And now, the dramatic conclusion of "Joe's Big-Ass Crazy Summer Playlist!" (Here's Part 1, in case you've forgotten...)
Who's That Girl - Madonna (1987) There are lots of Madonna songs that would feel right for this list, but this was actually a hit during the summer, it has that pop candy feel, and July 11, 1987 was the first time I saw Madonna in concert, as the "Who's That Girl" tour hit the Vet. What vexed me, though, is that when the tour was announced I had read that Bronski Beat was going to be her opening act, but was replaced by Level 42, since the singer who took over when Jimmy Somerville left Bronski Beat took a powder as well.
My Arms Keep Missing You - Rick Astley (1987) This is a stretch in that it wasn't released in the U.S. or during the summer, and has no summer-type lyrics. It was the B-side of "When I Fall In Love" (cover of the Nat King Cole song), which was released at the end of 1987 in the UK and was trying to be the "Christmas No. 1" -- it's really a big thing over there. The B-side became a dance hit in Europe, and eventually got radio airplay here the following year. The thing that ties it to summer for me is the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul (which actually didn't begin until September 17). I had this little portable hand-held TV and I would watch the late-night coverage while in bed -- thanks to the time difference a lot of late-night stuff was live -- and listen to music (either a radio or a cassette with my then-favorites, taped from the radio or from my 45s or 12-inch remix singles). This was one that I loved at that time, and eventually bought the 12-inch import (for $7.49 -- I think U.S. 12-inch singles were $2.99 or $3.99 at the time). Here's a link to listen -- and no, this is not an attempt at RickRolling.
Ooo La La La - Teena Marie (1988) This hit its chart peak in April, so it's perhaps a bit early for summer, and doesn't really have summer lyrics. It's just a gorgeous soulful song from her album "Naked to the World." Highly recommended.
Circle In The Sand - Belinda Carlisle (1988) If the title doesn't evoke the beach, if the lyrics don't give you the summer vibe, then the bit of sound of seagulls tacked on at the end will do it. If not, check your pulse...
Love Shack - The B-52's (1989) Perfect for a throwback party. Tiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin roof! Rusted.
Do You Love What You Feel - Inner City (1989) Again, more for my personal summer soundtrack than summer in general. Inner City was part of the Detroit techno-house scene of that era, and mostly known for their dance hits "Big Fun" and "Good Life," but this song is my favorite from their "Big Fun" album, so it's the one I included. (It's not a cover of the Rufus and Chaka Khan song, by the way.)
Back To Life (However Do You Want Me) - Soul II Soul feat. Caron Wheeler (1989) After this song, one of only two she did with Soul II Soul, Caron Wheeler released a solo album, "U.K. Blak," which had a #1 dance hit, "Livin' in the Light," in 1990. I think she really should have had more hits than this.
Escapade - Janet Jackson (1990) For me, this falls into the "Vacation" category. Bright and danceable. There was a remix out at the time that I always wanted, but both of the 12-inch records I bought always skipped (it wasn't the needle, it was the records themselves) and I gave up. I remember throwing the second one against the wall in disgust and shattering it. I still miss it, even though I can't really remember what it sounds like now.
Vision Of Love - Mariah Carey (1990) Ah, divas. Of course, this was Mariah's first hit, so it came before she quickly married and quickly divorced the much older
Summertime - DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince (1991) Philly in da house! How can I not include this?
Gypsy Woman (She's Homeless) - Crystal Waters (1991) La da dee, la da da, La da dee, la da da, La da dee, la da da, La da dee, la da da, La da dee, la da da, La da dee, la da da, La da dee, la da da, La da dee, la da da...
Shiny Happy People - R.E.M. (1991) Actually peaked in the fall and I know people hate it (and even R.E.M. has disavowed it) but I don't care. This is my playlist and it stays!
