Listen: The Top 10 Summer Country Music Classics

A group of girls arrives at the summertime, Stagecoach Country Music Festival in Indio, California. ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images

When the sun starts shining, and the temperature starts rising, what gets you more pumped for a beautiful summer day than a good ole’ country music song? We aren’t talking about those sappy country love tunes, but the ones we’ve all listened to over and over for years filled with some twang about having fun, hanging out with friends, and enjoying the warm weather.

From classic summer songs like Zac Brown Band’s “Chicken Fried” to Florida Georgia Line’s “Cruise,” there’s nothing better to bring on the sun-kissed skin, and nighttime bonfires than a rewind session full of these top 10 classic country music songs about everyone’s favorite season.

10. “Barefoot Blue Jean Night” – Jake Owen

According to Ranker.com, Jake Owen’s hit song from 2011 makes their list of the best summertime country tunes and does everything it needs to do to get you in the sunshine mood. With lyrics like,”A full moon shinin’ bright, edge of the water, we were feelin’ alright. Back down a country road, the girls are always hot, and the beer is ice cold,” you can’t help but flashback to those country nights hanging out with your friends, falling in love and well, um, getting your drink on.

OneCountry.com lists “Barefoot Blue Jean Night” as Owen’s #3 best summertime tunes of all time, and the guy has had a lot of hits over the years. It seems like bare feet, blue jeans, summer love and beer are this guy’s favorite things to sing about making his whole collection pretty perfect to get you pumped for the summertime. Another good one from him that screams warm weather and first-time love is “The One That Got Away.” Enjoy the reminiscing.

Learn more about “Barefoot Blue Jean Night” here.

Learn more about Jake Owen here.

Read the lyrics for “Barefoot Blue Jean Night” here.

“Barefoot Blue Jean Night” download: Amazon – iTunes – Google Play

9. “Dirt Road Anthem” – Jason Aldean

Who doesn’t like to cruise around in their ride when the weather’s nice or like to think about those parties you went to during summer as a teen? GreatAmericanCountry.com and TheBigLead.com even agree that Aldean’s song “Dirt Road Anthem” from 2010 is one of the perfect summertime road trip tunes out there.

The slow music, fun rapping part, and nostalgic lyrics make you reminisce over careless summers spent with great friends and exciting new love. If you’re from the country, you can’t help but flashback to those summer parties in the fields, driving around in your truck, and even running from the cops when you listen. It instantly brings you back to those warm nights, easily being the reason why it tops most country music lovers’ summer track lists.

If you’re more into the bro country sound, you can check out the “Dirt Road Anthem” remix with Ludacris, too. He adds the perfect dirty south flow needed to get you pumped and in the summer mood.

Learn more about “Dirt Road Anthem” here.

Learn more about Jason Aldean here.

Read the lyrics for “Dirt Road Anthem” here.

“Dirt Road Anthem” download: Amazon – iTunes – Google Play

8. “Summertime” – Kenny Chesney

It’s all about the lyrics with this one that instantly gets you in the mood for summertime fun. “Perfect song on the radio, sing along ’cause it’s one we know. It’s a smile, it’s a kiss, it’s a sip of wine, it’s summertime…sweet summertime” Need we say more?

Let’s be real. There are so many good Chesney summer tunes out there, picking one or even two is never an easy thing to do. Actually, that’s why two of his tracks are on this list. If someone could own a season, summer would be all his. He’s not afraid to admit he loves the sun and water, spending most of his time off time in the Caribbean. This song just says it all. KQED.org even listed it as the number one best summer song in 2013.

It is, in fact, summertime, y’all.

Learn more about “Summertime” here.

Learn more about Kenny Chesney here.

Read the lyrics for “Summertime” here.

“Summertime” download: Amazon – iTunes – Google Play

7. “Summer Nights” – Rascal Flatts

Flashback to 2009. What was the best summertime song that year? “Summer Nights” by the guys in Rascal Flatts. Just ask the Huffington Post about that. They named this song as one of their summertime soundtrack songs in 2015.

With a title so simply put, and lyrics like, “come on ladies, it’s time to pop that top and fellas, I know you’re ready to rock. We went crazy cooped all winter long and school is out, so let’s get it on. Flip flop tans and some white sand, I know the perfect spot,” you’re instantly taken back to a beach party and can’t help but wish you were there over and over again.

Learn more about “Summer Nights” here.

Learn more about Rascal Flatts here.

Read the lyrics for “Summer Nights” here.

“Summer Nights” download: Amazon – iTunes – Google Play

6. “My Kinda Party” – Jason Aldean

It just seems like Aldean is trying to be the king of summertime hits, but don’t tell Chesney that. Adding a bit of bro-country to his 2010 hit song “My Kinda Party” the catchy words about bonfires and drinking seem way too relatable for people to not enjoy simply for the fact of reminiscing. TheBigLead.com even put this track on their ‘Best Summer Songs For Your Playlist,’ list.

