SUMMER HIT

A 'summer hit' is a song which gains huge popularity during the summer and then almost completely disappears when the summer is over. Something that many summer hits have in common is that they are dance music with lyrics in a non-English language (e.g. Spanish). The phenomenon is mostly European, and from the Americas.
Summer hits are quite cheerful and upbeat and their main success is due to the catchy rhyme and not the lyrics, which are sometimes repetitive, playful and generally hollow, although some summer hits can also be breezy, softer songs with a rather simple, heartwarming message. The music is often criticised for being "forced" on the audience while lacking actual artistic value, talent or deeper meaning. The songs are often considered "easy" and very commercial.
The term can be used with a negative connotation, where it implies temporal one-hit wonders without an actual significance. Fans of summer hits (who are by definition occasional) are 'accused' of lack of sophisticated musical taste with connotations of conformity, implying that those persons will listen to whatever is popular at the time rather than making their own choice. Most summer hit artists become one-hit wonders, or if a band they usually disband quickly, however not all do. And if not, most of the artist's discography mostly contains of only summer hits.

Contents

Origin

Popular summer hits

1960s

1970s

1980s

1990s

2000s

Origin

This popularity usually comes from people hearing the song whilst clubbing in the Balearic Islands, where Spanish is widely spoken, and requesting them once they return home, usually to the UK or Germany. Once the song has received club and radio play there, it passes into other European countries.
A track can also be a summer hit solely in one country. In Ireland, the summer of 2000 had the track "Maniac 2000" by Mark McCabe played almost constantly. This led to the track being requested in clubs in Spain by Irish tourists. This might have started the cycle by which it would become a hit across all of Europe, but licensing problems meant that the song was only available commercially in Ireland, and hence the returning clubbers could not purchase it or get it played on the radio.

Popular summer hits

1960s

;1965
: "La Chica Ye-Ye" by Conchita Velasco
;1967
: "El Turista 1.999.999" by Cristina y Los Stop
;1968
: "La La La" by Massiel
: "Congratulations" by Cliff Richard
;1969
: "Maria Isabel" by Los Payos
: "Vivo Cantando" by Salomé

1970s

;1974
: "Canta Y Sé Feliz" by Peret
: "Waterloo" by ABBA
;1976
: "Let's Stick Together" by Bryan Ferry
;1980
: "Many Kisses" by Krisma

1980s

;1987
: "Heart and Soul" by T'Pau
: "Living in a Box" by Living In A Box
: "Boys (summertime love)" by Sabrina Salerno
;1988
: "Loco In Acapulco" by The Four Tops
: "Kokomo" by Beach Boys
;1989
: "Lambada" by Kaoma

1990s

;1991
: "Rico Suave" by Gerardo
: "Tender Kisses" by Tracie Spencer
;1992
: "I Can't Dance" by Genesis
: "I'm Too Sexy" by Right Said Fred
;1993
: "Mr Vain" by Culture Beat
: "All That She Wants" by Ace of Base
;1994
: "Saturday Night" by Whigfield
;1995
: "Corazón de Sandía" by Los Tetas
: "Beautiful Life" by Ace of Base
;1996
: "Macarena" by Los del Río - The song made history by leaping from No.74 to No.11 in the charts, the biggest chart jump in pop music history at the time.
: "Think Of You" by Whigfield
: "Coco Jamboo" by Mr. President
;1997
: "Bailando" by Paradisio
: "MMMBop" by Hanson
: "Barbie Girl" by Aqua
: "Samba De Janeiro" by Bellini
;1998
: "Desátame" by Mónica Naranjo
: "Cruel Summer (Big Bonus Remix)" by Ace of Base
;1999
: "Steal My Sunshine" by Len
: "Sun Is Shining" by Funkstar De Luxe vs. Bob Marley
: "All Star" by Smash Mouth
: "Livin' La Vida Loca" by Ricky Martin
: "Bailamos" by Enrique Iglesias
: "Mambo No. 5" by Lou Bega
: "Summer son" by Texas
: "Vamos a la playa" by Miranda

