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The official first day of summer is here, and it's time to kick the season into high gear with this playlist of 20 songs that have summertime and long, lazy days at their heart. Whether you're streaming them for coffee or cocktails on the patio, in the car on an afternoon drive, or just in the background all day long, this playlist is built to be your summer soundtrack. We've put classics from every decade starting from the 1950s in chronological order, but you can change the sequence on your favorite streaming service. To listen to the whole playlist right now on Spotify, scroll down to the bottom of the story.
"Summertime," Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald (1957)
Written by George Gershwin and DuBose Heyward for 1935's Porgy & Bess folk opera, the classic lullaby has been recorded by many, with few challenging this haunting version.
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"Summertime Blues,” Eddie Cochran (1958)
The Who and Blue Cheer later released hard rock versions of Cochran's original, but the authentic rebel heat and rockabilly jaunt of this version still rules the airwaves.
The Beach Boys' album cover for their record "Surfin' Safari."
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"Surfin’ Safari,” the Beach Boys (1962)
Any number of Beach Boys tunes would fill the bill as classic summer fare. This 1962 hit, an invitation to hit the waves, has all their hallmarks: a catchy beat, smooth harmonies and spirited lyrics.
"(Love Is Like a) Heat Wave,” Martha Reeves and the Vandellas (1963)
Written by the legendary Motown songwriting team of Eddie Holland, Lamont Dozier and Brian Holland, the sizzling song was inspired by a Detroit heat wave.
"Under the Boardwalk,” the Drifters (1964)
On their sequel to Up on the Roof, the Drifters sing about a Coney Island tryst. It still tops every version that followed, including covers by the Rolling Stones, Bette Midler and John Mellencamp.
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