Songs about summer are more than just seasonal soundtracks. They’re snapshots of sun-soaked memories, carefree moments, and the wild energy of long days and warm nights. From beachside adventures and childhood nostalgia to summer love and epic road trips, artists across every genre have captured the essence of this vibrant time of year.
From classic summer pop tracks to country ballads and everything in between, these songs bring out the warmth, fun, and energy that summer always promises.
Be sure to check out the Songs About Summer Playlist at the bottom of this page.
Best Songs About Summer
1. “Under the Boardwalk” – The Drifters
Lyric Sample: “Under the boardwalk, down by the sea, yeah, on a blanket with my baby is where I’ll be.”
This soulful tune paints a picture of a secret summer romance by the ocean. It makes the list for its timeless imagery and iconic status in the world of songs about summer and the beach.
2. “Summertime” – DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince
Lyric Sample: “Summer, summer, summertime, time to sit back and unwind.”
A laid-back hip-hop track that captures the rhythm and energy of summer in the city. It’s one of the most popular songs about summertime and still feels fresh decades later.
3. “Surfin’ USA” – The Beach Boys
Lyric Sample: “If everybody had an ocean across the U.S.A., then everybody’d be surfin’ like Californ-i-a.”
This surf rock classic is basically the soundtrack of every retro beach party. It earns its spot with high-energy vibes and lyrics that shout summer fun.
4. “Cruel Summer” – Taylor Swift
Lyric Sample: “It’s new, the shape of your body, it’s blue, the feeling I’ve got.”
This synth-pop gem captures the intensity and chaos of a whirlwind summer romance. Its passionate delivery makes it a standout among modern songs about summer love.
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5. “Kokomo” – The Beach Boys
Lyric Sample: “Aruba, Jamaica, ooh I wanna take ya, to Bermuda, Bahama, come on pretty mama.”
A dreamy escape into tropical paradise, “Kokomo” is all about letting go of stress. With its carefree vibe, it remains a go-to song about summer and the beach.
6. “Hot Fun in the Summertime” – Sly & the Family Stone
Lyric Sample: “First of the fall and then she goes back.”
This funk-soul hit embodies the playfulness and fleeting magic of summer days. Its upbeat groove and nostalgic lyrics secure its place among classic songs about the summer.
7. “Watermelon Sugar” – Harry Styles
Lyric Sample: “Tastes like strawberries on a summer evenin’, and it sounds just like a song.”
With its lush production and sensory-driven lyrics, “Watermelon Sugar” is pure summer indulgence. It’s one of the more popular songs about summer in recent years.
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8. “Margaritaville” – Jimmy Buffett
Lyric Sample: “Wastin’ away again in Margaritaville, searchin’ for my lost shaker of salt.”
This tropical country tune is all about laid-back living and summer escapes. It’s a cornerstone in country music songs about summer with a beachy twist.
Related: “Margaritaville” Song Meaning
9. “Island in the Sun” – Weezer
Lyric Sample: “On an island in the sun, we’ll be playin’ and havin’ fun.”
Weezer serves up indie-pop bliss with this breezy ode to relaxation. Its simple lyrics and sun-soaked energy make it perfect for your best songs for summertime playlist.
10. “Soak Up the Sun” – Sheryl Crow
Lyric Sample: “I’m gonna soak up the sun, I’m gonna tell everyone to lighten up.”
This feel-good track reminds you to slow down and enjoy the rays. It’s one of those songs about summer fun that practically radiates positivity.
11. “Summer Breeze” – Seals & Crofts
Lyric Sample: “Summer breeze, makes me feel fine, blowin’ through the jasmine in my mind.”
With soft rock charm and dreamy lyrics, this tune evokes warm evenings and peaceful days. It’s a perfect addition to your playlist of mellow songs about summer love.
Related: “Summer Breeze” Song Meaning
12. “Summer of ’69” – Bryan Adams
Lyric Sample: “Those were the best days of my life, oh yeah, back in the summer of ’69.”
This rock classic reminisces on youthful love and music-filled days. It’s a nostalgic song about the summer that never quite fades from memory.
13. “Boys of Summer” – Don Henley
Lyric Sample: “I can see you, your brown skin shinin’ in the sun.”
Haunting and contemplative, this track captures the fading glow of a summer romance. It’s one of the most enduring songs about summer and loss.
14. “School’s Out” – Alice Cooper
Lyric Sample: “School’s out for summer, school’s out forever.”
Nothing says childhood in the summer quite like this hard rock classic. It’s pure rebellion, making it one of the popular songs to play when summer kicks off.
15. “Hot Girl Summer” – Megan Thee Stallion ft. Nicki Minaj & Ty Dolla $ign
Lyric Sample: “It’s a Hot Girl Summer, so you know she got it lit.”
