares with the 90s. Technically, the 50s are unrepresented as well, but with only two qualifying songs that’s not much of a surprise.

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