Family Fun

Your Oldies Playlist for Summer

Need to inject some fun energy into your summer at home? We dug through the (pre-70s!) archives to compile ten of our favorite summer tunes (plus a few bonus songs to keep you moving) – in no particular order. Get the kids and the dog, turn up the volume, and "Dance, Dance, Dance"!

• Dance, Dance, Dance – The Beach Boys, 1965
  • Brothers Brian, Dennis, and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and buddy Al Jardine from Hawthorne, California, hit the music scene in 1963 with songs about surfing, girls, and cars. With a great beat and fun lyrics, early Beach Boys' tunes belong at the top of any summer playlist. 

• Twist and Shout – The Beatles, 1963 
  • Many think Twist and Shout was written by the Fab Four, but it was actually penned by Bert Berns (aka Bert Russell), a songwriter, producer, and the head of Bang Records and first recorded by the Isley Brothers.

• I Saw Her Standing There – The Beatles, 1963
  • Written by Lennon and McCartney in Paul's living room, the song has the perfect beat for dancing all over the house! 

• Under the Boardwalk – The Drifters, 1964
  • Can't you just feel the hot sand on your bare feet as you race for the surf? Did you know that Bruce Willis covered this song? Enjoy his version with The Temptations HERE.

• Dancing in the Street – Martha and the Vandellas, 1964 
  • Get moving with this original version, which reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100. One of Motown's signature songs, it was covered by many artists, including a duet by David Bowie and Mick Jagger. 

• The Twist – Chubby Checker, 1960
  • Originally released in early 1959, the song reached number 28 on Billboard's Hot 100. Chubby Checker's cover version in 1960 skyrocketed to number one and started the Twist dance craze.  The follow-up, Let's Twist Again, was released in 1961 and reached number 8 on the Billboard charts. 

• The Loco-Motion – Little Eva, 1962
  • Written by songwriting powerhouses Carole King and Gerry Goffin, The Loco-Motion has appeared in the American Top Three in different decades: Little Eva in 1962, Grand Funk Railroad in 1974, and Kylie Minogue in 1988.

• Louie, Louie – The Kingsmen, 1963 
  • Written in 1955 by Richard Berry, Louie Louie is best known for the 1963 version by The Kingsmen and was the subject of an FBI investigation because of the misinterpreted lyrics. We just think it's fun to dance to!

• Splish Splash – Bobby Darin, 1958
  • Bobby Darin's first hit song was co-written by the singer and Murray Kaufman and reached number three on the US pop singles chart. 

• At the Hop – Danny and The Juniors, 1958
  • High school dances in the 50s were called "hops" and sometimes "sock hops" because they were held in gyms, and dancers removed their shoes so they wouldn't scuff the floors.