The unforgettable summer songs that have us singing and swaying since the 1960s

Published July 12, 2023 at 9:20 AM EDT

Beachgoers listen to music. (Getty Images)

What’s 2023’s song of the summer? It might be too early to say. But we do know that it will be, in the words of Washington Post music critic Chris Richards, a song “capable of changing the nation’s psychic temperature.”

The concept goes way back to the early 1900s when songs were mostly distributed by sheet music. In 1923, the choice would probably have been “Yes, We Have no Bananas.” In the years since we’ve seen artists from Prince to the Black Eyed Peas giving us some of the toe-tapping, sing-along summer hits that we just can’t get out of our heads.

One song that’s dominated summer playlists since it came out in 1962 is “Surfin’ U.S.A” by The Beach Boys.

“I think this was part of the youth culture of the time that movement to like sell the idea of summer to people, and especially to teenagers,” says NPR music critic Ann Powers, who introduced the bracket-style song of the summer competition that MTV use. “There was actually a surf-oriented summer song every subsequent year until 1966.”

What changed in 1966? Powers says the cultural context shifted, and music had to adapt to have staying power. The Beach Boys did, and the song “Good Vibrations” hit the mark.

“By 1966, well, things were changing and youth were getting trippy,” Powers says. “‘Good Vibrations,’ which came out in December, redefined The Beach Boys’ songs.