Mariah Carey has congratulated Lil Nas X on beating her record for holding the longest-running number one in US chart history with his track ‘Old Town Road’.
Alongside a hilariously wonky Photoshopped image of Carey passing a torch to the 20 year-old rapper, the singer-songwriter wrote: “Sending love and congrats to @LilNasX on breaking one of the longest running records in music history! We’ve been blessed to hold this record with a song that means a great deal to @BoyzIIMen and myself and has touched so many. Keep living your best life!”
1/40 40. “Under the Bridge” – Red Hot Chili Peppers (1992)
Nothing screams summer like a former heroin addict grimly recalling his days as a user and the friends lost, the lovers spurned, along the way. Yet the stadium funkateers made the contradictions work on what is easily the second best early Nineties ballad about feeling dissolute and misunderstood while lingering beneath an overpass (Nirvana’s “Something in the Way” obviously grabs the top spot). EP
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2/40 39. “Bills, Bills, Bills” – Destiny’s Child (1999)
Beyonce’s first number one – and a song that established the future Queen Bey as a pop star with her own take on the world – “Bills Bills Bills” addresses how financial disparities in a relationship can disempower and trap women. A hefty topic for a 1999 chart ditty – but one that still made perfect sense blasting from passing cars or in the backbar at your local indie pit. EP
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3/40 38. “Unbelievable” – EMF (1990)
A posse of likely lads in shorts and backwards baseball hats, EMF at first glance seemed unlikely candidates for pop immortality. But the Cinderford champs achieved just that with their baggy mini-opera – cocky indie-pop that rocked and swayed and then erupted into a chorus that demanded you immediately put aside your 7 Up and start pogo-ing on the school disco floor. EP
4/40 37. “Ghostbusters Theme” – Ray Parker Jr (1984)
Who ya gonna call? If you were producing the 1984 paranormal comedy Ghostbusters, the answer of course was top R&B smoothie Ray Parker Jr. The film itself has not aged at all well – eeeugh, what a creep Bill Murray’s character comes across as today. But Ghostbusters, which popped a pose through that summer, is as timeless as a spooky bedtime tale. EP
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5/40 36. “Kiss from A Rose” – Seal (1995)
Seal was obviously fated to write a honking great power ballad for a superhero movie. Unfortunately for him, the cheesy Batman Forever was a better fit for Bruce Forsyth than Bruce Wayne. Still, that didn’t detract from the thorny magnificence of “Kiss From A Rose”, which mooched around the playlists for what felt like most of the latter-half of 1995. EP
6/40 35. “Bad Blood” – Taylor Swift (2015)
The feud might have been put to bed now, but in the summer of 2015, Taylor Swift added some serious heat to rumours of “bad blood” between her and fellow pop star Katy Perry. The vocal hook on the chorus recalls a kind of mocking “nah-nah” playground chant, making it easy to sing along to, and the drama that supposedly fuelled the song’s lyrics kept fans talking all the way through to September. RO
7/40 34. “Quit Playing Games (with My Heart)” – Backstreet Boys (1996)
There’s a lot to be said for a sublime summer ballad. And they don’t come any more emotive and irredeemably cheesy (in a good way) than this protean Backstreet Boys smash. It was, along with all that, an early triumph for future Britney Spears collaborator and general miracle worker Max Martin. Oddly, the only ones not to immediately recognise its genius were Backstreet Boys themselves, who urged their US label to release a different single. But the suits persisted and were proven right. EP
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8/40 33. “Shotgun” – George Ezra (2018)
It’s hard to feel any bad feeling towards George Ezra, such is the good-natured inoffensiveness of his personality. This is no more apparent than on “Shotgun”, the unstoppable, “it’s literally everywhere” hit of 2018 that will probably still be all over the radio this summer. Sung in his deep, rum-soaked rumble and with those bursts of brass giving the track some additional sunshine, Ezra urges listeners to stop worrying and just kick back for a bit. RO
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9/40 32. “I’ll Be Missing You” – Puff Daddy and Faith Evans (1997)
Even if you are a suburban kid who thought Notorious B.I.G. was an obscure comic book villain, Puff Daddy’s bubble-gum hymnal to a fallen comrade got you right there (pauses to thump chest). Daddy’s rapping was basic. And in the mid Nineties, The Police, along with Queen, Fleetwood Mac etc, were still regarded as naffness personified. Yet the genius sampling of the riff from “Every Breath You Take”, combined with his heart-on-sleeve chorus by Faith Evans (Biggie’s widow), delivered feels by the truck-load. EP
10/40 31. “California Gurls” – Katy Perry ft Snoop Dogg (2010)
