Summertime is finally here...

Summer arrives today (or tomorrow, depending on who you ask). A Facebook friend of mine posted this morning and asked, "What are the best summer songs?" beginning his list with a few by the Beach Boys and "Summer In the City" by the Lovin' Spoonful. It's been interesting to watch the list develop, everything from Connie Francis to Def Leppard (my contribution...) to Nickelback. That's a span of 47 years! So, I'll pop the question here, too: do you have some favorite summertime tunes? Perfect for late-nite drives with the windows down or a lazy day at the beach? Dancing in a club or celebrating high school graduation? I'll start with a few of my favorites - then I expect to hear from you!

"Boys of Summer" by Don Henley. I recently saw a "Deadhead sticker" on a fancy sports car and this song immediately sprang to mind. Henley can be sort of an uptight pain in the you-know-what, but I don't think you can deny the evocative beauty of this song.

"Photograph" by Def Leppard. Brings me back to high school! Crunchy, slickly produced rock at its best.

"Always The Last To Know" by Del Amitri. Del Amitri was probably more popular in Chicago than any other city in the US. The former sound man for my band used to blast this through our PA while we were setting up for gigs. Also gorgeously produced with great harmonies and more riffyness than you can shake a stick at.

"Summertime" by Kenny Chesney. Yep, I like country music and this is a prime example. He gets every detail right - two bare feet on the dashboard, young love, an old Ford, cheap shades and a bottle of Yoohoo rolling on the floorboard. The soaring harmonies on the refrain send this one out of the park.

Alright, I started - you keep it going. What are your sounds of summertime?