This hip-hop track defined a whole seasonal mood with confidence and energy. It’s a bold and catchy modern summer-fun song.
16. “Summer in the City” – The Lovin’ Spoonful
Lyric Sample: “Hot town, summer in the city, back of my neck getting dirty and gritty.”
With gritty urban imagery, “Summer in the City” captures summer’s intense pulse. It’s a classic song about summer heat and city life.
17. “Summertime Blues” – Eddie Cochran
Lyric Sample: “I’m gonna raise a holler about workin’ all summer just to try to earn a dollar.”
This rockabilly staple is all about teenage frustration and summer jobs. It’s one of the earliest and best songs about summertime struggles.
Related: Best Songs Relating to Work
18. “Summer Nights” – Olivia Newton-John & John Travolta
Lyric Sample: “Summer lovin’, had me a blast, summer lovin’, happened so fast.”
This Grease duet is pure musical theater nostalgia. It’s easily one of the popular songs about summer love.
19. “Vacation” – The Go-Go’s
Lyric Sample: “Vacation, all I ever wanted, vacation, had to get away.”
This pop-punk gem is a high-energy celebration of escape. It’s an 80s staple among upbeat songs about summer and the beach.
20. “All Summer Long” – Kid Rock
Lyric Sample: “It was 1989, my thoughts were short, my hair was long, caught somewhere between a boy and man.”
Kid Rock blends rock and country in this throwback summer jam. It’s a nostalgic mix of summer fun and young love.
21. “Summer” – Calvin Harris
Lyric Sample: “When I met you in the summer, to my heartbeat sound.”
This EDM banger captures the electric energy of a seasonal fling. It’s a must-add to any playlist of songs about summer, especially if you’re looking to dance.
22. “Feels Like Summer” – Childish Gambino
Lyric Sample: “You can feel it in the streets, on a day like this, the heat, it feels like summer.”
“Feels Like Summer” blends hazy summer vibes with a warning about environmental and social decay. It’s one of the most thoughtful songs you’ll find on this list, capturing both the beauty and the tension simmering beneath the heat.
Related: Best Songs About Nature
23. “Summertime Sadness” – Lana Del Rey
Lyric Sample: “Kiss me hard before you go, summertime sadness.”
Lana Del Rey delivers a dreamy, melancholic track that turns summer love into sorrow. It’s an essential pick for moody, emotional summer playlists.
Related: “Summertime Sadness” Song Meaning
24. “Solar Power” – Lorde
Lyric Sample: “I throw my cellular device in the water, can you reach me? No, you can’t.”
Lorde’s sun-drenched alt-pop song encourages disconnecting from the noise. It’s a modern celebration of nature, freedom, and the essence of summer.
25. “Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polkadot Bikini” – Brian Hyland
Lyric Sample: “She wore an itsy bitsy teenie weenie yellow polkadot bikini, that she wore for the first time today.”
This novelty pop tune is a fun slice of 60s beach culture. It’s quirky and catchy, a definite classic among songs about summer and the beach.
26. “Summer Girls” – LFO
Lyric Sample: “I like girls that wear Abercrombie & Fitch, I’d take her if I had one wish.”
This playful 90s pop-rap hit is packed with summer references and oddball charm. It’s one of the most memorable pop songs with “summer” in the title.
27. “In the Summertime” – Mungo Jerry
Lyric Sample: “In the summertime when the weather is hot, you can stretch right up and touch the sky.”
“In the Summertime” is a carefree tune full of jangly guitars and pure joy. It’s one of the most beloved and instantly recognizable songs about summertime.
28. “Summer Renaissance” – Beyoncé
Lyric Sample: “It’s a new vibration, I feel like levitatin’.”
This disco-infused closer to Renaissance celebrates confidence, glamour, and freedom on the dance floor. It’s a high-energy tribute to self-love and transformation under the summer lights.
29. “Endless Summer Nights” – Richard Marx
Lyric Sample: “Time was all we had until the day we said goodbye.”
This smooth ballad captures the ache of a fleeting romance that still haunts the memory. It’s all about warm nights, broken hearts, and what could have been.
30. “That Summer” – Garth Brooks
Lyric Sample: “She had a need to feel the thunder, to chase the lightning from the sky.”
A vivid coming-of-age story about a summer fling that leaves a lasting impression. It’s full of longing, life lessons, and sultry Southern heat.
31. “Summer Of Love” – Shawn Mendes & Tainy
Lyric Sample: “It was the summer of love, a delicate daydream.”
This dreamy collab blends pop and tropical vibes into one chill, golden-hour track. It’s all about peaceful days, lighthearted love, and feeling totally in the moment.
