Alice Cooper “School’s Out”

The ultimate end-of-school anthem, “School’s Out” began when Alice Cooper was asked what the best three minutes of life were. His answer? Christmas morning, and, “the last three minutes of the last day of school, it's like a slow fuse burning.” Soon thereafter, the song basically wrote itself, and after a rush release, quickly reached the Billboard Top 10. Though most of the nation loved it, one angry group of teachers, principals, parents and psychologists warred against the song, claiming it was causing teenage delinquency. In conservative areas of the nation, some radio stations even began to ban the song completely. Time passed, educators relaxed, and “School’s Out” became an entertainment industry favorite, featured in movies like Scream and Dazed and Confused, as well as television shows like The Simpsons, Glee, American Idol and The Muppet Show.  

#NoMoreClasses #NoMoreBooks #SchoolsOutForever

DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince “Summertime”

Before Will Smith married Jada, joined Scientology, and birthed two children who claimed in a 2014 interview that they could control time, he was the Fresh Prince, a happy rapper from Philly who wrote what is arguably the greatest ever musical tribute to a season of the year. After its 1991 release, the feel-good vibes of “Summertime” sent the song to number four on Billboard’s Hot 100 and earned Smith and partner DJ Jazzy Jeff their second Grammy. Back when MTV still played music, the song’s video was a staple, featuring a family reunion cookout intercut with shots of the duo enjoying iced teas on top of a moving car. No barbecue or pool party is complete without at least one, maybe three or four, plays of “Summertime”. Sure, it’s February, the pool’s empty and the grill is frozen over, but there’s no shame in bumping this one a little early.

#SummerSummerSummertime #TimeToSitBack #AndUnwind

Pharrell Williams “Happy”

No matter what day, class or period it is, this gleaming beam of neo soul sunshine can instantly make life feel like the second week of June. A hit with infants and the elderly alike, “Happy” has racked up 925 million YouTube streams…and brought peace to the Middle East! To explain—in 2014, a group of Iranian fans created a video tribute to the song and were subsequently arrested by local police for promoting vulgarity. Pharrell found out and tweeted "It's beyond sad these kids were arrested for trying to spread happiness”, gaining the attention of the President of Iran, who tweeted back, "#Happiness is our people's right. We shouldn't be too hard on behaviors caused by joy." The video’s dancers and director were then released and happiness resumed. If this one can make the President of Iran happy, it should surely be able to remind you that warmer weather and Summer freedom are right around the corner. 

#Happy #Happy #Happy

The Beatles “Here Comes The Sun”

A favorite for the first day of Spring, as well as the end of rain delays at baseball games, this George Harrison gem comes with a bright legend. Story goes that Harrison, frustrated with the Beatles’ business affairs, skipped an April meeting with the band’s management and headed toward Eric Clapton’s house in the countryside. Relieved to have escaped the day’s drama, he found an acoustic guitar on Clapton’s porch and birthed a classic. Deepening the legend, a report from two London weather bureaus show that April 1969 set a record for most hours of monthly sunlight in the decade. Nearly 50 years later, “Here Comes The Sun” was played as the entrance music for Ivanka Trump at the 2016 Republican National Convention, to the chagrin of Harrisons’ relatives, who called the move "offensive and against the wishes of the George Harrison estate". Partisan beefs aside, all can agree that this one feels like Spring, which leads to sun, which leads to Summer!    

#SunSunSunHereItComes #VacationsCountdown #4Months  

Bob Marley & The Wailers “Sun Is Shining”

With a title that feels like a sequel to our previous number, this one is another three minutes of solar joy from one of history’s most amazing musicians. And just like “Here Comes The Sun”, it comes with a bit of a legend. Though it’s become a top tune among Bob fans, “Sun Is Shining” began as a relatively unknown and rarely performed song; in fact, there are only two known performances of it. “Sun Is Shining” debuted during a 1978 Wailers show in Massachusetts, which was nearly canceled due to a thunderstorm. The same show had already been rescheduled twice over the course of two years, so Bob and the band decided to stick it out. They opened the show with “Sun Is Shining”, and reportedly, when the band played the opening notes, the rain abruptly stopped. If this one can part the clouds, it can surely remind us all that vacation awaits!

#RainStopper #BobGetsTheJobDone #VacationCountdown