Listen to "Our Summer Tunes" playlist on our Spotify account, featuring the library staff's favorite songs of summer. You can also "get to know" a staff member by listening to their playlist too, or listen to study music to help you focus. Interested in podcasts? Our previous post provides some podcast recommendations.
OUR FAVORITE SONGS OF SUMMER:
| Song and Artist | Staff Member | Why we love the song |
| Cruel Summer by Bananarama | Lisa Thornell | Back in 2002 I really liked the movie, Blue Crush. |
| Island in the Sun by Weezer | Lisa Thornell | Perfect for easing into a nap on the beach. |
| Summer Girls by LFO | Matt Schirano | ‘Nuff said. It is arguably both the apex and rock bottom of boy band pop songs. |
| Summerboy by Lady Gaga | Emily Porter-Fyke | This one came out when I was 19 and now I feel old. |
| Sugar We’re Going Down by Fall Out Boy | Barbara Ghilardi | In the summer of 2005 my friends and I were playing this song, and the album for that matter, non-stop. |
| Summer by Calvin Harris | Barbara Ghilardi | Whether I’m sipping a drink by my pool or out for a run this song gets me in a happy mood. |
| This summer: Ooh La La by Run the Jewels. | Curtis Ferree | This has been my jam so far this year. |
| Every summer: Fireworks by Animal Collective | Curtis Ferree | Captures the wistfulness of summer campfires and late night drives with the windows down. |
| The Sound of Sunshine by Michael Franti | Elise Bochinski | Always cheers me up! |
| Sunny Afternoon by the Kinks | Elise Bochinski | Guaranteed to make me smile. |
| Don’t Worry, Be Happy by Bobby McFerrin | Elise Bochinski | Always good advice. Really. |
| That Summer Feeling by Jonathan Richman | Mat Blaine | Slow and stripped down, much like the season. |
| I Love Hot Nights by Jonathan Richman | Mat Blaine | Okay, I’ll just be listening to Jonathan Richman all summer |
| Summertime by Orville Peck | Mat Blaine | Orville Peck is a really interesting character, staking a claim for the LGBTQ community in the modern country genre. Helluva stage presence too. |
| Say Something by Bidget Kearney & Benjamin Lazar Davis | Mat Blaine | A collaboration with Bridget Kearney (of Lake Street Dive) and Stevo Atambire, a Ghanaian multi-instrumentalist. |
| Long Hot Summer by Keith Urban | Grace Bissenden | This one gets me singing (be afraid!) and dancing. |
| Summer’s End by the Foo Fighters | Grace Bissenden | Dave Grohl, enough said. |
| Summertime by Billy Stewart Rendition | Grace Bissenden | Jazzy, funk version. LOVE! |
| Vacation by The Go-Go’s | Grace Bissenden | Teen angst memories. |
| Yellow Ledbetter by Pearl Jam | Nicole Marino | This is my go-to for a late summer afternoon driving home from the beach with a sunburn and knowing you’re going to sleep well that night. |
| Ice Cream and Sunscreen by Martha | Nicole Marino | It speaks for itself! |