Most American radio stations run down the Top 1000 songs of all time during the July 4th Weekend. The playlist pleasantly passes the time on the beach. Sunbathers never notice the burn until their skin is the color of an Easter Ham. Once back in the SUV., they invitably crank up the AC and turn on the radio.
#1 will be either HEY JUDE or STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN, which have nothing to do with the summer, so Billboard came out with its Top 30 Summer Songs of All-time. They all good.
30 Surfin' Safari / The Beach Boys 1962
29 Summertime / Billy Stewart 1966
28 Wipeout / Fat Boys and the Beach Boys 1987
27 Cruel Summer / Bananarama 1983
26 Summertime Blues / Eddie Cochran 1958
25 A Summer Song / Chad & Jeremy 1964
24 Suddenly Last Summer / The Motels 1983
23 Surfer Girl / The Beach Boys 1963
22 Summer Breeze / Seals & Crofts 1972
21 School's Out / Alice Cooper 1972
20 Those Lazy-Hazy-Crazy Days Of Summer / Nat King Cole 1963
19 Summer Love Justin Timberlake 2007
18 California Gurls / Katy Perry feat. Snoop Dogg 2010
17 Saturday In The Park / Chicago 1972
16 Summer Girls / LFO 1999
15 California Girls / The Beach Boys 1965
14 Summer / War 1976
13 Under The Boardwalk / The Drifters 1964
12 Summer Of '69 / Bryan Adams 1985
11 In The Summertime / Mungo Jerry
1970
10 The Boys Of Summer / Don Henley 1984
9 Summer Nights / John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John 1978
8 Surfin' U.S.A. / The Beach Boys 1963
7 Hot Fun In The Summertime / Sly & The Family Stone 1969
6 Summertime / DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince
1991
5 Endless Summer Nights / Richard Marx 1988
4 Surf City / Jan & Dean 1963
3 Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polkadot Bikini - Bryan Hyland 1960
2 Wipe Out - The Surfaris 1962
1 Summer In The City / The Lovin' Spoonful 1966
Two July 4ths ago I had bicycled to the Rockaways for a swim. On the way backI stopped for BBQ at Frank's Bar on Fulton. No Hamptons for me. T was cooking smoked ribs from a steel can and cold Stellas were served by the lovely Rosa. No Natucket for me either. Paco was admiralling the tunes. The 72 year-old public worker has a hankering for Stevie Wonder. I rivaled with Billy Stewart's SUMMERTIME. I love the big man's stutter.
"S-s-s-s-ss-s-s-s-s-ummertime."
Homer dropped a dollar on LONG SUMMER NIGHT. Hendrix remained god for the father of a 10-strong crew from the Delta. Rosa snatched a dollar from my tip pile and modernized the music with Chic's A WARM SUMMER NIGHT. We were on a roll. Shaggy's IN THE SUMMERTIME. Rayvon buried the rap. Homer surprised everyone with the Pogues SUMMER IN SIAM. I cued up the Ramones ROCKAWAY BEACH.
"I was expecting that," Homer mumbled as he had been taught in Philadelphia, Miss some far away time in the last century.
"Love that song. Makes me feel back in my 20s." I saw the Ramones at CBGBs in 1976 and they covered a song by the Rivieras. Homer nodded upon hearing CALIFORNIA SUN. "Ain't really summer in LA. They always have summer there. But this song's a a good-un." And the Man from the Delta knows good-uns.
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