That's The Way Love Goes - Janet Jackson (1993) For a while it was amazing how Janet Jackson matured as a recording artist. This is such a great record, and a big step from her previous hits. A shame she went off the rails musically. I bought her "Damita Jo" album in 2004, listened to it once and put it away, never to resurface, and haven't bought one of her CDs since. I hope Miss Jackson from the mid-90s returns some time.
100% Pure Love and Relax - Crystal Waters (1994) La da dee, la da da, La da...oops, wrong song. So as it turned out Crystal Waters (born in Philadelphia -- heyyyy!) was a two-hit wonder, or a one-and-a-half-hit wonder, at least as far as the Billboard pop chart was concerned. "100 % Pure Love" hit #11. But my favorite from her "Storyteller" album is "Relax," which was #1 on the dance chart. Not unlike the Inner City song: great beat and lyrics that I find inspiring.
Fly - Sugar Ray (1997) and Walkin' On The Sun - Smash Mouth (1997) In the early 90s there was a station here, WDRE, that switched to the modern rock format, and it was my favorite for a while. It used to simulcast a NYC station, then had its own programming, but the station was sold and modern rock got dumped for hip-hop. Another modern rock station, Y-100, popped up in its place, and for a while it was my favorite, and this is a roundabout way of saying that these two songs were #1 back-to-back on Billboard's Modern Rock chart, for a combined total of 13 weeks.
Doin' Time - Sublime (1997) Another byproduct of my modern rock period, although this wasn't out until late in '97. I always fall asleep to music. Now and then I'd wake up in the middle of the night and hear a song I'd never heard before and really get into it. This was one of those 4 a.m. songs. Loosely covering the song "Summertime" from Porgy and Bess, but other than "Summertime, and the living's easy" the lyrics are completely different.
Barbie Girl - Aqua (1997) So bad it's good. Even though it didn't get released in the US until September (while Europe got it in June), it's summertime pop candy. Falls into the "Shiny Happy People" category: it's my playlist and it stays!
You Get What You Give - New Radicals (1999) Another one that didn't hit in the summer but its sunny optimistic sound makes me want to hear it when it's warm.
Steal My Sunshine - Len (1999) I have this here even though I have no idea what the song's supposed to be about. The sample of the Andrea True Connection's "More More More" propels it.
Beautiful Stranger - Madonna (1999) I used to take walks on my lunch and breaks at work, and when this song came out, I taped it off the radio and then repeatedly dubbed it onto another tape, filling both sides, so I could listen to it over and over. I took my Sony Walkman (remember those? They have an mp3 version but it's not the same) with me when I walked, and listened to this song during my walks. It didn't help that I was sort of crushing on a co-worker at the time, so the song kind of spoke to me...
Summerfling - k.d. lang (2000) Not very well-known, and not even a hit (although a dance remix hit #25 on the chart). But a cool song. And unlike some of the other links I've provided, which had the audio but just some pictures or text to look at, here's the actual music video.
Crazy In Love - Beyoncé feat. Jay-Z (2003) The obvious choice for the summer of 2003.
Cinnamon Park - Jill Sobule (2004) Borrows from "Saturday in the Park" by Chicago, which would be a worthy addition to the list, but I don't own it. This is fun, though. And they really had a big budget for the video, huh?
Open Road - Bryan Adams (2004) This wasn't even a hit in the USA, though it was number one in his native Canada, eh? But the following year, ESPN used it relentlessly as the theme for their "50 States in 50 Days" segments on Sportscenter and it wore me down.
Glamorous - Fergie feat. Ludacris (2007) Again, not a summer song but it became one for me. I actually wasn't even familiar with it until I visited friends in Phoenix in April '07, where we saw the Phillies-Diamondbacks series, and it was played nonstop in the car. It stuck with me after I returned home. I still haven't forgiven you, DJ.
When Love Takes Over - David Guetta feat. Kelly Rowland (2009) My absolute favorite song from the summer of 2009.
Whew. That took longer than I thought. I'm not sure I have a Winter Playlist in me. But I'd love some feedback on this...
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