The Beach Boys got there before her, but Katy Perry’s ode to the women of the West Coast is arguably just as memorable – if only for the video where she squirts whipped cream out of a cupcake bra. Over the simple beat, there’s a catchy vocal hook for the chorus and the mellow delivery of Snoop Dogg’s guest rap. RO
11/40 30. “Complicated” – Avril Lavigne (2002)
Billie Eilish fans might say otherwise, but no other artist has managed to capture teenage angst like Avril Lavigne, and certainly not on a better song than her breakout debut single “Complicated”. A steamier song took the number one spot in the US and many would argue that was the real song of the summer (Nelly’s “Hot in Herre”). But “Complicated” was an antidote to the sugar-sweet pop and overproduced R&B that was all-but dominating the charts, and Lavigne became a new teen idol for young girls faced with an army of pristine pop queens. For many, it was the first taste of the rebellion you could experience through music, and a window from pop into the entirely different worlds of rock, punk, indie and grunge. RO
12/40 29. “Problem” – Ariana Grande (2014)
Another Max Martin special – this one elevated by Grande’s authoritative delivery and an irresistible Iggy Azalea cameo. At the time of its release, Grande was still best known as a teen starlet – so the lyrics’ thoughtfulness came as a shock. “Problem”, she explained, was about “the feeling of being absolutely terrified to re-approach a relationship that’s gone sour – but you want to more than anything”. That sounds like a bummer song for the summer – but Grande, ever the one-woman pop typhoon, makes it work. EP
13/40 28. “Fancy” – Iggy Azalea featuring Charli XCX (2014)
Iggy Azalea was once so famous, people stopped confusing her for Azealia Banks. Those days are probably over, but she did leave us with this gossamer moment – a sultry slow-jam that doubled as a reminder to the world of Charli XCX’s off-grid genius. EP
14/40 27. “Dreams” – Fleetwood Mac (1977)
It might reference thunder, but the warm stroll of the bass and longing guitar refrains evoke the humidity of a summer night when you wish the rain would come and wash it all away. And isn’t summer all about that feeling of new possibilities? RO
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15/40 26. “Maneater” – Nelly Furtado (2006)
Furtado had come to us strewn with petals and singing about spreading her wings for the heavens. All of that was chucked out the window as she collaborated with producer of the hour Timbaland (who’d overseen Justin Timberlake’s Future Sex/Love Sounds…aka teen pop’s Dark Side of the Moon). Hotter than a killer tandoori, and as weightless as lightning, the song raised bumping and grinding to an art form. EP
16/40 25. “Wild Thoughts” – DJ Khaled ft Rihanna (2017)
DJ Khaled is one of the more unsavoury characters in music, and it’s hard to say exactly what he offers to production other than his tedious “trademark” intro (“another one”). “Wild Thoughts” is arguably his best offering to date, largely thanks to the brilliant pairing of Rihanna and Bryson Tiller, and the interpolation of Santana’s “Maria Maria”. Latin percussion and acoustic guitar picking add some Spanish heat to an already steamy song. RO
17/40 24. “Waterfalls” – TLC (1995)
Depending on who you listened to, it was either about Aids or the American inner-city crack epidemic. Either way, and the subject matter notwithstanding, this was bathetic bliss pouring from your stereo. TLC were the originators of the Nineties girl group species, though nobody realised it at the time (not even TLC). What everyone did understand, though, was that this was that rare pop song hefted with grit and emotional weight – but also with a hook that dug deep and refused to let go. EP
18/40 23. “In the Summertime” – Mungo Jerry (1970)
Definitely don’t take dating advice from Mungo Jerry, who tells the listener: “If her daddy rich/ take her out for a meal/ if her daddy’s poor just do what you feel.” But the British band are still responsible for one of the most instantly recognisable summer jams, with the plink-plonk of the banjo and Ray Dorset’s Cheshire cat grin, so wide you can actually hear it in his voice. RO
19/40 22. “Paradise City” – Guns ’n’ Roses (1989)
Moshing nirvana and a song that arrived on radio in the spring of 1989 and refused to leave until autumn. G ’n’ R guitarist Slash came up with the opening riff sipping a beer in the back of a tour bus, and that’s exactly what the song captures: hanging out, rocking hard and watching your woes vanish in the rear-view mirror. EP
20/40 21. “Call Me Maybe” – Carley Rae Jepsen (2012)
“Hey, I just met you, and this is crazy/ But here’s my number, so call me maybe?” Less of a hit song than a global pop phenomenon, this ridiculously upbeat track was more an innocent tale of a crush than an overt sexual statement. “I’m constantly trying to capture summer feelings,” Carly Rae Jepsen told The Guardian of the multi-million selling song. She certainly achieves that here, with the alertness of the violins, a pulsing drum beat and Jepsen’s sweet and impossible-not-to-sing-along-to lyrics. It immerses you in the kind of nostalgia that can only be associated with summertime. RO
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21/40 20. “One Dance” – Drake (2016)
