Sunny Day, Everything’s A-Okay

My fave summer-themed songs, or songs associated with summer. I’ve more than 18, but I had to narrow it down for this list.

“Coming Up Close,” Aimee Mann- Driving in the summer, falling in love… poignant stuff.

“Big Tall Man,” Liz Phair- She sings from the perspective of a man who’s “winning, spinning.” Lively and picturesque. “Sand and the beach. Rocker panel.”

“Stockton Gala Days,” 10,000 Maniacs- Sprightly summer song from the “Our Time In Eden” album. “Violet serene like none I have seen, apart from dreams that escape me.”

“Summer Of ’69,” Bryan Adams- Before Adams became popular for his sappy ‘90s love ballads, I loved some of his ‘80s pop-rock songs, especially this one.

“Nightswimming,” REM- I bought the Automatic For The People cassette tape and adored the song the first time I heard it. What a nicely soundtracked summer.

“Summer Rain,” Belinda Carlisle- From the excellent Runaway Horses album, the song is easily one of Carlisle’s more danceable, resonant tunes.

“Rain In The Summertime,” The Alarm- Summer rain again. Always a fun and infectious track.

“The Adventure,” Angels and Airwaves- Anthemic, swooping, optimistic. “Life’s waiting to begin.”

“Beauty On The Fire,” Natalie Imbruglia- While it doesn’t conjure up images of summer lyrically, the music and the video (watch the official one posted on YouTube) just makes you wanna take a cool dip.

“Upside Down,” Jack Johnson- Johnson’s cool, clear voice and laid-back music are calming, and that’s especially true here.

“Dusk And Summer,” Dashboard Confessional- Man, this is beautiful and bittersweet.

“Mystery,” Indigo Girls- The Girls are poetic as usual, and this is one of their more creatively worded love songs.

“Summertime,” The Sundays- “Romantic Piscean seeks angel in disguise.” Love that line.

“All I Want,” Joni Mitchell- Soothing and uplifting, this lovely song just takes you away.

“Something To Believe In,” Bangles- Serious, atmospheric, and not sung by Susanna Hoffs, the song is breezy and just about perfect.

“Boys of Summer,” Don Henley- The words are a summer mantra; it doesn’t lose its meaning and you feel it every time you sing along.

“Damn I Wish I Was Your Lover,” Sophie B. Hawkins- Love the percussion parts and the words. Sexy combination.

“I Will Remember,” Hard Rain- Classic new wave tune, a finely written and executed number about remembering the season. The extended version is just as powerful as the original.