With brutal 100+ degree temperatures stretching from the southwest all the way to the northeast today, most of the country is in the midst of a record shattering heat wave. Here at MTV HQ in New York City, the many billion tons of concrete are combining with the sweltering heat and humidity to create a nice brick oven effect that makes you feel like you are slow roasting just walking down the street. So that’s nice.
When it gets hot like this there are only a handful of things we want to do: have a beer by the pool, splash around at the beach or hide away in an air conditioned bunker. We imagine you feel the same, so we’ve put together a nice little heat wave playlist to get you through these tough times.
"Summertime," DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince
It’s kind of become the go-to summer anthem, hasn’t it? Before Will Smith was the gigantic movie star he is today he was the Fresh Prince, and he and his buddy Jazzy Jeff were busy checking out girls who were “dressin’ less” and enjoying the kind of good-natured summer fun – BBQs, double-dutch jump rope, cruising around in your car – your mom would certainly approve of.
"Smooth," Santana
Any song that starts with the words “Man it’s a hot one / Like seven inches from the midday sun” is a good song for a day like today. The song debuted on the Billboard chart in early August of 1999 and carried the summer well into fall, spending 12 weeks at No. 1.
"Summer In The City," The Lovin’ Spoonfuls
This thing is the theme song of just about every urban resident in the U.S. right now, right? The track features a series of car horns and a jackhammer to convey what a summer in the city sounds like. That seems just about right to us. (It’s amazing how little things have changed since the summer of ’66, am I right?)