Mixtape Madness #16: 2012 Official Soundtrack of Summer

According to the novel High Fidelity the making of a good mix tape, like breaking up, is hard to do. Furthermore, a good mix is never finished. You never know when you will come across a song that changes the dynamic of the mix you just completed. There is a litany of intricacies to crafting the ideal mix no matter what the mix’s intended purpose should be. This feature is merely a guide on the cosmic highway of mix making, and while experienced, the writer does not claim to be an expert.

2012 Official Soundtrack of Summer

Summer time equals party time, and no party (or no Summer) can reach its potential without a seriously sweet soundtrack. We look forward to this mix each year, and it seems to get bigger and better each time. So without any further hesitation, here is the ideal playlist for your next barbecue.

1. "Ceremony" by New Order - We start off the 2012 Soundtrack of Summer with an early 80's throwback. Originally released in 1981, it's on this list mainly because of the scene in which it is featured in Marie Antoinette.

2. "Happy Pills" by Norah Jones - Summer is hot and so is Norah Jones. Her latest album is a bit different from her norm, but in a good way. 

3. "Never Go Back" by Grace Potter and the Nocturnals - Grace Potter and the Nocturnals are a fantastic band. While I normally prefer their bluesier tunes, this one fits the bill for a summer mix.

4. "Ottoman" by Vampire Weekend - Another movie song, this one getting the nod after a showing of Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist.

5. "The Harder They Come" by Jimmy Cliff - Few songs sound better on a sweltering summer night than this one.


6. "The Only Place" by Best Coast - Rolling Stone heralded this track as the song of the summer, so why not include it on our soundtrack?

7. "Your Love" by the Outfield - Back to the 80's with this kickass tune from a baseball-obsessed band.

8. "Fire" by Bruce Springsteen - Find any live version of this song that the Boss originally wrote for the Pointer Sisters, and you're set.

9. "Like A Feather" by Nikka Costa - Anybody remember this super-cool song from Frank Sinatra's goddaughter?

10. "Comeback Kid" by Sleigh Bells - You could probably go with anything from Sleigh Bells here, but this one is my favorite.

11. "Some Nights" by fun. - fun really seems to have the market cornered on epic songs right now.

12. "When the Going Gets Tough, The Tough Get Going" by Billy Ocean - Every summer mix needs a little Ocean.

13. "Legs" by ZZ Top - A song that celebrates one of my favorite sights of summer.

14. "Making Gestures" by the Pack A.D. - Reminiscent of the White Stripes, the Pack AD is a snazzy duo of ladies making great music out of Toronto.

15. "Sure Shot" by the Beastie Boys - In memory of MCA, a classic Beastie tune.

16. "A Message To You Rudy" by the Specials - I discovered this song when it was sampled in the Sublime song "DJs."

17. "Fire Shot" by Slightly Stoopid - From a song that inspired Sublime to a song that Sublime inspired.

High swagger to getting lucky ratio

18. "Stay With Me" by the Faces - I'm fairly certain its the swagger in songs like this that got Rod Stewart all of those ladies.

19. "Major Tom"  by Shiny Toy Guns - Anytime Shiny Toy Guns cover an 80's tune, you are good to go.

20. "Young Boy" by Clipse f./ Pharell - To be perfectly honest, this song made the cut because I dig the part where he raps about his grandmother.

21. "Rush" by Big Audio Dynamite - This song does a good job of picking up where the Clash left off.

22. "New Age Girl" by Deadeye Dick - A one hit wonder about the kind of girl who walked around saying "Get with it, this is the 90's."

23. "Rye Whiskey" by the Punch Brothers - The Punch Brothers are going to be big, trust me on this one.

24. "Mine Is Yours (Passion Pit Remix)" by the Cold War Kids - Cold War Kids and Passion Pit are good on their own, and this collaboration is fantastic.

25. "Homecoming" by Kanye West and Chris Martin - Some clever verses from Kanye, and he manages not to name drop anyone in the entire song.

26. "Hold On" by Alabama Shakes - Like the Punch Brothers, Alabama Shakes are about to blow up.

27. "The Forgotten People" by Thievery Corporation - This song was featured in the giant party/orgy scene in True Blood in which all of the characters are under a spell. Supernatural stuff aside, it has a great beat.

28. "Female of the Species" by Space - Stephen Colbert must love this song because it is full of truthiness.

29. "Midnight City" by M83 - This is THE song of the summer.

30. "Action" by Terror Fabulous and Nadine Salinger - One of my all-time favorite warm weather grooves.

 31. "Who's That Girl?" by Madonna - Great song and a good reminder that before she was fake British, Madonna was fake Spanish.

32. "Come and Get Your Love" by Redbone - In middle school I loved the Real McCoy cover of this song, then rediscovered the original on one of the coolest record compilations ever. 

Best. Compilation. Ever.

33. "Call Me Maybe" by Carly Rae Jepson - Give in to the awesome power of catchiness and listen to this song!

34. "Across 110th Street" by Bobby Womack - Quentin Tarantino is a soundtrack master, as evidenced with this selection from Jackie Brown.

35. "Stalag Y2K" by Buju Banton - Summer mixes require reggae. It's the rules.

36. "Sexual Healing" by Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals - A seriously stellar cover from a very snazzy band.

37. "Stay" by Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs - This song should make you want to carry a watermelon and dance provocatively.

38. "Good Vibrations" by the Beach Boys - In honor of their 50th Anniversary, a little Beach Boys never hurt a summer mix.

 39. "Here Comes Your Man" by the Pixies - Snag the version from the Purple Tape for your summer soundtrack.

40. "Paradise By the Dashboard Light" by Meatloaf - The themes of sex and baseball fit in with summer, so we're ending it with this one.