What is a favorite summer song of yours? The Musicheads seek a less-than-obvious summer song mix.

Pavement - Range Life from Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain. Nothing makes me flash back to the summer nights of doing absolutely NOTHING of high school like that one.

Oh, for those days again...

"See You In September" by the Happenings.

"Life is a Highway" by Tom Cochrane

Anything by Athens, GA's Summer Hymns.

Sunset Hymn -- a really nice summer/change of seasons song by Scottish singer/songwriter Emily Smith; also Matt & Shannon Heaton, If I Were a Blackbird; Maura O' Connell, Feet of a Dancer

CCR's "Looking Out My Back Door" or

"On The Cover Of The Rolling Stones" by Dr. Hook

my favorite song for summer is "Low Rider" by War. It never fails to make me crank down the windows of my car and crank up the volume as I drive around the city.

"Trains" by Porcupine Tree is one song I often think of Summer with. Probably many others..tbc...

"Catch the Sun" by Doves is another I just remembered.

Being from South Carolina, I can't have a summer without hearing the R&B-flavored southern stepchild known in Myrtle Beach and beyond as "beach music." Allow me to recommend the Chairmen of the Board's "Give Me Just A Little More Time," which is exactly how I felt when the back to school ads came out in the middle of summer. Noooo, not school again!!

BTW, love the podcast, looking for an electric jug on eBay as we speak! ;-)

To me, summer time is made for.... Oi!.... yes that's right, street punk, skin head music... I'm talking the good stuff here... Cocksparrer being my favorite... they have the energy, the pop and the sing a long style that just says summer to me.

New Order - "Regret"

Part of it has to do with the 'Republic' cover art, which depicts a happy California couple frolicking on the beach while a house burns down next to them. Factory Records was in its final death throes, and the band would soon break up for the first time, but in the midst of all this, they recorded their most ebullient song. I think it's a song that shows that there's hope and beauty to be found even in the darkest of times.

just wait til tomorrow
I guess that's what they all say
just before they fall apart

The 'International' compilation was my introduction to New Order, and I spent many a bright summer day listening to it while driving by Lake Minnetonka. It's probably my quintessential summer song (despite the 'Baywatch' video).

Ohhh, man I've got to get to my music collection. Who knows, we might be able to cobble together a sweet & strong My Three Songs set out of the replies to this one!

Hmm. Less-than-obvious. Cancels out some cornerstone tracks, as well as some other associations. I've got some summers that focused on then-recent releases (Version 2.0) or the classics (that hot-hot season of The Stones) not to mention some downright inexplicable deals (what was up with that summer of yacht rock?! talk about strange love) but... to play according to the rules:

Have to say despite some most excellent and possibly age-revealing personal choice runners up (Blondie's "Atomic," The Suburbs' "Waiting") it comes down to... The The, "This is the Day."

"Here Comes Your Man"
-Pixies

"Fallen From the Sky"
-Glen Hansard (from the Once soundtrack). Features Casio beats, fun tune to have driving at night.

I found a few:
Jimmy Buffett, Cheeseburger in Paradise, A Pirate looks at 40, One Particular Harbour
Allman Brothers, Nobody left to Run with Anymore
Government Mule, John the Revelator
Taj Mahal, Fishing Blues
Widespread Panic, Chilly Water, Travelin' Light, Coconut, Porch Song, Space Wrangler
Jan and Dean, Surfin' USA
Bob Marley, Kaya
Jimmy Cliff, The Harder They Come
Steel Pulse, Roller Skates

The best time to listen to music in the summer is when you're driving 'round minneapolis with the windows down on a hot summer night and you got your girl in a tank top next to you, hair blowing in the breeze...

On the mixtape - some historically great summer rock jams:

The Kinks - Powerman
The Easybeats - Friday on my mind
Stones - Get off of my cloud
T Rex - Jeepster
The Animals - Don't let me be misunderstood
Brenton Wood - Gimme some kind of sign
Paul Revere and the Raiders - Kicks
The Yardbirds - For your love

list goes on...

But the quintessential summer drive-fast-windows-down-volume-up song:
Foo Fighters - Everlong

Speaking of Athens, GA, a few of the new songs by the B52s (who aren't getting any Current airplay) are fun - Funplex, Ultraviolet, Pump, and Eyes Wide Open are great biking songs... Oh, that other Athens band (REM) has a couple of good ones too. I'll have to check out Summer Hymns as I haven't heard of them B4.

I was always a big fan of The Living End's "All Torn Down" or "Roll On." Even John Butler Trio's "Groovin' Slowly" and "Fucky Tonight."

Actually, for me, pretty much any good funk song is a great summer song. James Brown, War, Wild Cherry, Ohio Players, Parliment, etc. You just gotta roll down the car windows and crank up the tunes

Cornelius Brothers & Sister Rose - Treat Her Like Lady (played at '11' with the windows down of course)
Troggs - With A Girl Like You
Elvis Presley - A Little Less Conversation (JXL Radio Edit Remix)
Billy Stewart - Summertime
Split Enz - I Got You
K-os -Electrik Heat-The Seewill
Jonathan Richman - Roadrunner
Ram Jam - Black Betty
Harry Belafonte - Jump In The Line
AC/DC - Shoot To Thrill
ELO - Do Ya
Bob Dylan - All Along The Watchtower
Buddy Holly - Not Fade Away
Flamin' Oh's - Having Fun
Frankie Goes To Hollywood - Born To Run
Joe Jackson - I'm The Man
Lemonheads - It's A Shame About Ray
Living Colour - Type
Marvin Gaye - Let's Get I t On
Neil Diamond - You Got To Me
Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit
Queen - Under Pressure
R.E.M - Box Cars
R.E.M - What's the Frequency, Kenneth?
Simon & Garfunkel - Cecilia
B-52's - 52 Girls
The Cure - Primary
Michael Jackson - Don't Stop Till You Get It Up
Go-Go's - Head Over Heals
Rolling Stones - Sympathy For The Devil
Marvin Gaye - Sexual Healing
The Jam - Going Underground
Clash - Janie Jones
Ramones - Judy Is A Punk
Archies - Sugar Sugar
Five Stair Steps - O-o-h Child

I just wanted to add:
The Suburbs, "Music for Boys"
Grateful Dead, "U.S. Blues"
Village People, "In the Navy", or "YMCA"

C'mon C'mon - Von Bondies
Dance Hall Days - Wang Chung
Jailhouse Rock - Elvis
Way Out - Ellen Allien
The Guide - Bourne
Something to Talk About - Badly Drawn Boys
Ghost of York - As Tall As Lions
See You at the Lights - 1990s

All are very fun, freeing songs.

AGree with any TheThe track. Their cover of Dolphins is always quite high on a summer playlist for me. However, my recommendations today are:
1. David Sylvian - Wanderlust
2. Mark Lanegan - Ba Di Da
3. Julian Cope - Beautiful Love
4. Engineers - Forgiveness
5. ELO - Mr Blue Sky
6. Tom Waits - Hoist That Rag
7. Gram Parsons - Hot Buritto #1
8. Led Zeppelin - Trampled under Foot
9. Martina Topley-Bird - Soul Food
10. Johnny Dickinson - English Summer

How about "Little Bit o' Soul" by the Music Explosion?
Or same by the Ramones?