Dear listeners,
A few weeks ago, I asked you to share your 2024 song of the summer. Not necessarily your favorite of the pop smashes that defined the balmiest months of this year — because I’ve already compiled a playlist of those — but the song that served as your personal soundtrack to the season. The song that will conjure a montaged rush of summer of ’24 memories when you hear it years from now.
As usual, Amplifier readers delivered, sending me an eclectic mix of songs and some of your lively personal stories.
Over and over, it occurred to me while reading your submissions that a song of the summer does not need to be the kind of frothily fun, carefree tune that we usually associate with that phrase. Sure, there are quite a few tracks on this playlist that fit the bill, from artists like the New York-bred sibling duo Lawrence, the ’60s pop singer Keith and the French icon Zizi Jeanmaire. But quite a few of you recommended more subdued songs that had inspired reflection (like a ballad from Zach Bryan’s latest album) or that provided the soundtrack to a challenging moment (like one reader’s selection of a Mississippi John Hurt classic).
I wish I could have selected every single song you submitted — but that would have been a very, very long playlist. It was difficult to pare it down to just 13 tracks, but these selections reflect the range of what you recommended: Some new and some old, some familiar and some so obscure I’d never even heard of them. Thanks to each and every one of you who shared your song and your story.
Also, reading through these submissions gave me concrete proof of something I’d suspected: A lot of you got into Chappell Roan this summer. Femininomenon indeed.
Ouch! Mi corazón,
Lindsay
Listen along while you read.
1. Jimmy Buffett: “Oldest Surfer on the Beach”
“I got my first surfboard in 1958. I was in the eighth grade and lived in South Mission Beach in San Diego. From that point on, summers became more important to me than Christmas. I turned 80 this past July. My goal after 66 years of riding waves was to catch at least one at 80 and then finally quit. I surfed a couple of times at 79, but the thrill was kind of gone for me. I’ve yet to catch that one more at 80, but listening to the Jimmy Buffett song ‘The Oldest Surfer On the Beach’ this summer has inspired me not to give up yet.” — Alan Segal, San Diego
2. Bad Bunny: “Yo No Soy Celoso”
“I love the juxtaposition of the aggressive content against the laid-back sound. It suits summer without being too outrageously upbeat, and it demands that you dance to it.” — Andrea Avey, Iowa City
3. Keith: “98.6”
“My all time favorite summer song — and I come back to it every year — is from 1967. Pure pop bliss, and it never gets old. Any time I hear this tune, I’m instantly transported back to my younger days on the Gulf Coast, and the endless summer days of pool hopping from one beachside hotel to another, moving on as you got kicked out of one to venture on to another until they, too, kicked you out. Life was magical, and we were invincible. I love this song!” — Robert Kilpatrick, Diamondhead, Miss.
4. Ween: “Voodoo Lady”
“My kids (ages 18, 16 and 13) had it on their playlist, so we listened to it throughout our summer road trip. Because the main lyrics were easy to remember (“Boogie oogie oogie oogie”), it was sung repeatedly in hotel elevators, ferry rides, restaurant waits, on hikes and other adventures.” — Solveig Comer, South Kortright, N.Y.
5. Fontaines D.C.: “Starburster”
“The driving beat, the rhythm, the undiluted Dublin accent: The Irish are having their moment in the arts, and I am here for it.” — Jen Hassell, Farmington Hills, Mich.
6. Draag: “Midnight Paradise”
“I first got into Draag earlier this year after seeing them open for Wednesday. I knew right away this was my new favorite band: Catchy, shoegaze-y, edgy. What I didn’t anticipate was my 3-year-old daughter, Winter, liking them so much. OK, maybe I brainwashed her a bit, but I will always remember this as the summer of riding around on my e-bike with Winnie on the back, clutching my phone and wanting to crank Draag. ‘Midnight Paradise’ is her favorite track.” — David Marlow, Seattle
7. The Cranberries: “Dreams”
“My wife and I have our eldest starting middle school in the fall, and we watched ‘Derry Girls’ with her this summer once her sisters had gone to bed. The use of the song in the show, plus my wife’s love of the band when she was a teen, made it feel like the soundtrack of watching our baby turn into a tween overnight.” — Joe Stracci, Cold Spring, N.Y.
8. Zach Bryan: “Bass Boat”
“Driving at sunset through the interior of B.C., listening to this on the way to an outdoor theater show, it hit me how difficult and confusing understanding the history of your own family can be. Not a fun song of the summer, but such an important one.” — Stina Hanson, Vancouver, British Columbia
9. Mississippi John Hurt: “Spike Driver Blues”
“In March, I suffered a stroke — not serious, but it took away some functionality from my fretting hand and arm. This one-chord song became the first step toward ‘keep on keeping on.’ God bless Mississippi John Hurt.” — Richard Miller, Leuven, Belgium
10. Zizi Jeanmaire: “Mon Truc en Plumes”
“It was performed by Lady Gaga at the opening ceremony of the Olympics in Paris. I loved her performance, and it became my daughter’s favorite song of the summer too!” — Meghan Habibzai, Portland, Maine
11. Olivia Rodrigo: “So American”
“It has an incredible, propulsive groove and a seamless melody line. Lyrics ain’t bad either. The ‘American’ part resonated because up here in Canada, many of us (myself included) watch American politics compulsively and, boy, have they been an eyeful this summer.” — Nelson Smith, Toronto, Ontario
12. Lawrence: “Whatcha Want”
“As far as I’m concerned, there’s nobody making music that’s more infectious and downright enjoyable than Clyde and Gracie Lawrence and friends. ‘Whatcha Want’ is a prime example, and if you need some musical fun to define the summer of 2024, that’s my suggestion.” — Eric Siegmund, Horseshoe Bay, Texas
13. Chappell Roan: “Hot to Go!”
“I heard ‘Good Luck, Babe!’ and initially felt meh about it, but this song hooked me on the very first listen and then compelled me to listen to the rest of the album and jump on the Chappell Roan bandwagon this summer. Plus, it’s now part of my vocabulary. When my dog has her harness on before her walk, I’ll ask her if she’s hot to go. Or I’ll tell my sister/roommate to give me five more minutes to get ready and then I’ll be hot to go!” — Richelle Hurley, Providence, R.I.
The Amplifier Playlist
“Readers Pick Their Song of the Summer” track list
Track 1: Jimmy Buffett, “Oldest Surfer on the Beach”
Track 2: Bad Bunny, “Yo No Soy Celoso”
Track 3: Keith, “98.6”
Track 4: Ween, “Voodoo Lady”
Track 5: Fontaines D.C., “Starburster”
Track 6: Draag, “Midnight Paradise”
Track 7: The Cranberries, “Dreams”
Track 8: Zach Bryan, “Bass Boat”
Track 9: Mississippi John Hurt, “Spike Driver Blues”
Track 10: Zizi Jeanmaire, “Mon Truc en Plumes”
Track 11: Olivia Rodrigo, “So American”
Track 12: Lawrence, “Whatcha Want”
Track 13: Chappell Roan, “Hot to Go!”
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