The days are getting longer, the weather is getting warmer, and summer is in full swing. And to truly enjoy summer, you need a playlist of fun tunes to enjoy while lounging by the pool, grilling out, or maybe just sending emails or building spreadsheets for your day job.
Here is a snapshot of some of the tracks that the CPM staff members are listening to this summer as well as a playlist on our Spotify account that you can follow and listen to yourself.
Yvonne Elliott, Executive Assistant
“Good Day” by Forrest Frank from Child of God (2024)
“Your Way’s Better” by Forrest Frank from Child of God II (2025)
“Up” by Forrest Frank and Connor Price from Child of God (2024)
Harlow Crandall, Archival Assistant
“Synthetic World” by Swamp Dogg from Total Destruction to Your Mind (1970)
“Animal Speaks” by 15-60-70 (The Numbers Band) from Jimmy Bell’s Still in Town (1976)
“Black Satin” by Miles Davis from On the Corner (1972)
“Talk to Me Baby” by New York Dolls from Dancing Backwards in High Heels (2011)
“It’s a Rainy Day, Sunshine Girl” by Faust from Faust So Far (1972)
Jon Sewell, Graduate Assistant
“Out in the Street” by Bruce Springsteen from The River (1980)
“Girls in Their Summer Clothes” by Bruce Springsteen from Magic (2007)
“Last to Die” by Bruce Springsteen from Magic (2007)
“The Last to Die” by Pet Shop Boys from Electric (2013)
“Did You See Me Coming?” by Pet Shop Boys from Yes (2009)
Logan Dalton, Librarian
“Spike Island” by Pulp from More (2025)
I’m a real sucker for recent late period albums by iconic UK bands (Memento Mori by Depeche Mode, Ballad of Darren by Blur, Nonetheless by Pet Shop Boys), and the first new Pulp single in 12 years from their first album in 24 years is no exception. “Spike Island” has nostalgia for the 1990s Brit Pop/Baggy movement, but also represents an evolution of the group’s sound.
“Leave Me Alone” by Renee Rapp from Bite Me (2025)
The lead single from actress, singer, and queer icon Renee Rapp’s upcoming album Bite Me should be the song of the summer with its infectious beat and sassy lyrics that exude confidence. I live for Rapp’s jab at her old TV show Sex Lives of College Girls and can’t wait to dance to this at different Pride events!
“Range Life” by Pavement from Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain (1994)
“Range Life” is mostly known for its sarcastic roasts of 1990s bands like Stone Temple Pilots and Smashing Pumpkins, but it’s a very calming, float on the river type of song for me and makes me imagine a world without bills or commercial concerns. (P.S. You should check out Alex Ross Perry’s Pavement documentary/mockumentary/biopic/concert film/jukebox musical Pavements.)
“Summer Love” by Justin Timberlake from Future Sex/Love Sounds (2006)
With its foot stomping beat and retro, Prince-esque synths, “Summer Love” by Justin Timberlake is pure nostalgia for me. The hit single evokes memories of my first summer before high school like listening to Ryan Seacrest’s American Top 40 on my portable CD player/radio, basketball runs in the hot Kentucky sun, and the (At the time for me) disappointment that was Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 3.
“Saturday” by Fall Out Boy from Take This to Your Grave (2003)
I’ve been listening to a lot of Fall Out Boy for an upcoming project, and nothing beats the raw pop punk energy of their debut album Take This to Your Grave. Even though it didn’t chart as a single, I would consider “Saturday” to be Fall Out Boy’s signature, and nothing beats the interplay between Patrick Stump’s clean and Pete Wentz’s unclean vocals. Also, “I read about the afterlife/But I never really lived” is one of my go-to existential crisis-inducing lyrics.
Olivia Beaudry, Archivist
“Long Summer Day” by Turnpike Troubadours from Diamonds & Gasoline (2010)
This John Hartford cover by Turnpike Troubadours was an instant classic as soon as they released it. It’s always a fan favorite at their shows, and it’s so fitting for the band that many don’t know it’s a cover tune. So when I hear it, I think of all the fun of seeing it played live by Turnpike. It’s also a fun, faster version that gets the windows down in the car, and its topic is also very summer.
“Chattahoochee” by Alan Jackson from A Lot About Livin’ (And A Little About Love) (1992)
As a 1990s kid, this was always on the radio growing up and was very popular in the summer. To this day, when I hear it, I think of the music video with Alan waterskiing, and what is more summer than that!
“Pterodactyl” by Hosty from The Mousetrap Sessions (2008)
This is a fun song that’s good to jam to and have in the background at a cookout until someone notices what the song is saying. This is what Hosty does best: make bangers that are about the most random things.
“4th of July” by Shooter Jennings from Put the “O” Back in Country (2005)
I vividly remember the summer this song came out. It changed my life. Shooter Jennings mixed rock and classic country, which is exactly what I was listening to as a teen. This track was Jennings’ first radio single, and it made me a lifelong fan in part because of this fun summer song.
“Heaven” by Los Lonely Boys from Los Lonely Boys (2004)
“Heaven” came out in June 2003, and anyone with a radio at that time knows this song. It was played constantly. I am shocked it only peaked at 16 on the Billboard Hot 100, but it was an earworm and always makes me think of hanging out at the lake in Maine.
Rachel Morris, Assistant Director/Archivist
“American Woman” by Lenny Kravitz from 5 (1998)
“Gypsy” by Fleetwood Mac from Mirage (1982)
“More Human Than Human” by White Zombie from Astro-Creep: 2000 (1995)
“Cruel Summer” by Bananarama from Bananarama (1984)
“Pour Some Sugar On Me” by Def Leppard from Hysteria (1987)
“Mud on the Tires” by Brad Paisley from Mud on the Tires (2003)
What’s on your summer playlist? Feel free to chime in on our Facebook, Instagram, or Blue Sky pages.
-CPM Staff
The views expressed in this blog are the staff members‘ own and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Center for Popular Music and Middle Tennessee State University.