BILLBOARD'S TOP 30 SUMMER SONGS OF ALL TIME

[gregg75]

BILLBOARD: (all have Summer specific themes 1958-May 2012)
Not really feeling the top one......

1) California Gurls..........Katy Perry feat. Snoop Dogg 2010
2) Summer In The City.........The Lovin' Spoonful 1966  (that's better)
3) Wipe Out........The Surfaris 1962
4) Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polkadot Bikini......Bryan Hyland 1960 (Roddy Freeman favorite)
5) Surf City......Jan & Dean 1963
6) Endless Summer Nights......Richard Marx 1988
7) Summertime.......DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince 1991
Surfin' U.S.A........The Beach Boys 1963 (interesting how the 8 turned out in this one)
9) Hot Fun In The Summertime......Sly & The Family Stone 1969
10)Summer Nights.......John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John 1978
11)The Boys Of Summer......Don Henley 1984
12)In The Summertime.......Mungo Jerry 1970 (runner up for Roddy Freeman)
13)Summer Of '69......Bryan Adams 1985
14)Under The Boardwalk......The Drifters 1964
15)Summer......War 1976
16)California Girls......The Beach Boys 1965
17)Summer Girls.....LFO 1999
18)Saturday In The Park......Chicago 1972 (yeah)
19)Summer Love......Justin Timberlake 2007 (?)
20)Those Lazy-Hazy-Crazy Days Of Summer......Nat King Cole 1963 (??)
21)School's Out.....Alice Cooper 1972
22)Summer Breeze.....Seals & Crofts 1972 (mellow gold)
23)Surfer Girl.....The Beach Boys 1963
24)Suddenly Last Summer......The Motels 1983
25)A Summer Song......Chad & Jeremy 1964
26)Summertime Blues.....Eddie Cochran 1958 (progressive)
27)Cruel Summer......Bananarama 1983
28)Wipeout.....Fat Boys and the Beach Boys 1987
29)Summertime......Billy Stewart 1966
30)Surfin' Safari.....The Beach Boys 1962

Now, what did they leave out? What are your comments on some of these lesser known songs?

[flex]

The Beach Boys obviously own the summer.
By the way, Sirius XM 60's on 6 is doing a great Beach Boys special this weekend. They are playing alot of deeper cuts then you would usually hear from them.

[landtuna]

Take everything published after 1980 and toss it.  Absolutely nothing in that list can compare with the surf and summer sounds of the 60's. 

I don't get what all the bolded comments mean but "Lazy, Crazy Days of Summer" was a very popular song in it's day although it sounded more like a Mitch Miller type of sing-along pop song than the rest.

"Itsy Bitsy Yellow Polka Dot Bikini" was a horrible song and greatly criticized back when.  In fact, it was used in the James Cagney movie "One, Two, Three" to "torture" a suspected spy. 

And Eddie Cochran's "Summertime Blues" was pure Rock and Roll.  Don't understand the progressive tag.

Some suggested adds (although I have no idea where they'd fit in Billboard):

Love Letters in the Sand - Pat Boone ('58, I think)
One Summer Night - Danleers
Summer Wine - Nancy Sinatra & Lee Hazelwood
A Summer Place - Percy Faith ('60?)
I Live For The Sun - Sun Ray's
Palisades Park - Freddie Canon ('61)
Pipeline - Chantay's
Here Comes The Sun - Beatles
Image of a Surfer - Lloyd Thaxton ('63)
Kokomo - Beach Boys
Sidewalk Surfin' - Jan & Dean
The Wedge - Dick Dale

[wpb1999]

I remember when Damn "Itsy Bitsy" crap came out.  But, are they kidding, California "Gurls" (still, a year later, dont get the mispelling) by Katy Perry, and put "Surfin' USA" as #8. What are the Billboard publishers smoking?  It must be something real good.

[landtuna]

But, are they kidding, California "Gurls" (still, a year later, dont get the mispelling) by Katy Perry, ...

I suspect they are making it possible for the hip-hoppers to understand.  Personally, I haven't heard anything by Perry that is worth listening to.