My Summer 2009 Playlist

Music is one of my favorite things... Each morning when I turn on my computer, I open iTunes and minimize it for use throughout the day. Whenever I sit down at the computer, I immediately maximize iTunes and find something to listen to. I need music to function!

As Madonna says, "Music makes the people come together." (That was so cliche... Whatever! HaHa!)

For as long as I can remember, when summer rolls around, I've always put together some sort of "mix" tape, C.D., playlist, etc. I listen to it all summer long and memorize all of the words... It's just something that I love to do and have done it for so long.

This summer is no different. Being that I don't listen to the radio a lot because I can't stand commercials, I'm usually "behind the times" when it comes to the newest singles from artists. (I'll usually start listening to a song after it's been overplayed on the radio. What can I say?!) However, I feel that my playlist for this summer is pretty current as it includes the newest single from most of the artists.

The following is a list of my favorite songs from the summer in no particular order. If you haven't heard any of these songs, do yourself a favor... Preview them on iTunes, download/buy them, and enjoy them just as much as I do!

My Summer 2009 Playlist:

01. "I Gotta Feeling" - The Black-Eyed Peas
As soon as this song starts, I start bopping my head. I just can't help it. With simple lyrics that are pretty easy to memorize after a few listens, this makes for such a fun sing-a-long! It's also a great way to either start your day or start your night out on the town!

02. "Waking Up in Vegas" - Katy Perry
Being that I love Las Vegas, I was bound and determined to love this song. Listen to this and try not to dance in your seat during its chorus. It's fantastic! (Also, when you go to Las Vegas and hear the slot machines chime, you'll immediately think of the beginning sounds of this song!)

03. "Celebration" - Madonna
In my opinion, you can't go wrong with Madonna. I own every one of her albums, and I am eagerly anticipating her new greatest hits compilation, 'Celebration', which hits stores in September. This is the new single from that compilation, and it sounds a lot like "old Madonna" from back in the day. It's pure dance music, and it's great!

04. "Change It" - Dolly Parton and Cast of 09 to 05: The Musical
I love me some Dolly Parton, and I enjoy this song because of it's message. "Nothing's going to change if you don't change it!" It's very uplifting, and you can't go wrong with Dolly Parton, who is always wonderful and still sings so beautifully!

05. "Straight Through My Heart (Soldier Down)" - Backstreet Boys
I am a huge fan of Backstreet Boys, and I don't care who knows it. HaHa! Thanks to my best friend, Sarah, who always bought their albums for me, I have grown up listening to them. Their newest single from their upcoming album, 'This is Us', is fantastic. It's got a great beat and a chorus that constantly pops up in my head.

06. "Sweet Dreams" - Beyonce
Try to listen to this without breaking it down! If you've seen the music video, you'll see that even Beyonce can't help herself! It's got great lyrics and an awesome beat. Definitely download this one!

07. "Battlefield" - Jordin Sparks
OMG! I love this song! This is another one where I'm constantly dancing in my chair. This past American Idol winner does a great job on this song, and I'm looking forward to seeing her perform it live when she opens for Britney Spears next month in Miami.

08. "It's Amazing" - Jem
This could be an old song... I'm not entirely sure. I heard it on the trailer to Julie & Julia, and it was so catchy that I kept singing it for days. I finally looked for the name of it, downloaded it, and I LOVE IT!

09. "Please Don't Leave Me" - Pink
As soon as this song starts, you'll like it. It's catchy, and Pink sounds great. I really do enjoy it! It's the third single, I think, from Pink's newest album 'Funhouse', which is a great album.

10. "It's a Business Doing Pleasure with You" - Tim McGraw
By chance, I happened to come across this on iTunes this past week. I'm a huge fan of Tim McGraw, so I immediately downloaded it. It's a very catchy, clever, and humorous song, in the spirit of "Back When" off of his album, 'Live Like You Were Dying'.

11. "Already Gone" - Kelly Clarkson
The music may remind of you Beyonce's "Halo", which is because both are written by the same person, I believe, but that doesn't take away from how beautiful this song is. I've been a huge fan of Kelly Clarkson, even from American Idol days, so almost anything that she releases is good in my book.

12. "Cue The Rain" - Queen Latifah
I absolutely love Queen Latifah, and this is such a wonderful song. This is another one where you can't help dancing while listening to it.

13. "You Belong with Me" - Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift is just irresistible it seems, and so is her music. This is an adorable song, and she's got a wonderful voice that shines on this song. The music video is great, too, if you get the chance to catch it.

14. "Hey, Yo!" - Brooke Hogan and Colby O'Donis
I hate to admit that I like this song because I think that Brooke Hogan isn't the best of singers. However, after hearing it, I couldn't stop humming it... Luckily, Colby O'Donis brings some experience to the song and adds some necessary talent. HaHa!

15. "Closer" - Sugar Ray
I was surprised to see that Sugar Ray had a new album, 'Music For Cougars'. I previewed the tracks on iTunes and really enjoyed this one the most. It's pretty catchy, and Sugar Ray still sounds great after all of these years.

16. "So Fine" - Sean Paul
As soon as I heard "Get Busy" some years ago, I became a fan of Sean Paul. "Temperature" came after that, which I also loved. Now, "So Fine" is here, and it's in the same realm as the aforementioned songs! Wonderful!

17. "Fire Burning" - Sean Kingston
Here's another one that got stuck in my head so many times that I broke down and downloaded it. I'm glad that I did because it's become a favorite of mine this summer.

18. "21 Guns" - Green Day
One of the only good things to come out of Transformers: Revenge of The Fallen is this song, which is featured on the soundtrack and throughout the movie.

19. "Know Your Enemy" - Green Day
When Green Day was on Saturday Night Live, they sang "21 Guns" and this song. It's very repetitive, but that's what made it appealing to me. I couldn't stop singing it...

20. "Obsessed" - Mariah Carey
I downloaded this without hearing it because I like Mariah Carey a lot. It's certainly not her best song, but it's catchy, and I enjoy it.

21. "Her Diamonds" - Rob Diamonds
Here's another song that I heard a few times and finally downloaded it after not being able to get its chorus out of my head.

22. "LoveGame" - Lady GaGa
Surprisingly, I became quite the fan of Lady GaGa this summer. With "Just Dance" and "Poker Face", I kept thinking that me liking her was just a fluke. It was really this song that cemented me becoming an actual fan.

There you have it! My playlist for summer 2009! Each song is great in its own way, and I look forward to the upcoming albums that will house some of the above songs.

Let me know your thoughts, and include some of your favorite songs from this summer in a comment. I love checking out artists that I may have never of or songs that I may have missed when I do actually listen to the radio. :-)