So you lost a whole summer to COVID-19 and now you’re vaxxed, waxed and maxed to make up for lost time. You got your hair cut, bought a couple summer shirts a size bigger than last year’s — all you need now is a soundtrack to accompany your impending seasonal hi-jinx.
To that end, Honk Journal humbly offers its Summer Jamz 2021 Playlist, featuring 95 songs by different artists — that’s five hours and thirty-four minutes of wide-ranging musical enjoyment! And though there may appear to be no set logic to the selections, there is in fact a method to this madness. The first track is “Good Vibrations,” composed by Brian Wilson, whose June 20 birthday falls on this year’s summer solstice. The next song corresponds to Ray Davies’ June 21 birthday, on and on, all the way to Joan Jett’s birthday on September 22, the day of the autumnal equinox.
The complete list of songs, artists and birthdays follows below. Click the Spotify link above and enjoy these choice jams while roadtripping, hanging at the pool, grilling your choice of delectables, blowing your fingers off with fireworks and/or pumping your guns at the gym. Crank it up — and have a great summer!
- Good Vibrations – The Beach Boys
Brian Wilson – June 20, 1942 - Do It Again – The Kinks
Ray Davies – June 21, 1944 - We Gotta Get You a Woman
Todd Rundgren – June 22, 1948 - Juke Box Blues
June Carter Cash – June 23, 1929 – May 15, 2003 - Feel Good Song
Solange – June 24, 1986 - Everything She Said – Wham!
George Michael – June 25, 1963 – Dec. 25, 2016 - Goodbye to You – Scandal
Patty Smyth – June 26, 1957 - Music Box Dancer
Frank Mills – June 27, 1942 - Cowboy Fora De Lei
Raul Seixas – June 28, 1945 – August 21, 1989 - I Can See It in Your Eyes – Men at Work
Colin Hay – June 29, 1953 - Ain’t It de Truth?
Lena Horne – June 30, 1917 – May 9, 2010 - Love Come Down
Evelyn “Champagne” King – July 1, 1960 - Gotta Go Get My Baby
Marvin Rainwater – July 2, 1925 – Sept. 17, 2013 - A Little Respect – Erasure
Vince Clarke – July 3, 1960 - Blow Your Head – The J.B.’s
Fred Wesley – July 4, 1943 - Heart and Soul – Huey Lewis & the News
Huey Lewis – July 5, 1950 - Straighten Up and Fly Right – The Andrews Sisters
LaVerne Andrews – July 6, 1911 – May 8, 1967 - See the Big Man Cry
Charlie Louvin – July 7, 1927 – January 26, 2011 - Debra
Beck – July 8, 1970 - Welfare Boogie – Fraternity
Bon Scott – July 9, 1946 – Feb. 19, 1980 - Slippery People – The Staple Singers
Mavis Staples – July 10, 1939 - Buy for Me the Rain – Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
Jeff Hanna – July 11, 1947 - Magnet and Steel
Walter Egan – July 12, 1948 - I’ll Feel a Whole Lot Better – The Byrds
Roger McGuinn – July 13, 1942 - Dizzy – Throwing Muses
Tanya Donelly – July 14, 1966 - Owner of a Lonely Heart – The Sarm Orchestra
Trevor Horn – July 15, 1949 - 007 (Shanty Town) – The Aces
Desmond Dekker – July 16, 1941 – May 25, 2006 - Gimme Danger – The Stooges
Ron Asheton – July 17, 1948 – January 6, 2009 - Nowhere to Run – The Vandellas
Martha Reeves – July 18, 1941 - ’39 – Queen
Brian May – July 19, 1947 - Bette Davis Eyes
Kim Carnes – July 20, 1945 - Pink Panther/It Had Better Be Tonight (Meglio stasera)
Plas Johnson – July 21, 1931 - Closer to Fine – Indigo Girls
Emily Saliers – July 22, 1963 - Polk Salad Annie
Tony Joe White, July 23, 1943 – Oct. 24, 2018 - Life in the Gladhouse – Modern English
Robbie Grey – July 24, 1957 - Psychic Hearts
Thurston Moore – July 25, 1958 - He’s a Rebel – The Crystals
Darlene Love – July 26, 1941 - Fancy
Bobbie Gentry – July 27, 1942 - Beautiful World – DEVO
Gerald Casale – July 28, 1948 - Fly by Night – Rush
Geddy Lee – July 29, 1953 - Hounds of Love
Kate Bush – July 30, 1958 - No New Tale to Tell – Love and Rockets
Daniel Ash – July 31, 1961 - Friend of the Devil – Grateful Dead
Jerry Garcia – August 1, 1942 – August 9, 1995 - Boom Clap
Charli XCX – August 2, 1992 - The Best Is Yet to Come
Tony Bennett – August 3, 1926 - Space Age Love Song – A Flock of Seagulls
Paul Reynolds – August 4, 1962 - Shake Your Rump – Beastie Boys
Adam “MCA” Yauch – August 5, 1964 – May 4, 2012 - The Future’s So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades – Timbuk3
Pat MacDonald – August 6, 1952 - I Get Enthused
B.J. Thomas – August 7, 1942 – May 29, 2021 - Skinny Legs and All
Joe Tex – August 8, 1935 – August 13, 1982 - How Will I Know?