This was the most streamed song on Spotify, until it was usurped by Ser Ed of House Sheeran and “Shape of You”. That dripfest really can’t hold a candle to Drake’s shimmering hookup with afrobeat rhymer Whizkid and British “funky” vocalist Kyla. The accompanying Views album was basically 75 minutes of Drake feeling sorry for himself. But happily, “One Dance” was one of those special moments where Drake got past being Drake and let the pop extrovert within off the leash. EP
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22/40 19. “Macarena” – Los del Rio (1993)
A song that took over not one but three summers, and launched an international dance craze that most Nineties kids can still do in their sleep – “Macarena” is one of (if not the) greatest one-hit-wonders of all time. RO
23/40 18. “Sabotage” – Beastie Boys (1994)
A humungous riff, an embryonic rap-metal chorus and a Seventies TV thriller-pastiching video that felt as deliciously retro as box-fresh Adidas. The Beastie Boys had already reinvented themselves and shed their toxic bro image with second album Paul’s Boutique, but “Sabotage”, from fourth album Ill Communication, moved the needle even more profoundly. It was the Beasties showing they could carry on like grown-ups whilst also rocking like hooligans. EP
Photo by Fotex/REX
24/40 17. “Gin and Juice” – Snoop Dogg (1994)
It may have been released in January, but “Gin and Juice” became an instant BBQ classic when Snoop Dogg released it in 1993. His ode to the summertime drink is simple and lighthearted G-funk, taken from his debut album Doggystyle. RO
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25/40 16. “Cruel Summer,” Bananarama (1984)
This 1984 hit was supposed to key into the “darker side” of summer, and is recognisable from its synth-pop beats and that earworm of a hook. The muggy production only adds to the feeling of being trapped in a sweltering city in the height of summer. The video showed Bananarama causing havoc around the streets of New York in dungarees, because apparently that’s what you do when the heat really gets to you. RO
26/40 15. “Rhythm is a Dancer” – Snap! (1992)
The early Nineties could be grim, what with all that grunge, the Gulf War and Morrissey’s solo albums. Swooping to the rescue were techno titans Snap! (aka producers Michael Münzing and Luca Anzilotti). As befits a timeless summer smash, the lyrics are appalling (“I’m serious as cancer / When I say rhythm is a dancer”), but the disco ache is unforgettable. EP
27/40 14. “I Like It” Cardi B, Bad Bunny and J Balvin (2018)
The hit song of summer 2018 in the UK was, it seemed, a three-way tie between Calvin Harris and Dua Lipa’s “One Kiss”, Drake’s “God’s Plan” and George Ezra’s “Shotgun”. Yet none of these have the same sizzle as Cardi B’s “I Like It”, which leans heavily on trap and salsa influences, and samples the Sixties boogaloo hit “I Like It Like That”. RO
28/40 13. “Crush” – Jennifer Paige (1998)
Paige would quickly slip back into obscurity, but she had her golden moment with “Crush” – recorded at Abbey Road and co-authored by Disney songwriter Mark Mueller (he penned the theme to DuckTales). It’s shivering, sublime and keeps getting better even after the 1000th listen. In other words, it’s summer smash perfection. EP
29/40 12. “Sunny Afternoon” – The Kinks (1966)
Ray Davies adopts the role of a rich layabout sitting in his stately home protesting (somewhat lazily) about the taxman taking all his money. His girlfriend has left him, too, so all he’s got is his “ice-cold beer”, which he sips as he lies “lazin’” (or “blazin’”, depending on how you hear the lyrics) on a sunny afternoon. Thanks to Davies’s languid, drawling vocals, it’s easy to imagine the latter. RO
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30/40 11. “Hit ‘Em Up Style (Oops!)” – Blue Cantrell (2001)
Some may contend that the Carolina Chocolate Drops cover delivers a heftier punch. But you can’t argue with the hard swinging power of Cantrell’s number two hit. The lyrics are unapologetically vengeful, with the narrator proposing a series of elaborate revenges against a cheating lover. The melody is feather-weight. It’s the lyrics, brimming with venom, that make the tune. EP
31/40 10. “Despacito” – Daddy Yankee and Luis Fonsi (2017)
A global phenomenon, and one that broke countless streaming records including the most-played song on Spotify and the most-watched YouTube video of all time, “Despacito” was a smash even before Justin Bieber got his paws on it. In fact, it’s the original Spanish-language version that has more than 6 billion hits on YouTube. You can measure its influence by the number of Latin, reggaeton and Spanish-language tracks that followed in its footsteps, from Cardi B’s “I Like It” to Little Mix with CNCO on “Reggaeton Lento” and Katy Perry on the remix of Daddy Yankee’s “Con Calma”. The Latin boom is well and truly here, and we have “Despacito” to thank for it. RO
Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee in ‘Despacito’ video. Credit: YouTube
32/40 9. “Seasons (Waiting For You)” – Future Islands (2014)