This second Aldean track on our list is a song with an up-tempo country rock beat all about a guy who’s “worked all week” asking a girl out for a tailgate party and bonfire, then asking her to stay the night with him afterward. If that doesn’t scream summertime hot, what really does?

Learn more about “My Kinda Party” here.

Learn more about Jason Aldean here.

Read the lyrics for “My Kinda Party” here.

“My Kinda Party” download: Amazon – iTunes – Google Play

5. “Toes”- Zac Brown Band

Next to Chesney and Aldean, Zac Brown Band is the on deck and in line for the summer song crown. With their first hit “Chicken Fried” released in 2008, beachy-tracks and warm weather tunes have been streaming out from these guys since then. The one that gets us in the June-thru-August-mood the most is “Toes.”

With lyrics like,”I got my toes in the water, ass in the sand, not a worry in the world, a cold beer in my hand. Life is good today. Life is good today,” you can’t help but dream about being on the beach and enjoying the fun summer brings along. It also gets you in the drinking mood, and honestly, who doesn’t love a tune that does that?

We aren’t the only ones who think this track is still a summer, country music favorite. TheBoot.com named it their third choice in their all-time, summertime country music song lists, too.

Learn more about “Toes” here.

Learn more about Zac Brown Band here.

Read the lyrics for “Toes” here.

“Toes” download: Amazon – iTunes – Google Play

4. “Pontoon” – Little Big Town

We all learned what “motorboatin’” is when Little Big Town released their 2012 summer song “Pontoon.” Although they hadn’t had too many summer songs before this one, “Pontoon” is still a boating and water fun anthem for everyone trying to enjoy the heat.

HoustonPress.com even named it the BEST summer song in 2012, and TheBoot.com almost made it their number one choice for the best summertime tune ever, putting the track in their second place slot. Just check out the lyrics, and you’ll see why it’s a favorite:

“Who said anything about skiin’? Floatin’ is all I wanna do. You can climb the ladder, just don’t rock the boat while I barbecue…on the pontoon. Makin’ waves and catchin’ rays up on the roof. Jumpin’ out the back, don’t act like you don’t want to party in slow motion, out here in the open…mmm, motorboatin'”

Learn more about “Pontoon” here.

Learn more about Little Big Town here.

Read the lyrics for “Pontoon” here.

“Pontoon” download: Amazon – iTunes – Google Play

3. “When The Sun Goes Down” – Kenny Chesney

“Everything gets hotter when the sun goes down,” is the lyric from the summertime-tune-God Chesney that makes this 2004 track one of his bests for a warm night. It instantly takes you to a summer night party, or like a lot of other Chesney songs, to a fun vacation spot on an island. Kenny’s friend Uncle Kracker sings on the track, too, adding in some more warm weather funk and fun.

Country music website TheBoot.com agrees with us on this one, too. They named this song as his number eight ranked best summer song ever.

Learn more about “When The Sun Goes Down” here.

Learn more about Kenny Chesney here.

Read the lyrics for “When The Sun Goes Down” here.

“When The Sun Goes Down” download: Amazon – iTunes – Google Play

2. “Water” – Brad Paisley

You can’t sing about summer without thinking of Brad Paisley. The West Virginia native co-wrote “Water,” which easily became the anthem of his 2009-2010 H2O summer tour. This wet and wild song begins by talking everything hot, like splashing in kiddie pools, wet T-shirt contests, and skinny-dipping.

We aren’t the only ones who thought this song brings on the summer sun fun like no other. It can be seen on almost every country music summer song list on the web. We gave it our number two slot because TheBoot.com, TasteOfCountry.com, and Ranker.com all put this track high up on their country music summer tunes playlists.

Learn more about “Water” here.

Learn more about Brad Paisley here.

Read the lyrics for “Water” here.

“Water” download: Amazon – iTunes – Google Play

1. “Something Like That” – Tim McGraw

Who doesn’t love them some Tim McGraw? Seriously. Not only do his love songs with his wife Faith Hill rock, but who doesn’t know the lyrics to his oldie but goodie summer song hit, “Somethin’ Like That?’

Read the lyrics, bet you can’t without singing along. “I had a barbecue stain on my white t-shirt, she was killing me in that miniskirt, skippin’ rocks on the river by the railroad tracks, she had a suntan line and red lipstick, I worked so hard for that first kiss, and a heart don’t forget something like that…”

This chart-topper from 1999 still holds up today. The song goes back to a youthful experience of falling in love for the very first time at age 17. When you listen you instantly want to fall in love on a Ferris wheel, sharing sticky cotton candy, and eating hot dogs on Labor Day weekend. KQED.org agrees too, naming it their third top summer song in 2013. Ranker.com, TheBoot.com, TheBigLead.com, and SpinDitty.com put this tune one their summer songs lists, too. How awesome is a song if it’s still rockin’ and topping lists during the summer 14 whopping years after its release? That’s simply why it tops our list because honestly we still jam to it to get pumped for the sun.

Top 10 Best Summer Country Songs