2000s

;2000
: "She Bangs" - Ricky Martin
: "Sobreviviré" - Mónica Naranjo
: "I Turn To You" - Melanie C
: "Purest of Pain" - Son By Four
: "Try Again" - Aaliyah
: "Who Let The Dogs Out?" - Baha Men
: "Thong Song" - Sisqó
: "Freestyler" - Bomfunk MC's
: "Cha Cha Slide" - DJ Casper
;2001
: "Survivor" - Destiny's Child
: "All for You" - Janet Jackson
: "Get Ur Freak On" - Missy Elliott
: "Lady Marmalade" - Christina Aguilera, Pink, Lil' Kim, and Mya
: "I Need You (Graham Stack Version)" - LeAnn Rimes
: "Love Don't Cost a Thing" - Jennifer Lopez
: "Ride Wit Me - Nelly
; 2002
: "Whenever, Wherever" - Shakira
: "Dilemma - Nelly feat. Kelly Rowland
: "Like I Love You" - Justin Timberlake
: "Hot In Herre" - Nelly
: "Can't Get You Out of My Head" - Kylie Minogue
;2003
: "Crazy in Love" - Beyoncé feat. Jay-Z
: "Shake Ya Tailfeather" - Nelly featuring P. Diddy & Murphy Lee
: "Right Thurr" - Chingy
: "Get Low" - Lil' Jon and The Eastside Boyz
: "Magic Stick" - Lil' Kim featuring 50 Cent
: "Senorita" - Justin Timberlake
: "Never Leave You" - Lumidee
: "My Love Is Like...Wo" - Mya
: "I Want You" - Thalia featuring Fat Joe
: "Into You" - Fabolous featuring Tamia
: "Get Busy" - Sean Paul
: "No Letting Go" - Wayne Wonder
: "Hell Yeah" - Ginuwine featuring Baby
: "Pump It Up" - Joe Budden
: "Hey Mama" - Black Eyed Peas
: "Rock wit U (Awww Baby)" - Ashanti
;2004
: "Since U Been Gone" - Kelly Clarkson
: "Slow Motion" - Juvenile
: "I Like That" - Houston
: "I'm Still in Love With You" - Sean Paul feat. Sasha
: "Dragostea din tei" - O-zone
: "Gasolina" - Daddy Yankee
: "Dip It Low" - Christina Milian
: "Move Ya Body" - Nina Sky featuring Jabba
: "Turn Me On" - Kevin Lyttle
: "Naughty Girl" - Beyonce
: "Scandalous" - Mis-Teeq
: "Let's Get It Started" - Black Eyed Peas
: "Pieces of Me" - Ashlee Simpson
: "Freek-A-Leek" - Petey Pablo
: "1,2 Step" - Ciara featuring Missy Elliott
;2005
: "Pon de Replay" - Rihanna
: "La Tortura" - Shakira
: "We Belong Together" - Mariah Carey
: "Hollaback Girl" - Gwen Stefani
: "Switch" - Will Smith
: "Just A Lil' Bit" - 50 Cent
: "Lose Control" - Missy Elliott featuring Ciara and FatManScoop
: "Get It Poppin'" - Fat Joe featuring Nelly
: "Don't Cha" - Pussycat Dolls
: "Okay" - Nivea featuring Lil' Jon & Sean Paul of Youngbloodz
: "Listen to Your Heart" - D.H.T.
: "Temperature" - Sean Paul
: "My Humps" - Black Eyed Peas
: "Gold Digger" - Kanye West featuring Jamie Foxx
: "Helena-My Chemical Romance
;2006
: "Hips Don't Lie" - Shakira featuring Wyclef Jean
: "Love Generation" (2006 FIFA World Cup Song) - Bob Sinclar
: "Promiscuous" - Nelly Furtado feat. Timbaland
: "Déjà Vu" - Beyoncé feat. Jay-Z
: "Boten Anna" - Basshunter
: "SOS" - Rihanna
: "Crazy" - Gnarls Barkley
: "Stars Are Blind" - Paris Hilton
: "Me & U" - Cassie
: "Buttons" - Pussycat Dolls
: "Snap Yo Fingers" - Lil' Jon featuring E-40 & Sean Paul of Youngbloodz
: "It's Goin' Down" - Yung Joc
: "Bossy" - Kelis featuring Too Short
: "Say I" - Christina Milian featuring Young Jeezy
: "U and Dat" - E-40 featuring T-Pain
: "Sexyback" - Justin Timberlake
: "Smack That" - Akon featuring Eminem
: "Beep" - Pussycat Dolls featuring will.i.am
: "Pump It" - Black Eyed Peas
: "Ain't No Other Man" - Christina Aguilera
: "Welcome To The Black Parade-My Chemical Romance
;2007
: "Makes Me Wonder" - Maroon 5
: "Girlfriend" - Avril Lavigne
: "Umbrella" - Rihanna featuring Jay-Z
: "Pure Intuition" - Shakira
: "Beautiful Girls" - Sean Kingston
: "Do You Know? (The Ping Pong Song)" - Enrique Iglesias
: "Party Like a Rockstar" - Shop Boyz
: "Pop Lock and Drop It" - Huey
: "Buy U a Drank (Shawty Snappin')" - T-Pain
: "Whine Up" - Kat DeLuna feat. Elephant Man
: "Crank Dat Soulja Boy" - Soulja Boy
: "Hey There Delilah" - Plain White T's
: "Lip Gloss" - Lil' Mama
: "Shut Up and Drive" - Rihanna
: "The Sweet Escape" - Gwen Stefani featuring Akon
: "Big Girls Don't Cry" - Fergie
: "Stronger" - Kanye West
: "When I See U" - Fantasia
: "A Bay Bay" - Hurricane Chris
: "Let It Go" - Keyshia Cole featuring Missy Elliott and Lil' Kim
: "Teenagers-My Chemical Romance