Hospital Radio: What it takes to make the perfect song for summertime

Summer is the perfect time for music that captures carefree, sunny vibes. It is very difficult to pinpoint exactly what makes a song a summer classic. When I think about the music that defines summer, I instinctively think of the Beach Boys, their music just seems to hit the spot, the feel of it, every bit as much as the lyrics. I particularly like ‘Kokomo’, which transports us to a tropical paradise and it’s a bit more chilled than some of their others.
I have tried to scientifically identify why it ticks the boxes for a summer hit. I should point out I am not a scientist, not even close. The band were asked to do the song for the soundtrack of the movie Cocktail, featuring Tom Cruise. It’s in the bit where he goes from a bartender in New York to Jamaica. I am already thinking of the golden sands of the Caribbean. Now, this song was not written by Brian Wilson, the genius behind many of their hits. It was a collaboration between band member Mike Love, John Phillips of the Mamas and the Papas and record producer Terry Melcher.
The Mamas and Papas were another band that had a summery sound, but what is it? How do you create that sound? Apparently, once the sun comes out, it’s the summer holidays, and any songs exhibiting any amount of emotion are out. The songs need to be simple. Kokomo has eight chords so it’s not that simple. It does mention a lot of places people go on holiday and ‘Tropical drink melting in your hand,’ so maybe that’s the secret.’
It’s the ability to make you feel like you are on holiday, and the song should not sound like one you have heard before. Songs with unique lyrics or musical arrangements often capture the carefree spirit of the summer. Traditionally, if a song is going to hit the spot, it needs serious radio support. In turn that used to mean a catchy hook and, of course, no swearing. Now on all mainstream radio stations and here at Hospital Radio we do not play songs with swearing in. 
However it has become more and more difficult to find songs without profanity, we are regularly searching for a radio or clean edit. So have the rules for a summer hit changed? I don’t think they have, if we look at Sabrina Carpenter, the US singer behind two of this summer's biggest songs and has broken a UK chart record. She has become the first female artist to hold both the number one and number two positions on the singles chart for three consecutive weeks, according to the Official Charts Company, and it hits all the markers it needs to.
Espresso is fairly simple with four chords. Plus a hugely catchy hook and chorus and importantly it was released before the summer, giving time for the infectious number to be embedded in everyone’s head. Apparently, this is one of the keys to success. The one thing it is missing is the word "summer" in the title, but that doesn’t seem to have held it back. 
And here was me thinking explaining how to have a summer hit was going to be easy. But don’t worry I’ve worked it out, it just needs to be a good song. So here are my top five summer hits.