Joyous vulnerability bottled and served to you by a sweaty man who won’t stop thumping his chest. A long-toiling indie band from Baltimore were unlikely conduits for one of the feel good hits of 2014. But its earnestness was irresistible and after Samuel T Herring led his band through a heartfelt performance on David Letterman, “Seasons”’ moment was sealed. EP
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33/40 8. “Crazy In Love” – Beyoncé (2003)
It’s hard to imagine now that it wasn’t entirely clear in 2003 whether Beyonce had the staying power for a career post-Destiny’s Child. She was clearly charismatic with a stellar voice. But would either be enough to sustain her on her own? The point was proved beyond doubt as, hooking up with future husband/ muse Jay-Z, she delivered this pummelling statement of intent. Imperious, savvy, sassy, it blended hip-hop, soul and pop, with Beyoncé’s indelible presence holding the whole thing together. EP
34/40 7. “School’s Out,” Alice Cooper (1972)
Few memories are as great as those final seconds before the school bell rings, signalling the end of tests and homework and the beginning of the summer holidays. And no song has such raucous, youthful spirit as Alice Cooper on “School’s Out”, which was released in May 1972. “The few minutes waiting for that final school bell to ring are so intense that when it happens, it’s almost orgasmic,” said Alice Cooper. Truer, albeit slightly inappropriate words, never spoken. RO
35/40 6. “Work” – Rihanna and Drake (2016)
Over a percolating Caribbean beat, Rihanna sings in cool patois, each word sliding into the other to form one of the most subtly expressive performances of her career to date. She knows her worth on the somewhat infamous chorus (certain critics took issue with it essentially being one word on repeat), demanding the man pursuing her (Drake) “work” to earn her attention. For his part, the Canadian hip-hop star is his typically detached self as he pledges his loyalty to Ri-Ri: “If you had a twin/ I would still choose you.” What an honour. RO
36/40 5. “Music Sounds Better With You” – Stardust (1998)
Euro-pop that didn’t stop. This Daft Punk side project (Thomas Bangalter was taking time away from the day job) somehow one-upped the mother ship’s thoughtful techno with a non-ironic ode to sharing the dance-floor with friends and lovers. It went to number two in the charts, its upbeat throb one of the signatures, along with Geri Halliwell leaving the Spice Girls and David Beckham’s tears, of the summer of 1998. EP
37/40 4. “Boys of Summer” – Don Henley (1985)
Some songs, like “Old Town Road”, take months to build a momentum that will carry through those hot summer months. For Don Henley, who released his 1984 classic in October, this was the case – although it probably helped to have “summer” in the title, too. But “Boys of Summer” really is a quintessential summer song: that insistent drum machine and his nostalgic lyrics cause the listener to reflect on lost innocence, and then there’s that immortal image of a car cruising down the coastline, “the top rolled down, radio on”. RO
38/40 3. “Good Vibrations” – Beach Boys (1966)
Consistently ranked as one of the greatest songs of all time, “Good Vibrations” took seven months and four different recording studios (not to mention a record-breaking $50,000) to produce. Its complex harmonies and multiple key shifts, plus the inclusion of a jaw harp, electrotheremin and cello (unorthodox for the average pop song) make it stand out even today. The title alone is enough to make you think of it as a feel-good song – once you turn up the volume on a sunny day, your bad mood should evaporate completely. RO
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39/40 2. “Dancing in the Street” – Martha and the Vandellas (1964)
Few songs speak so much to the joy of cutting loose as “Dancing in the Street”. The Marvin Gaye co-write has Martha Reeves singing with such profound urgency that you feel she could launch not just a party, but a revolution, with lyrics that insist “it doesn’t matter what you wear, just as long as you are there”. In fact, it became an unofficial anthem for the 1965 Watts riots in Los Angeles, but Reeves always asserted it was intended as a party song. RO
40/40 1. “Get Lucky” – Daft Punk (2013)
Daft Punk turned the summer of 2013 into a disco inferno with their resplendent, Pharrell-featuring jam. From the first punch of that neat little guitar riff, courtesy of one Nile Rodgers, there was something about this relatively sedate jam that had people pressing the “replay” button all summer long. For older listeners, it likely reminded them of the party atmosphere he’d injected into Sister Sledge’s “We Are Family” 33 years earlier. For a younger audience more familiar with Pharrell’s airy falsetto, the funk and soul influences combined with Daft Punk’s classic vocodered break was unlike else released that year. No wonder we couldn’t get enough of it. RO
1/40 40. “Under the Bridge” – Red Hot Chili Peppers (1992)
Nothing screams summer like a former heroin addict grimly recalling his days as a user and the friends lost, the lovers spurned, along the way. Yet the stadium funkateers made the contradictions work on what is easily the second best early Nineties ballad about feeling dissolute and misunderstood while lingering beneath an overpass (Nirvana’s “Something in the Way” obviously grabs the top spot). EP
