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Careerstone's Summer 2019 Playlist!
There’s no time quite like Summertime! It’s that pretty delicious time of year when the daylight is long and the days seem to stretch into one another. For some, summer is about nostalgia – about remembering a time that “seemed” less stressful, more joyful, and more full of promise and wonder.
Cannonballs in the pool, sandcastles at the beach, S’mores at the campfire, all of these evocative images need a soundtrack to go along with them! At Careerstone Group, we challenged ourselves to identify songs that reminded us of summer fun, and we are excited to share our Summer Song Playlist with you!
The songs we’ve compiled are fairly reflective of our programming; our Summer Song list features diverse artists, eras, and genres. These songs are applicable to people in all stages of life, and vary in genre from country to hip-hop, with just about everything in between. And like good facilitators, we’ve mixed up the pacing and energy! Some selections will pump you up, others will put you in a relaxed frame of mind.
We hope you have as much fun listening as we did compiling! Happy Summer from Careerstone Group!
1. Summer– Calvin Harris
“I mean, the song title is “Summer” and it gives you such great energy. How could it not be included in this list?” - Chris Butts
2. Vacay– Sunny & Gabe
“Absolutely love the steel drums, marimbas, and playful call and response of the lead singers. A vacation day so lazy, you can’t even pronounce the full word.” - Kristen Shattuck
3. Summer Breeze - Seals and Crofts
4. Take It Easy - The Eagles
“These classic songs are perfect for driving to the beach, enjoying summer fun, and just taking it easy.” - Katherine Bergmann
5. Only wanna be with you - Hootie and the Blowfish
6. Drift Away - Uncle Kracker
7. Santeria – Sublime
“I love the relaxed, positive vibe of these songs, and they’re guaranteed to put you in a summer state of mind!” - Katherine Bergmann
8. Here Comes the Sun– The Beatles
“How can you not feel positive and grateful when this song comes on? It’s the Beatles! I can’t imagine any top music song list that doesn’t include the Beatles…or Zeppelin, or Queen…” - Mary Abbajay
9. Vacation– The Go-Go’s
“As a die-hard 80’s girl, The Go-Go’s made everything sound like fun, even planning a vacation to get over a break-up!” - Kristen Shattuck
10. Beyond the Sea– Bobby Darin
“What’s summer without a song about water? Plus, this was the song my husband and I chose for our first dance at our wedding. The lyrics slay me every time.” - Mary Abbajay
11. Take Me to the River– Talking Heads
“I saw the Talking Heads perform in New Haven, CT in August 1983. Changed my entire relationship with music.” - Mary Abbajay
12. Don’t You Worry ‘bout a Thing– Stevie Wonder
“Summer should be a time to stop worrying. This song will help. It’s one of my go-to pre-presentation warm up songs. Plus, quite frankly, almost anything by Stevie Wonder works for summer!” - Mary Abbajay
13. It Was a Good Day– Ice Cube
“I was just starting high school when this song came out and while I knew little about everything mentioned in the song, it was such a revolutionary time for hip-hop.” - Chris Butts
14. When the Sun Goes Down - Kenny Chesney
15. It’s 5 O’Clock Somewhere- Alan Jackson
“Even if you’re not a huge country music fan, you can’t help but feel like you’re on vacation when you hear these summer hits!” - Katherine Bergmann
16. Lovely Day– Bill Withers
“Summer is lovely. And so is this song. I dare you to listen and not love it.” - Mary Abbajay
17. School’s Out– Alice Cooper
“This was the anthem for us dumb-ass Midwesterners last century every June when school got out…” - Mary Abbajay
18. Carolina Girls– General Johnson
“The epitome of beach music; this song lets everyone know which girls are the best in the world, and will have you looking for the nearest boardwalk!” - Kristen Shattuck
19. (Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay– Otis Redding
“This quintessential song of relaxation evokes great memories of when wasting time was an art form.” - Kristen Shattuck
20. Evil Ways– Santana
“I DJ’ed in the summer of 1993 in Adams Morgan and this song was always in my rotation. I dare you not to start to groove when it comes on.” - Mary Abbajay
21. The Distance– Cake
“As the daughter of two teachers, we spent our summer vacations road tripping! This song reminds me of those long days of driving, before car seats were mandatory, hanging out in the back of the station wagon, passing time with plenty of road ahead of us.” - Kristen Shattuck
22. I Can See Clearly Now– Johnny Nash
“This song brings me back to my childhood. My sister, Stephanie, and I used to play this on my Dad’s jukebox every Saturday morning in the summer when we were kids. Good times.” - Mary Abbajay
23. Hot in Herre– Nelly
“This song is just plain fun! Makes me think I am still young.” - Mary Abbajay
24. Margaritaville– Jimmy Buffett
“To me, you can’t have summertime without Jimmy Buffett! I grew up listening to him every summer, and have seen him in concert several times…this song is by far his most popular, and for good reason!” - Katherine Bergmann
25. Yeah– Usher
“While it was released in January, it was still such a major hit that it continued into the summer. Everyone was singing this song!” - Chris Butts
26. Paradise City– Guns ‘n Roses
“This was one of the songs that made GNR a powerhouse group! I was in middle school and even I couldn’t help but sing along to this one!” - Chris Butts
27. Don’t Leave Me This Way– Thelma Houston
“Summer in the late 70’s was all about Disco. Growing up in the Midwest was all about classic rock-so I had to keep my love for Disco a secret…until now! Stayin Alive, I will Survive, Disco Inferno, Got to Be Real, Heart of Glass, Got to Give it Up, You Sexy Thing, and of course, Kung Fu Fighting!” - Mary Abbajay
29. Sir Duke– Stevie Wonder
“The horns and the drums make this song feel like a big summer Block Party. Can’t you feel it all over?” - Kristen Shattuck
30. The Girl from Impanema– Frank Sinatra
“Tall and tan and young and lovely. The girl from Ipanema goes walking…” I mean, who doesn’t want to be as cool as the girl from Ipanema? Plus, the groove of this song is classic.” - Mary Abbajay
31. Sunshine Superman– Donovan
“I’m a sucker for the 60’s groove. Don’t listen to this unless you are willing to have an earwig for the rest of the day.” - Mary Abbajay
32. Night Moves– Bob Segar
“Growing up in Toledo, Ohio, meant a lot of summer “cruising music” stuff to listen to while driving around trying to find something to do. And being a few miles south of Detroit, Toledo loved Bob Segar. If you haven’t listened to Bob Segar in a while—check him out.” - Mary Abbajay
33. Good Vibrations– Beach Boys
“Now, what’s a good summer song list without the original boys of summer?!” - Kristen Shattuck
Listen to the playlist on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2XBljKN
Listen to the playlist on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFBsAkxN6WwdR24MqjH35EADoVdXUE9OO