Every year there's a song or two that emerges as that summer's essential tune. Years later you'll hear it and be immediately transported back in time. Some of these songs are literally about summer, but more of them just feel like summer.

What makes a great summer song? In my opinion, summer songs should be upbeat, uncomplicated and easy to sing along to. They're for blasting in your car with the windows rolled down, not for wistful wooing.

So, straight from my iPod, here are my top 25 Essential Summer Songs (in no particular order):

Update: Get more great summer songs in our 2009 update.

• Love Shack, by The B52s: We'll start with a no-brainer. This song conjures up images of a great summer party where the weather's hot, the people are fun and the drinks are sticky.
  
• Summertime, by The Sundays: Whenever I think of The Sundays, I think of "Cute Will", who was an adorable Poli Sci guy/windsurfing instructor that I was acquainted with. He was a manly man with a weakness for the dulcet tones of The Sundays. It was a wonderful contrast. This song is a little complicated for summer, but it also has a sense of exhilaration that fits the season.
  
• One Week, by The Barenaked Ladies: Just a fun, goofy song that everyone tries to sing along to. Sometimes the trying is more fun than the singing ;-)
  
• Vacation, by The Go Gos: Remember the video for this? The Go Gos were all decked out in 1950s Water Ski Team gear.
  
• Cruel Summer, by Bananarama: This is a rare bitter summer song. It's for the sullen teen whose friends are out of town. Heh, "sullen teen summer" would make a great title for something
  
• Afternoon Delight, by Starland Vocal Band: I was too young to understand what "afternoon delight" really meant, so instead I associate this song with one particular summer and all the tornados we had. To me, an afternoon delight was watching the sky turn black and watching for a storm
  
• Centerfield, by John Fogarty: While it's true that I live in the baseball-free zone, I can still appreciate a happy song about the summer pastime
  
• It's The End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine), by REM: In the post-MTV age, a lot of songs are summer songs simply because the video is summery. That's a big reason why this songs makes the list. The other reason is that it, like "One Week", is fun to sing along with, even if the only line you know is "Leonard Bernstein!"
  
• Jackie Wilson Said, by Van Morrison: Summer songs shouldn't sound like they were written by Debbie Downer. There's no room for The Smiths in the summer. Songs should be about being "in heaven when you smile"
  
• Mr. Big Stuff & Am Radio, by Jean Knight & Everclear, respectively: I put these two together because AM Radio samples Mr. Big Stuff and because I think they're equally fun, sassy-the-cat songs
  
• Car Wash, by Rose Royce: I've never lived anywhere where they sprayed kids down with fire hoses on hot summer days, but if I did, this would remind me of it. It reminds me of seeing it, if that makes any sense
  
• Blue Sky, by The Allman Brothers: This song is so uncomplicated that well over half of it is instrumental. You can just drift away while you listen to it. In a perfect world, this is on the soundtrack of your life when you're sitting on a pier or laying in a hammock.
  
• Alex Chilton, by The Replacements: Okay, I would use this as a wooing song, but I'm weird. I'm probably also one of the few that sings the chorus of this at the top of her lungs, but hey, it's my list
  
• Rio, by Duran Duran: I think, as a kid, I wanted to be "Rio", and if I was dancing on the sand, it had to be summer
  
• Come On Eileen, by Dexy's Midnight Runners: This is the happy flip side to "Cruel Summer" in my mind. This is what you listen to when your friends are back in town
  
• Run-around, by Blues Traveler: I know that Jam bands are a part of summer, but I can't bring myself to put any Dead, Phish or even Dave Matthews on the list. This is as close as I'm going to get, and it's still only because "I like coffee and I like tea"
  
• Steal My Sunshine, by Len: I like the contrast between the male and female singers of this song. As a female, I'm sure I'm supposed to sing those parts. But, having a bad singing voice, I sing the male lead, thank you very much
  
• Margaritaville, by Jimmy Buffett: Yes, I know it's obvious, but some things are obvious because they're right. And, Margaritaville is simply the essential tune. Don't leave for the beach without it
  
• No Woman No Cry, by Bob Marley: Every summer list needs a little reggae
  
• Move It On Over, by Hank Williams: Another fun one to sing along to
  
• Mmm Bop, by Hanson: Make fun of these pretty boys if you must, but they know how to write a perfect bubble gum pop song. It's as light as a feather, but summer's hot, we don't need to be doing any heavy musical lifting
  
• Rain In The Summertime, by The Alarm: This is a hot, sweaty, sexy summer song. I really appreciate it on that level. On a shallower level, it reminds me of the summer before my senior year in college, when downtown Madison flooded and we'd play in the rain every night on the way home from going out.
  
• So Whatcha Want, by The Beastie Boys: There's a time for rap in every girl's life. Summer is that time. This is what I'd play at my cool beer tent event
  
• Nuthin' But A "G" Thang, by Dr. Dre & Snoop Dog: More rap. This time it's ultra laid back and cool, perfect for when summer days are turning into summer nights
  
• Your Love, by The Outfield: Who wouldn't want to shout-sing the start of this song: "Josie's on a vacation far away..."? This is one of those great songs that nobody thinks they know, but they do and they love it

So there you have it. Those are my essential summer songs. What are yours?