Whitney Houston – August 9, 1963 – Feb. 11, 2012 - A Song for Jeffrey – Jethro Tull
Ian Anderson – August 10, 1947 - Such Great Heights – The Postal Service
Ben Gibbard – August 11, 1976 - I Don’t Care (Just as Long as You Love Me)
Buck Owens – August 12, 1929 – March 25, 2006 - Teenage Kicks – The Undertones
Feargal Sharkey – August 13, 1958 - I’ll Coming Running
Connie Smith – August 14, 1941 - What a Man Gotta Do – Jonas Brothers
Joe Jonas – August 15, 1989 - Gotta Be This or That
Ketty Lester – August 16, 1934 - Jackie Wilson Said – Dexys Midnight Runners
Kevin Rowland – August 17, 1953 - Crash – Primitives
Tracy Tracy – August 18, 1967 - Space Truckin’ – Deep Purple
Ian Gillan – August 19, 1945 - Pocket Calculator – Kraftwerk
Ralf Hütter – August 20, 1946 - The Magnificent Seven – The Clash
Joe Strummer – August 21, 1952 – December 22, 2002 - Sugar, Sugar – The Archies
Ron Dante – August 22, 1945 - Speak to the Sky
Rick Springfield – August 23, 1949 - Classical Gas
Mason Williams – August 24, 1938 - Another Sunny Day – Belle & Sebastian
Stuart Murdoch – August 25, 1968 - Needles and Pins – The Searchers
Chris Curtis – August 26, 1941 – Feb. 28, 2005 - Tennessee River – Alabama
Jeff Cook – August 27, 1949 - Crazy Horses – The Osmonds
Wayne Osmond – August 28, 1951 - Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’
Michael Jackson – August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009 - No One But You – Kitty Wells & Red Foley
Kitty Wells – August 30, 1919 – July 16, 2012 - Only in My Dreams
Debbie Gibson – August 31, 1970 - Massachussetts – Bee Gees
Barry Gibb – Sept. 1, 1946 - Love Me Just a Little Bit More – Dolly Dots
Esther Oosterbeek – Sept. 2, 1959 - A Six Pack to Go
Hank Thompson – Sept. 3, 1925 – Nov. 6, 2007 - Rusty Cage – Soundgarden
Kim Thayil – Sept. 4, 1960 - Year of the Cat
Al Stewart – Sept. 5, 1945 - Dreams – The Cranberries
Dolores O’Riordan – Sept. 6, 1971 – January 15, 2018 - Talk of the Town – Pretenders
Chrissie Hynde – Sept. 7, 1951 - Waiting for a Train
Jimmie Rodgers – Sept 8, 1897 – May 26, 1933 - Love Is a Stranger – Eurythmics
Dave Stewart – Sept. 9, 1952 - Good Guys and Bad Guys – Camper Van Beethoven
David Lowery – Sept. 10, 1960 - Hair – Hair Ensemble
Gerome Ragni – Sept 11, 1935 – July 10, 1991 - Midnight at the Oasis
Maria Muldaur – Sept. 12, 1943 - Gopher Mambo
Yma Sumac – Sept. 13, 1922 – Nov. 1, 2008 - The American Ruse – MC5
Fred “Sonic” Smith – Sept. 14, 1948 – Nov. 4, 1994 - Sister Christian – Night Ranger
Kelly Keagy – Sept. 15, 1952 - Only Shallow – My Bloody Valentine
Bilinda Butcher – Sept. 16, 1961 - Settin’ the Woods on Fire
Hank Williams – Sept. 17, 1923 – Jan. 1, 1953 - Point of Know Return – Kansas
Kerry Livgren – Sept. 18, 1949 - Dream a Little Dream of Me
“Mama” Cass Elliot – Sept. 19, 1941 – July 29, 1974 - Lies – Thompson Twins
Alannah Currie – Sept. 20, 1957 - So Long, Marianne
Leonard Cohen – Sept. 21, 1934 – Nov. 7, 2016 - Fake Friends – The Blackhearts
Joan Jett – Sept. 22, 1958
