The start of the summer is just around the corner. No matter what your favorite decade of music is, here’s some rock songs to play at the beach this summer.
A good song that exudes summer is always going to be stuck in your head. In the seven decades of music, these are some you might want to take a listen.
1960s: Summer in the City by The Lovin’ Spoonful
At a time when singing about the summer was about going to the beach or meeting a pretty girl, The Lovin’ Spoonful came out with a song that talked about suffering with the intense heat of summer.
With sounds of a big city and lyrics about the relief in the nighttime, one could easily picture the song in real life. With the 1960’s charm, it’s hard not to dance along to the music.
The Lovin’ Spoonful came out at a time when The Beatles and The Beach Boys were all the hype. Decades later, fans consider them an underrated rock band of their time.
1970s: Hotel California by The Eagles
“Hotel California” is a haunting classic that isn’t exactly about the summer, but gives us that summer feeling from its fictional, yet mysterious tale.
The song has been mysterious for decades, and yet, its haunting melody continues to captivate fans young and old. Theories about the song’s meaning range from troubles with fame, selling your soul, addiction, war, and even religious tribulations.
We’re sent off into the summer with the guitar solo to close out the song, leaving us to reminisce about that one summer we spent at the Hotel California.
1980s: Summer of ’69 by Bryan Adams
You can’t have a summer rock song without the most iconic one of all time. “Summer of ‘69” is an instant classic and one of the first songs that comes to people’s minds when thinking about the summer.
Everyone has that one summer that will never be forgotten. No matter how long ago it was, it’s another tune that speaks to the freedom of nostalgia.
We can picture almost everything being said in the lyrics and those feelings we get when warm weather comes around. You can’t have a summer BBQ without playing it at least once.
1990s: Interstate Love Song by Stone Temple Pilots
While “Interstate Love Song” has nothing to do with summer, most people find that the vibes of the song are great for driving down on a highway with the wind blowing, and this song blasting on the car radio.
Stone Temple Pilots was one of the many rock bands in the 90’s alternative scene, like Nirvana, Alice in Chains, and Soundgarden. However, the band is notable for having more variety in their sound, especially in their early albums.
The band, which originally comes from San Diego, encompasses that Californian style with the grunge of the 90’s. Despite its dark themes, the lyrics by themselves can literally draw up a picture of better days.
2000s: The Boys of Summer by The Ataris
The Ataris were one of many pop/punk bands to come out of the early 2000’s, similar to other pop/punk bands at the time like New Found Glory and All Time Low.
The band’s existence was short lived, but they reached major success with their cover of “The Boys of Summer.” The band put their own twist to the song, with younger people preferring The Ataris version over the original Don Henley version.
Some fans point out the different vibe of The Ataris version actually making it feel like summer. It’s a way of saying farewell to the best summer ever, most likely from the perspective of a teenager or young adult.
2010s: San Diego by blink-182
When people think of San Diego and California, they think of beautiful weather, the beach, and warm temperatures. This song is also a homage to the band’s hometown of San Diego.
The song is featured on the 2016 album California. The concept behind the album was to make songs that reminded them of home, featuring other songs called “Los Angeles” and “California.”
The entire album also features happier and nostalgic tunes of enjoying the summer and having fun. For many fans, this is the ultimate summer album for pop punk.
No matter what decade of music is your favorite, there’s always a good summer rock song out there. Now that it’s right around the corner, time to get your playlist ready!