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2/40 39. “Bills, Bills, Bills” – Destiny’s Child (1999)
Beyonce’s first number one – and a song that established the future Queen Bey as a pop star with her own take on the world – “Bills Bills Bills” addresses how financial disparities in a relationship can disempower and trap women. A hefty topic for a 1999 chart ditty – but one that still made perfect sense blasting from passing cars or in the backbar at your local indie pit. EP
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3/40 38. “Unbelievable” – EMF (1990)
A posse of likely lads in shorts and backwards baseball hats, EMF at first glance seemed unlikely candidates for pop immortality. But the Cinderford champs achieved just that with their baggy mini-opera – cocky indie-pop that rocked and swayed and then erupted into a chorus that demanded you immediately put aside your 7 Up and start pogo-ing on the school disco floor. EP
4/40 37. “Ghostbusters Theme” – Ray Parker Jr (1984)
Who ya gonna call? If you were producing the 1984 paranormal comedy Ghostbusters, the answer of course was top R&B smoothie Ray Parker Jr. The film itself has not aged at all well – eeeugh, what a creep Bill Murray’s character comes across as today. But Ghostbusters, which popped a pose through that summer, is as timeless as a spooky bedtime tale. EP
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5/40 36. “Kiss from A Rose” – Seal (1995)
Seal was obviously fated to write a honking great power ballad for a superhero movie. Unfortunately for him, the cheesy Batman Forever was a better fit for Bruce Forsyth than Bruce Wayne. Still, that didn’t detract from the thorny magnificence of “Kiss From A Rose”, which mooched around the playlists for what felt like most of the latter-half of 1995. EP
6/40 35. “Bad Blood” – Taylor Swift (2015)
The feud might have been put to bed now, but in the summer of 2015, Taylor Swift added some serious heat to rumours of “bad blood” between her and fellow pop star Katy Perry. The vocal hook on the chorus recalls a kind of mocking “nah-nah” playground chant, making it easy to sing along to, and the drama that supposedly fuelled the song’s lyrics kept fans talking all the way through to September. RO
7/40 34. “Quit Playing Games (with My Heart)” – Backstreet Boys (1996)
There’s a lot to be said for a sublime summer ballad. And they don’t come any more emotive and irredeemably cheesy (in a good way) than this protean Backstreet Boys smash. It was, along with all that, an early triumph for future Britney Spears collaborator and general miracle worker Max Martin. Oddly, the only ones not to immediately recognise its genius were Backstreet Boys themselves, who urged their US label to release a different single. But the suits persisted and were proven right. EP
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8/40 33. “Shotgun” – George Ezra (2018)
It’s hard to feel any bad feeling towards George Ezra, such is the good-natured inoffensiveness of his personality. This is no more apparent than on “Shotgun”, the unstoppable, “it’s literally everywhere” hit of 2018 that will probably still be all over the radio this summer. Sung in his deep, rum-soaked rumble and with those bursts of brass giving the track some additional sunshine, Ezra urges listeners to stop worrying and just kick back for a bit. RO
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9/40 32. “I’ll Be Missing You” – Puff Daddy and Faith Evans (1997)
Even if you are a suburban kid who thought Notorious B.I.G. was an obscure comic book villain, Puff Daddy’s bubble-gum hymnal to a fallen comrade got you right there (pauses to thump chest). Daddy’s rapping was basic. And in the mid Nineties, The Police, along with Queen, Fleetwood Mac etc, were still regarded as naffness personified. Yet the genius sampling of the riff from “Every Breath You Take”, combined with his heart-on-sleeve chorus by Faith Evans (Biggie’s widow), delivered feels by the truck-load. EP
10/40 31. “California Gurls” – Katy Perry ft Snoop Dogg (2010)
The Beach Boys got there before her, but Katy Perry’s ode to the women of the West Coast is arguably just as memorable – if only for the video where she squirts whipped cream out of a cupcake bra. Over the simple beat, there’s a catchy vocal hook for the chorus and the mellow delivery of Snoop Dogg’s guest rap. RO
11/40 30. “Complicated” – Avril Lavigne (2002)
Billie Eilish fans might say otherwise, but no other artist has managed to capture teenage angst like Avril Lavigne, and certainly not on a better song than her breakout debut single “Complicated”. A steamier song took the number one spot in the US and many would argue that was the real song of the summer (Nelly’s “Hot in Herre”). But “Complicated” was an antidote to the sugar-sweet pop and overproduced R&B that was all-but dominating the charts, and Lavigne became a new teen idol for young girls faced with an army of pristine pop queens. For many, it was the first taste of the rebellion you could experience through music, and a window from pop into the entirely different worlds of rock, punk, indie and grunge. RO
