Tis the Season: The Best Summer Songs by Jennifer Jordan

As summer approaches, you may notice things tend to change. People stop wearing pants and begin wearing shorts, wire screens replace glass windows, the aroma of chimney smoke is taken over by the smell of smoke from a barbeque, candy canes are replaced by ears of corn, and the lawn furniture stuffed in your basement and hauled upstairs to the deck. Not immune to the change that summer brings is your music selection. As your Christmas Carols grow dusty in the attic, you may find that your choice in music also changes. Doing away with Jim Brickman's latest hits, you opt for something a little more punchy, something that fits in with fun in the sun. The following is our list of top five summer songs of all time.

Boys of Summer: Though Don Henley’s 1984 hit makes our selection of best summer songs, it could also make the list of best stalker songs (I’m driving by your house, though I know that you’re not home). Restraining order aside, this is arguably Henley’s best known song without his fine feathered friends. Not only does it remind us of, well, summer days, but it is also a song that reminds us of lost love, something most of us can identify with.

I am the Summertime: This tune may not be well known, nor may the group – Bachelor Number One – who sings it, but there is something appealing about “I am the Summertime,” something that makes it well worth a listen. A little bit pop and a little bit reggae, “I am the Summertime” was featured on the American Pie soundtrack. A song with lyrics that literally introduce you to summer, this is one melody you’ll want to meet.

Playing With the Boys: The female species will likely equate this song with the volleyball scene from Top Gun (volleyball: 20 dollars, swim trunks: 8 dollars, Tom Cruise and Val Kilmer without shirts: priceless). Yet, even the male species can appreciate Kenny Loggin’s summertime hit. "Playing with the Boys" reminds us of youth, something that summer can bring out in anyone. It also reminds us that life is a beach….and then Goose dies.

Margaritaville: If hot chocolate belongs to the winter time, then summer is all about margaritas. A restaurant deck or an apartment balcony, frozen or on the rocks, with friends or by yourself rocking in the corner, margaritas are the perfect summer drink This makes "Margaritaville" the perfect summer song. Even though Jimmy Buffet is “wasted away,” hopefully you will not find yourself in a comparable condition: just be sure to eat a lot of bread.

Summertime: Before Will Smith saved the world from aliens in Independence Day, he drove around in a convertible with DJ Jazzy Jeff singing about a topic atypical of rap: the weather. "Summertime" by Will Smith and DJ Jazzy Jeff is one of the best summer time songs of all time. It's simple, it's easy, and it reeks of a sense of lightheartedness, just like summertime should be.

There are a lot of songs sure to appease your listening pleasure. These are just our selection of great tunes for the summer barbecuer in all of us, these songs are music to your ears…of corn.

About The Author

Jennifer Jordan is a senior editor for http://www.iturbocharge.com. Possessing an infatuation with pop culture – and a gift for stalking – she keeps up on the latest news of the musical world.