The time to warm up is now: Topped by the No. 1 hit from West Michigan’s own Frankie Ballard, the 2014 edition of best songs for lakefront relaxation spotlights summery songs of the past decade.
After an especially long and brutal winter, folks attending this weekend’s Cottage & Lakefront Living Show at DeVos Place in Grand Rapids clearly can’t wait for summer to kick into gear.
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And, heck, the Detroit Tigers start rounding the bases at Comerica Park come Monday.
But for fans of rising West Michigan country star Frankie Ballard, the celebration of that sunny season already has begun: His hit single, “Helluva Life,” about “a barefoot country girl” and a “big star shining on a small town world” has hit the top of the Billboard and Mediabase country charts, ensuring the tune from his brand new “Sunshine & Whiskey” album will be a summer anthem for country music fans in 2014.
Ballard, a Battle Creek native who attended Western Michigan University, told fans on Facebook that his “heart is overflowing” after scoring his first No. 1 hit.
“Thanks to each and every one of you that requested ‘Helluva Life’ and came to see us play over the years. It’s been a wild ride, and has only just begun,” gushed the singer. “I promise to always bring you the best music I can.”
With that in mind, “Helluva Life,” makes the perfect song to top this year’s Top 10 List of Best Summer Songs at Local Spins.
For the second year in a row, Showspan – which puts on the Cottage & Lakefront Living Show – asked Local Spins to assemble a playlist of the best songs for cottage and lakefront relaxation, a Top 10 mix to get the sun-splashed party started even if temperatures are still hovering around the freezing mark.
Last’s year list covered the entire rock era. For 2014, it’s the best tunes of the past decade – including some 2014 hits – for kicking back and enjoying Michigan’s water wonderland. (For hours and details about this year’s Cottage & Lakefront Living show, which continues today and Sunday, visit the Showspan website.)
1. “Helluva Life,” Frankie Ballard – This No. 1 hit by West Michigan’s own fast-rising country singer deserves to top this list, too. The talented guy with roots in Kalamazoo and Battle Creek has created the summer anthem of 2014 by talking about “a barefoot country girl” and a “big star shining on a small town world.” He himself is turning into a bona fide big star: His Facebook page has 51,000-plus “likes.”
2. “Get Lucky,” Daft Punk – These surprise Grammy Award winners’ monster dance hit of summer 2013 celebrates being “up all night ’til the sun” and raising the bar “and our cups to the stars.” That’s a vacation anthem to embrace.
3. “Drink a Beer,” Luke Bryan – Granted, there’s a sad tale here from this country star, but the bottom line is the notion that there’s almost nothing better or more healing than this summertime activity: “I’m gonna set right here on the edge of this pier, watch the sunset disappear and drink a beer.”
4. “The Sound of Sunshine,” Michael Franti & Spearhead – Few artists exude a more uplifting, upbeat vibe than Michael Franti. This tune sweeps away the storms to reveal the summer sun which every cottage dweller relishes: “I want to go where the sun will never end, with my guitar on the beach there with all my friends, the sun so hot and the waves in motion and everything smell like suntan lotion.”
5. “Summer Paradise,” Simple Plan (featuring Sean Paul) – It’s sugary pop, but there’s also a reggae vibe, talk of melting, crashing waves, playing in the sand and, yes, embracing that summer paradise. And like Franti’s tune, above, it sparked a great summer-splashed video.
6. “Moonshine,” Bruno Mars – These days, it’s tough to leave the red-hot soul of Bruno Mars off of any playlist. “Moonshine” is the perfect romantic fodder for cuddling up along the lakeshore on a moonlit evening: “Let’s take a ride to the sky before the night is gone; Moonshine, take us to the stars tonight.” Better yet, Bruno brings that summer vibe to Grand Rapids’ Van Andel Arena on June 17.
7. “All Summer Long,” Kid Rock – This is the only song that also made last year’s list. The Michigan connection by a staunchly Michigan artist simply can’t be ignored, especially by lakefront residents “catching walleye from the dock, watching the waves roll off the rocks.”
8. “King of the Beach,” Wavves – These California surf-punkers even have the right name for a summertime band. And “King of the Beach” has a summer-will-go-on-forever rock snarl: “Let the sun burn my eyes, let it burn my back, at the beach, in my dreams.”
9. “Girls in Their Summer Clothes,” Bruce Springsteen – This track from Springsteen’s 2008 album, “Magic,” has that classic, retro, summer-breeze feel that’ll get you humming along while “in the cool of the evening light, the girls in their summer clothes pass me by.”
10. Tie: “In the Summer,” Crystal Fighters/“Counting Stars,” OneRepublic – The British alt-dance/folktronica band’s peppy dance track raves that everything’s OK because “the world is like a dream in the summertime, baby.” Hard to argue with that. And OneRepublic’s infectious No. 1 hit already has everyone hankering for summer after the most brutal winter in years. The promise is that we’ll soon be “counting stars … I feel the love and I feel it burn, down this river, every turn.”
Honorable Mention: “California Gurls” (Katy Perry and Snoop Dogg), “This Summer (Superchunk), “Endless Sunset” (Delorean), “Everlasting Light” (The Black Keys)
2013’s Top 10 Songs for Cottage & Lakefront Living
(Full 2013 list with video links.)
1. “Here Comes The Sun,” The Beatles
2. “All Summer Long,” Kid Rock
3. “Margaritaville,” Jimmy Buffett
4. “No Shirt, No Shoes, No Problems,” Kenny Chesney
5. “Shanty (The Friday Song),” Jonathan Edwards
6. “Soak Up the Sun,” Sheryl Crow
7. “Gold on the Ceiling,” The Black Keys
8. “Sittin’ on the Dock of the Bay,” Otis Redding
9. “The Way,” Fastball
10. “Sailing,” Christopher Cross
Email John Sinkevics at jsinkevics@gmail.com.
Copyright 2014, Spins on Music
Actually, “Sunshine & Whiskey” is my preferred Summer anthem from Frankie’s album. It’s right upthere with “A Buncha Girls” from his EP a couple years ago. As far as other Summer tracks I would encourage folks to seek out “Waves” from the new Blondfire (ex-Nectar, GR) album and “When the Sun Gets In Your Eyes” by Railroad Earth. The new Wishbone Ash has one full of Summer imagery called “Down South” complete with a dandy dualing guitar coda. Bruce Springsteen’s forthcoming “American Beauty” looks like a Summer smasheroo, too, if the cover art is any indication.
That said that’s still a Helluva of a song.