Let’s sort out dadrock, yacht rock, and this “song of the summer” business
[This was my weekly column for GlobalNews.ca. – AC]
It’s midsummer so music can be heard drifting everywhere: stores, out of cars, from backyards, and through parks and campgrounds.
It’s a glorious three months of shared musical experiences — and because summer is so special, the season calls for some special music.
Here are three things to consider as you sample all the music coming your way over the next six weeks or so.
The ‘song of the summer’ phenomenon
In my small home town north of Winnipeg, there is a circular manmade lake and beach a couple hundred feet across from an old limestone quarry. Years ago, on a hill overlooking the lake’s south side, the concession stand dolled out soft drinks, potato chips, and various frozen treats. But what I remember most was the bullhorn-type speaker on its roof blaring out tiny tunes from one of three of Winnipeg’s Top 40 stations of the era.
A song of the summer used to be a very personal and subjective thing, although there’s always been a media aspect of it. As early as 1910, newspapers were musing about the year’s “summer song.” It’s possible that the first declared song of the summer was Yes, We Have No Bananas, which sold a million copes of sheet music through the warm months of 1923.
In the ensuing decades, certain songs were fated to fill the roll such as The Lovin’ Spoonful and Summer in the City in 1966. Other songs like the aforementioned Summer Breeze also showed up at the right time. If you grew up in 1979, you’ll remember The Knack’s My Sharona being everywhere.