32. “Summer Wind” – Frank Sinatra
Lyric Sample: “Like painted kites, those days and nights, they went flyin’ by.”
Sinatra’s classic channels the bittersweet feeling of a season slipping away. It’s smooth, nostalgic, and tinged with late-summer melancholy.
33. “Rockaway Beach” – Ramones
Lyric Sample: “The sun is out and I want some, it’s not hard, not far to reach.”
This punk track is pure adrenaline and sand in your shoes. It’s all about bailing on the city and chasing sun, surf, and freedom.
34. “Summer Feelings” – Lennon Stella ft. Charlie Puth
Lyric Sample: “Hey, gettin’ in my summer feelings, and I’m trying to keep it cool.”
“Summer Feelings” is a modern duet packed with soft vocals and flirty chemistry. It’s the sound of a carefree crush blooming in the sunshine.
35. “Surf City” – Jan and Dean
Lyric Sample: “I bought a ’34 wagon and we call it a woodie.”
This surf rock song is a high-energy ride straight to the beach. It’s a great summer song full of catchy choruses, classic cars, and summer swagger.
36. “Beach Baby” – First Class
Lyric Sample: “Beach baby, there on the sand from July to the end of September.”
This retro pop tune is soaked in sunshine and teenage nostalgia. It’s a musical snapshot of endless summer love and boardwalk dreams.
37. “Those Lazy-Hazy-Crazy Days of Summer” – Nat King Cole
Lyric Sample: “You’ll wish that summer could always be here.”
This playful track celebrates the joy of simpler times. It’s a toe-tapper that conjures up picnics, soda shops, and sun-drenched afternoons.
38. “Saturday in the Park” – Chicago
Lyric Sample: “People talking, really smiling, a man playing guitar.”
“Saturday in the Park” is a breezy celebration of weekend bliss and community. This one feels like the soundtrack to a perfect summer afternoon in the city.
Related: Best Songs About Chicago
39. “Summer Jam” – The Cool Kids
Lyric Sample: “In the Summertime, nothing matters, we just keep on rolling, rolling.”
“Summer Jam” brings backyard vibes and block party cool. It’s hip-hop soaked in sunshine, sneakers, and good times.
40. “Summer Love” – Justin Timberlake
Lyric Sample: “This just can’t be summer love, you’ll see.”
Catchy and upbeat, “Summer Love” is about a summer fling you wish could last forever. It’s playful, passionate, and a little bittersweet.
41. “Cool For The Summer” – Demi Lovato
Lyric Sample: “Got my mind on your body and your body on my mind.”
Bold and unapologetic, Lovato’s “Cool For The Summer” is about living in the moment. It’s flirty, fearless, and made for turning heads in the heat.
42. “Suddenly Last Summer” – The Motels
Lyric Sample: “It happened one summer, it happened one time.”
Moody and mysterious, this one captures the feeling of a fleeting moment you can’t forget. It’s catchy and a bit haunting, definitely a unique song for the summer song playlist.
43. “Summertime” – George Gershwin
Lyric Sample: “Summertime, and the livin’ is easy.”
“Summertime” is a song that paints a sultry, slow-motion picture of summer. Its lullaby-like tone is smooth, soulful, and endlessly soothing.
44. “Summer Days” – Martin Garrix ft. Macklemore & Patrick Stump
Lyric Sample: “She looks good in the morning, and she don’t even know it.”
This electro-pop jam is pure fun from start to finish. It’s the musical version of a summer crush with extra sparkle.
45. “Surfin’ Safari” – The Beach Boys
Lyric Sample: “Let’s go surfin’ now, everybody’s learning how.”
Surf’s up with this high-energy, harmony-filled classic. It’s carefree, youthful, and impossible not to sing along with, which is why it’s been one of the more popular summer songs for decades.
46. “Beachin’” – Jake Owen
Lyric Sample: “And it’s sunshine, blue eyes, tan lines, it’s low tide.”
“Beachin’” is all about laid-back living with toes in the sand. It’s a great country song for chill days and warm nights.
47. “Long Hot Summer” – Keith Urban
Lyric Sample: “It’s gonna be a long, hot summer, we should be together.”
Keith Urban turns up the heat with this romantic, road trip-ready jam. It’s about holding onto that spark all season long.
Conclusion: The Everlasting Heat of Summer Tracks
Songs about summer capture more than just a season. They embody memories, moods, and milestones. From carefree classics to emotional ballads, each track here offers a sonic snapshot of what it means to live through the highs and heat of summer.
Whether you’re making new memories or reminiscing on old ones, these songs can be the soundtrack to your summer days and nights.
Be sure to check out some of our other themed lists, like the Songs About Rain list and the Best Songs with Animals in the Title list!