12/40 29. “Problem” – Ariana Grande (2014)
Another Max Martin special – this one elevated by Grande’s authoritative delivery and an irresistible Iggy Azalea cameo. At the time of its release, Grande was still best known as a teen starlet – so the lyrics’ thoughtfulness came as a shock. “Problem”, she explained, was about “the feeling of being absolutely terrified to re-approach a relationship that’s gone sour – but you want to more than anything”. That sounds like a bummer song for the summer – but Grande, ever the one-woman pop typhoon, makes it work. EP
13/40 28. “Fancy” – Iggy Azalea featuring Charli XCX (2014)
Iggy Azalea was once so famous, people stopped confusing her for Azealia Banks. Those days are probably over, but she did leave us with this gossamer moment – a sultry slow-jam that doubled as a reminder to the world of Charli XCX’s off-grid genius. EP
14/40 27. “Dreams” – Fleetwood Mac (1977)
It might reference thunder, but the warm stroll of the bass and longing guitar refrains evoke the humidity of a summer night when you wish the rain would come and wash it all away. And isn’t summer all about that feeling of new possibilities? RO
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15/40 26. “Maneater” – Nelly Furtado (2006)
Furtado had come to us strewn with petals and singing about spreading her wings for the heavens. All of that was chucked out the window as she collaborated with producer of the hour Timbaland (who’d overseen Justin Timberlake’s Future Sex/Love Sounds…aka teen pop’s Dark Side of the Moon). Hotter than a killer tandoori, and as weightless as lightning, the song raised bumping and grinding to an art form. EP
16/40 25. “Wild Thoughts” – DJ Khaled ft Rihanna (2017)
DJ Khaled is one of the more unsavoury characters in music, and it’s hard to say exactly what he offers to production other than his tedious “trademark” intro (“another one”). “Wild Thoughts” is arguably his best offering to date, largely thanks to the brilliant pairing of Rihanna and Bryson Tiller, and the interpolation of Santana’s “Maria Maria”. Latin percussion and acoustic guitar picking add some Spanish heat to an already steamy song. RO
17/40 24. “Waterfalls” – TLC (1995)
Depending on who you listened to, it was either about Aids or the American inner-city crack epidemic. Either way, and the subject matter notwithstanding, this was bathetic bliss pouring from your stereo. TLC were the originators of the Nineties girl group species, though nobody realised it at the time (not even TLC). What everyone did understand, though, was that this was that rare pop song hefted with grit and emotional weight – but also with a hook that dug deep and refused to let go. EP
18/40 23. “In the Summertime” – Mungo Jerry (1970)
Definitely don’t take dating advice from Mungo Jerry, who tells the listener: “If her daddy rich/ take her out for a meal/ if her daddy’s poor just do what you feel.” But the British band are still responsible for one of the most instantly recognisable summer jams, with the plink-plonk of the banjo and Ray Dorset’s Cheshire cat grin, so wide you can actually hear it in his voice. RO
19/40 22. “Paradise City” – Guns ’n’ Roses (1989)
Moshing nirvana and a song that arrived on radio in the spring of 1989 and refused to leave until autumn. G ’n’ R guitarist Slash came up with the opening riff sipping a beer in the back of a tour bus, and that’s exactly what the song captures: hanging out, rocking hard and watching your woes vanish in the rear-view mirror. EP
20/40 21. “Call Me Maybe” – Carley Rae Jepsen (2012)
“Hey, I just met you, and this is crazy/ But here’s my number, so call me maybe?” Less of a hit song than a global pop phenomenon, this ridiculously upbeat track was more an innocent tale of a crush than an overt sexual statement. “I’m constantly trying to capture summer feelings,” Carly Rae Jepsen told The Guardian of the multi-million selling song. She certainly achieves that here, with the alertness of the violins, a pulsing drum beat and Jepsen’s sweet and impossible-not-to-sing-along-to lyrics. It immerses you in the kind of nostalgia that can only be associated with summertime. RO
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21/40 20. “One Dance” – Drake (2016)
This was the most streamed song on Spotify, until it was usurped by Ser Ed of House Sheeran and “Shape of You”. That dripfest really can’t hold a candle to Drake’s shimmering hookup with afrobeat rhymer Whizkid and British “funky” vocalist Kyla. The accompanying Views album was basically 75 minutes of Drake feeling sorry for himself. But happily, “One Dance” was one of those special moments where Drake got past being Drake and let the pop extrovert within off the leash. EP
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22/40 19. “Macarena” – Los del Rio (1993)
A song that took over not one but three summers, and launched an international dance craze that most Nineties kids can still do in their sleep – “Macarena” is one of (if not the) greatest one-hit-wonders of all time. RO
