Top 10 Summer Cruisin' Songs of All Time

Classic Trends - August 11, 2021

 

Top 10 Summer Crusin' Songs

1. On the Road Again - Willie Nelson 

Released in the fall of 1980, On the Road Again was one of Nelson’s most recognizable hits. The song details what it is like to be on tour traveling from city to city. This song reached #20 on the US Billboard Top 100 Hits and later won him a Grammy Award for Best Country Song of the Year.  

2. Jack and Diane - John Mellencamp

Mellencamp’s second single off of American Fool (1982) was described as a rock love ballad and was based on the 1962 film Sweet Bird of Youth. Jack and Diane spent four consecutive weeks at #1 on the US Billboard Top 100 list and was Mellencamp’s most successful song. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) selected Jack and Diane as one of the Songs of the Century. 

3. Summer of ‘69 - Bryan Adams

In 1985, Canadian musician Bryan Adams released Summer of ‘69 on his fourth album. The song was about his dilemma between becoming a rock star or settling down. This song performed very well internationally topping charts in the Netherlands, New Zealand, UK, and other countries around the world. 

4. Surfin’ U.S.A. - The Beach Boys

Surfin’ U.S.A. was ranked the number one song of 1963 by Billboard for its upbeat tempo and lyrics that are great for the summer. Originally the music was for the song Sweet Little Sixteen but new lyrics and a title were written over it for this Beach Boys classic. The lyrics list over 15 different songs surf spots, mostly in California.

5. Everybody Wants to Rule the World- Tears for Fears

The English pop-rock group Tears for Fears released Everybody Wants to Rule the World in 1985 as their third single from the album Songs From the Big Chair. The song has themes about the human desire for control and power as well as corruption. It hit charts all over the world in the US, Ireland, Australia, UK, Canada, and New Zealand. Everybody Wants to Rule the World and Shout are the group’s two most recognizable songs and have gained them the most attention. 

6. Born in the U.S.A. - Bruce Springsteen

As the title track for Springsteen’s sixth album released in 1984, Born in the U.S.A. was met with huge commercial success. The lyrics address what some of the economic struggles were like for returning Vietnam veterans juxtaposed to the patriotism of the country. This song was also listed by the Recording Industry Association of American as one of the top Songs of the Century. 

 7. Sweet Home Alabama - Lynyrd Skynyrd

Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd released Sweet Home Alamaba in 1974 on their second album Second Helping. While the song today is somewhat of an anthem for the state of Alabama, the history and meaning behind the song are a bit darker than the upbeat rhythm. It was written in response to Neil Young’s Southern Man. They tried to dispel certain negative stereotypes of the South and embraced other positive ones. 

8. Brown Eyed Girl- Van Morrison

Northern Irishman Van Morrison released Brown Eyed Girl in 1967 it spent 16 weeks on the Billboard Top 100 reaching #10. It is considered to be Morrison’s most popular and recognizable song. In 2007, Brown Eyed Girl was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame and is considered one of the songs that shaped rock and roll. 

9.  Lovely Day- Bill Withers

Released in 1977, Bill Withers introduced the world to Lovely Day on his album Menagerie. Wither’s has a sustained note at the end of the song that lasts for over 18 seconds, which is the longest note ever recorded on an American pop song. This soul and funk song has made multiple comebacks in recent years with Demi Lovato singing it following Joe Biden’s inauguration and for many advertisements for the NFL, Gap, Allstate Insurance, and others. 

10. Dreams - Fleetwood Mac

In 1977, Stevie Nicks wrote Dreams for their eleventh album Rumours, and was released as the second single. It reached the number one spot on the US Billboard in 1977 and was the band’s only song to get there. The members of the band had a lot going on in their personal lives during the creation of this album and the song was about how they tried to separate work and home. The song had a resurgence after a viral TikTok video and Dreams reentered the charts in 2021. 







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