Alright, so it’s summer, there’s a heatwave, we’re all suffering. But if you’re one of those freaks people who actually enjoy the unbearable heat of summer, these three rock songs are for you. Meanwhile, I’ll be staying inside with my AC at 65 degrees, thank you.
“White Heat, Red Hot” by Judas Priest
Judas Priest released “White Heat, Red Hot” on their 1978 album Stained Class. Beyond being a bit of a tongue twister, this track sizzles with heat all the way through. That early metal sound has something to it that brings to mind heat lines on a desolate highway. Grit, gravel, hot steel and asphalt. The whole nine yards.
Lyrically, “White Heat, Red Hot” is more about some fantastical final battle between opposing elements. Not your typical summertime fare. But it still has an intensity that rivals this heatwave, so there’s no way to go wrong here.
“Smooth” by Santana Ft. Rob Thomas
“Smooth” is a song that’s very of its era (technically the 90s), but there’s still so much to love about it. For one, it was the last No. 1 hit of 1999, and the first of 2000, making it a top song in two different decades, centuries, and millennia. That’s right, “Smooth” did this.
Besides that, it’s a quintessential summer song. Sexy in a way that’s clearly trying too hard but actually, maybe, you kind of like it. Rob Thomas of Matchbox 20 fame, of course, giving a surprisingly seductive vocal performance. And then Santana wailing on relentlessly iconic riffs. It’s a hot, sticky, summer-in-the-city type of track that never gets old.
“Walkin’ On the Sun” by Smash Mouth
Besides the phrase “Walkin’ on the sun” singularly putting in the work to make this a fever-hot summer song, Smash Mouth has always felt inherently like a hot-weather band. I’m not sure why that is, but I can’t imagine listening to them in the bleak midwinter. Something feels wrong about that.
All the quips and quirks of “Walkin’ On the Sun” come together to create the most summertime song that’s not even about summertime. Lyrically, it’s an unexpected admonishment for the increasingly uptight 90s sensibilities. It’s initially hidden behind the funky instrumentation, but reading the lyrics as you listen will reveal the full picture. One of disappointment, reflection, and protest of complacency and conformity. Many great thinkers hide behind their jorts, but JNCO pockets are deeper than you might think.
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