23/40 18. “Sabotage” – Beastie Boys (1994)
A humungous riff, an embryonic rap-metal chorus and a Seventies TV thriller-pastiching video that felt as deliciously retro as box-fresh Adidas. The Beastie Boys had already reinvented themselves and shed their toxic bro image with second album Paul’s Boutique, but “Sabotage”, from fourth album Ill Communication, moved the needle even more profoundly. It was the Beasties showing they could carry on like grown-ups whilst also rocking like hooligans. EP
Photo by Fotex/REX
24/40 17. “Gin and Juice” – Snoop Dogg (1994)
It may have been released in January, but “Gin and Juice” became an instant BBQ classic when Snoop Dogg released it in 1993. His ode to the summertime drink is simple and lighthearted G-funk, taken from his debut album Doggystyle. RO
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25/40 16. “Cruel Summer,” Bananarama (1984)
This 1984 hit was supposed to key into the “darker side” of summer, and is recognisable from its synth-pop beats and that earworm of a hook. The muggy production only adds to the feeling of being trapped in a sweltering city in the height of summer. The video showed Bananarama causing havoc around the streets of New York in dungarees, because apparently that’s what you do when the heat really gets to you. RO
26/40 15. “Rhythm is a Dancer” – Snap! (1992)
The early Nineties could be grim, what with all that grunge, the Gulf War and Morrissey’s solo albums. Swooping to the rescue were techno titans Snap! (aka producers Michael Münzing and Luca Anzilotti). As befits a timeless summer smash, the lyrics are appalling (“I’m serious as cancer / When I say rhythm is a dancer”), but the disco ache is unforgettable. EP
27/40 14. “I Like It” Cardi B, Bad Bunny and J Balvin (2018)
The hit song of summer 2018 in the UK was, it seemed, a three-way tie between Calvin Harris and Dua Lipa’s “One Kiss”, Drake’s “God’s Plan” and George Ezra’s “Shotgun”. Yet none of these have the same sizzle as Cardi B’s “I Like It”, which leans heavily on trap and salsa influences, and samples the Sixties boogaloo hit “I Like It Like That”. RO
28/40 13. “Crush” – Jennifer Paige (1998)
Paige would quickly slip back into obscurity, but she had her golden moment with “Crush” – recorded at Abbey Road and co-authored by Disney songwriter Mark Mueller (he penned the theme to DuckTales). It’s shivering, sublime and keeps getting better even after the 1000th listen. In other words, it’s summer smash perfection. EP
29/40 12. “Sunny Afternoon” – The Kinks (1966)
Ray Davies adopts the role of a rich layabout sitting in his stately home protesting (somewhat lazily) about the taxman taking all his money. His girlfriend has left him, too, so all he’s got is his “ice-cold beer”, which he sips as he lies “lazin’” (or “blazin’”, depending on how you hear the lyrics) on a sunny afternoon. Thanks to Davies’s languid, drawling vocals, it’s easy to imagine the latter. RO
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30/40 11. “Hit ‘Em Up Style (Oops!)” – Blue Cantrell (2001)
Some may contend that the Carolina Chocolate Drops cover delivers a heftier punch. But you can’t argue with the hard swinging power of Cantrell’s number two hit. The lyrics are unapologetically vengeful, with the narrator proposing a series of elaborate revenges against a cheating lover. The melody is feather-weight. It’s the lyrics, brimming with venom, that make the tune. EP
31/40 10. “Despacito” – Daddy Yankee and Luis Fonsi (2017)
A global phenomenon, and one that broke countless streaming records including the most-played song on Spotify and the most-watched YouTube video of all time, “Despacito” was a smash even before Justin Bieber got his paws on it. In fact, it’s the original Spanish-language version that has more than 6 billion hits on YouTube. You can measure its influence by the number of Latin, reggaeton and Spanish-language tracks that followed in its footsteps, from Cardi B’s “I Like It” to Little Mix with CNCO on “Reggaeton Lento” and Katy Perry on the remix of Daddy Yankee’s “Con Calma”. The Latin boom is well and truly here, and we have “Despacito” to thank for it. RO
Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee in ‘Despacito’ video. Credit: YouTube
32/40 9. “Seasons (Waiting For You)” – Future Islands (2014)
Joyous vulnerability bottled and served to you by a sweaty man who won’t stop thumping his chest. A long-toiling indie band from Baltimore were unlikely conduits for one of the feel good hits of 2014. But its earnestness was irresistible and after Samuel T Herring led his band through a heartfelt performance on David Letterman, “Seasons”’ moment was sealed. EP
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33/40 8. “Crazy In Love” – Beyoncé (2003)
It’s hard to imagine now that it wasn’t entirely clear in 2003 whether Beyonce had the staying power for a career post-Destiny’s Child. She was clearly charismatic with a stellar voice. But would either be enough to sustain her on her own? The point was proved beyond doubt as, hooking up with future husband/ muse Jay-Z, she delivered this pummelling statement of intent. Imperious, savvy, sassy, it blended hip-hop, soul and pop, with Beyoncé’s indelible presence holding the whole thing together. EP
