25 Songs Perfect For A Heat Wave

Troy L. Smith (Photo: Capitol Records)

With temperatures set to rise above the 90-degree mark today, you may be in need of a fun playlist to cheer you up.

The following is a collection of summer songs perfect for a heat wave, both in terms of title and groove.

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Nelly - 'Hot in Herre'

Nelly’s chart-topping anthem is the most obvious choice for a cool song on a warm day: “Warm, sweatin,’ hot up in this joint/Vokal tanktop on at this point.” (Note: Is Vokal still a clothing line?)

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Kool & The Gang - 'Too Hot'

For that soothing moment you’re able to find while sitting under a tree: “Oh, it's too hot, too hot, lady/Gotta run for shelter, gotta run for shade.”

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Martha and the Vandellas - 'Heat Wave'

The 1960s girl-group hit is the perfect song for you to fan yourself too: “I feel it burnin', right here in my heart.”

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The Power Station - 'Some Like It Hot'

Just in case you were wondering if there were people out there who enjoyed the heat: “Some like it hot and some sweat when the heat is on.”

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Mims - 'This Is Why I'm Hot'

Remember Mims? That’s okay, few other people do: ‘I'm hot 'cause I'm fly/You ain't 'cause you're not.”

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Sly and the Family Stone - 'Hot Fun In The Summertime'

Because no summer scorcher should be without Sly Stone: “End of the spring and here she comes back/Hi, hi, hi, hi, there/Them summer days, those summer days.”

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Foreigner - 'Hot Blooded'

Proof you can still sing an awesome song with an incredibly hot temperature: “I got a fever of a hundred and three.”

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Glenn Frey - 'The Heat Is On'

The perfect excuse to sit inside on a summer day with the air conditioner on, watching “Beverly Hills Cop”: “The pressure's high, just to stay alive/'Cause the heat is on.”

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Katy Perry - 'Hot N Cold'

A good listen for those of us who complain about the heat during summer and the cold during winter: “Someone call the doctor/Got a case of a love bi-polar.”

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Ini Kamoze - 'Here Comes The Hotstepper'

Sometimes it’s just nice to know you remember the words to a 1990s hit reggae song: “No no we don't die, yes we multiply.”

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Weezer - 'Island in the Sun'

It’s okay to dream, isn’t it?: “On an island in the sun, we’ll be playing and having fun. And it makes me feel so fine I can’t control my brain.”

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Disclosure - 'When a Fire Starts To Burn'

Because sometimes spoken word can make for one hot dance track: “When a fire starts to burn, right, and it starts to spread/She gon' bring that attitude home.”

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Alicia Keys featuring Nicki Minaj - 'Girl on Fire'

If you’re a woman and you need a clever way to say it’s too hot it: “Looks like a girl, but she’s a flame/So bright, she can burn your eyes.”

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Sean Paul - 'Temperature'

A way to remind yourself that 98.6 degrees is where you should be at: “I got the right temperature to shelter you from the storm.”

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Van Halen - 'On Fire'

It’s one of about a thousand songs that use heat as a metaphor for sex. But this may be the best: “'N' I'm hangin' ten now baby, as I ride your sonic, ooh wave.”

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The Kinks - 'Sunny Afternoon'

The 1966 classic actually gives you a list of lazy things to do when it’s hot out: “Now I’m sitting here, sipping at my ice cold beer/Lazing on a sunny afternoon.”

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Alice Cooper - 'School's Out'

Because you need an anthem for the kids: “No more pencils, no more books. No more teacher’s dirty looks.”

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DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince - 'Summertime'

No matter how hot it is out, this song still sounds cool: “And think of the summers of the past/Adjust the base and let the alpine blast.”

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Sheryl Crow - 'Soak up the Sun'

Has anyone ever made you feel this good about potential sunburn? (Okay, it’s a metaphor): “I’m gonna soak up the sun. Gonna tell everyone to lighten up.”

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The Rolling Stones - 'Playing With Fire'

Because every playlist needs a Stones song: “Don’t play with me, cause you’re playing with fire.”

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Billy Idol - 'Hot in the City'

Just in case you’re living in the suburbs and are curious about a metro area: “It’s hot here at night, lonely, black and quiet.”

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The Beatles - 'Here Comes The Sun'

The ultimate warning that it’s about to heat up: “Little darling, it’s been a long cold, lonely winter. Little daring, it feels like years since it’s been here.”

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Eddie Cochran - 'The Summertime Blues'

Even summer days can turn into sadness: “I’m gonna raise a fuss. I’m gonna raise a holler about a workin’ all summer just to try to earn a dollar.”

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Bruce Springsteen - 'Waitin' on a Sunny Day'

The Boss is here to tell you that sunny days represent hope: “I’m waiting, waiting on a sunny day. Gonna chase the clouds away.”

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Bob Marley - 'Sun Is Shining'

You can’t have a feel good summer playlist without the great Bob Marley: “When the mornin' gather the rainbow, yeah, yeah.”

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