LET SUMMER BEGIN

There are two types of summer songs: Those that become hits during the season and those that are about the season.

In honor of summer's official arrival Thursday (June 21), here's a list of top-notch tunes (in no particular order) that reference the time of year when the phrase "hazy, hot and humid" gets a workout from weather forecasters in the Northeast:

* "Summer in the City" -- The Lovin' Spoonful. Anyone who has worked in a major metropolis can relate to the line "Back of my neck gettin’ dirt and gritty."

* "Hot Fun in the Summertime" -- Sly and the Family Stone. The piano intro is a sound as synonymous with summer as the music that accompanies the neighborhood ice cream truck.

* "Dancing in the Street" -- Martha and the Vandellas. A law should be passed stating that this song must be played on every radio station nationwide at the exact moment summer begins.



* "Summer Breeze" -- Seals & Crofts. The cool harmonies alone will knock a few degrees off the thermometer.

* "School's Out" -- Alice Cooper. It always provides a feeling of sweet relief, regardless of one's age.

* "Summertime Blues" -- Eddie Cochran. Like the aforementioned Cooper tune, this one is rooted in youth but still strikes a chord in adulthood.

* "Summer Wind" -- Frank Sinatra. Goes nicely with sunglasses and an iced drink.

* "Summer" -- War. It's not always sand and surf: Stickball, open fire hydrants and old-timers feeding pigeons are staples of the season, too, as this song points out.



* "Surfin' USA" -- The Beach Boys. Who hasn't, at least once, wanted to be "gone for the summer/on safari to stay"?

* "The Boys of Summer" -- Don Henley. The revved-up cover version by The Ataris isn't bad, but there's no topping Henley’s original, which features seagull-sounding guitar sounds.

Honorable mention:

* "In the Summertime" -- Mungo Jerry.

* "Cruel Summer" -- Bananarama

* "Summer of '69" -- Bryan Adams

* "Suddenly Last Summer" -- The Motels