34/40 7. “School’s Out,” Alice Cooper (1972)
Few memories are as great as those final seconds before the school bell rings, signalling the end of tests and homework and the beginning of the summer holidays. And no song has such raucous, youthful spirit as Alice Cooper on “School’s Out”, which was released in May 1972. “The few minutes waiting for that final school bell to ring are so intense that when it happens, it’s almost orgasmic,” said Alice Cooper. Truer, albeit slightly inappropriate words, never spoken. RO
35/40 6. “Work” – Rihanna and Drake (2016)
Over a percolating Caribbean beat, Rihanna sings in cool patois, each word sliding into the other to form one of the most subtly expressive performances of her career to date. She knows her worth on the somewhat infamous chorus (certain critics took issue with it essentially being one word on repeat), demanding the man pursuing her (Drake) “work” to earn her attention. For his part, the Canadian hip-hop star is his typically detached self as he pledges his loyalty to Ri-Ri: “If you had a twin/ I would still choose you.” What an honour. RO
36/40 5. “Music Sounds Better With You” – Stardust (1998)
Euro-pop that didn’t stop. This Daft Punk side project (Thomas Bangalter was taking time away from the day job) somehow one-upped the mother ship’s thoughtful techno with a non-ironic ode to sharing the dance-floor with friends and lovers. It went to number two in the charts, its upbeat throb one of the signatures, along with Geri Halliwell leaving the Spice Girls and David Beckham’s tears, of the summer of 1998. EP
37/40 4. “Boys of Summer” – Don Henley (1985)
Some songs, like “Old Town Road”, take months to build a momentum that will carry through those hot summer months. For Don Henley, who released his 1984 classic in October, this was the case – although it probably helped to have “summer” in the title, too. But “Boys of Summer” really is a quintessential summer song: that insistent drum machine and his nostalgic lyrics cause the listener to reflect on lost innocence, and then there’s that immortal image of a car cruising down the coastline, “the top rolled down, radio on”. RO
38/40 3. “Good Vibrations” – Beach Boys (1966)
Consistently ranked as one of the greatest songs of all time, “Good Vibrations” took seven months and four different recording studios (not to mention a record-breaking $50,000) to produce. Its complex harmonies and multiple key shifts, plus the inclusion of a jaw harp, electrotheremin and cello (unorthodox for the average pop song) make it stand out even today. The title alone is enough to make you think of it as a feel-good song – once you turn up the volume on a sunny day, your bad mood should evaporate completely. RO
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39/40 2. “Dancing in the Street” – Martha and the Vandellas (1964)
Few songs speak so much to the joy of cutting loose as “Dancing in the Street”. The Marvin Gaye co-write has Martha Reeves singing with such profound urgency that you feel she could launch not just a party, but a revolution, with lyrics that insist “it doesn’t matter what you wear, just as long as you are there”. In fact, it became an unofficial anthem for the 1965 Watts riots in Los Angeles, but Reeves always asserted it was intended as a party song. RO
40/40 1. “Get Lucky” – Daft Punk (2013)
Daft Punk turned the summer of 2013 into a disco inferno with their resplendent, Pharrell-featuring jam. From the first punch of that neat little guitar riff, courtesy of one Nile Rodgers, there was something about this relatively sedate jam that had people pressing the “replay” button all summer long. For older listeners, it likely reminded them of the party atmosphere he’d injected into Sister Sledge’s “We Are Family” 33 years earlier. For a younger audience more familiar with Pharrell’s airy falsetto, the funk and soul influences combined with Daft Punk’s classic vocodered break was unlike else released that year. No wonder we couldn’t get enough of it. RO
Carey had previously held the record with her 1995 collaboration with Boyz II Men, ‘One Sweet Day’, which held the top spot on the US Billboard chart for 16 weeks. It was a record somewhat broken in 2016 by Daddy Yankee, Luis Fonsi and Justin Bieber’s ‘Despacito’, which also managed 16 weeks at the top, before ‘Old Town Road’ toppled both this week.
In response to Carey’s message, Lil Nas X expressed his gratitude. “Thank you so much Mariah!” he tweeted. “You are a legend and an icon and I’m blessed to even have you acknowledging me right now! Growing up [on] your music and now having you talk to me directly is unreal!”
Bieber also joined the celebrations, tweeting a simple “Congratulations” at Lil Nas X. Billy Ray Cyrus, who collaborated on ‘Old Town Road’ with the rapper, tweeted: “Congratulations my friend @LilNasX, you sir are what ya call a ‘game changer’. Love ya man. You are a light.”
Lil Nas X, meanwhile, has teased that he may now be retiring ‘Old Town Road’ and its many, many remixes, tweeting that he will now focus on ‘Panini’, his second single.
