We always think of Christmas as a time when we hear a whole batch of music that we wouldn’t hear at any other time of year. Have you noticed summer is the same? In fact, there are more parallels between Christmas music and summer music than it first appears.
Christmas song:
All I Want For Christmas – Mariah Carey
Summer equivalent:
Summertime – Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince
As the 25th of December approaches, Mariah’s tune is the first one that listeners call up and request. Frankly, they can’t wait to hear it. As soon as the temperature rises above 20C and we start donning our sunglasses, listeners are on the phone begging to hear Will Smith’s classic.
As with the Mariah song, it’s a perfect encapsulation of the time of year, from the laid-back backing track to the lyrics about cool clothes and hot parties.
Christmas song:
Last Christmas – Wham
Summer equivalent:
Club Tropicana – Wham
It takes and songwriting genius to come up with one song that’s a must-play at a particular time of year. It’s takes George Michael to nail two of them. Club Tropicana’s sunshine optimism bursts through and sounds as fresh today as it did when it was released in… wait for it… 1983
Christmas song:
Feliz Navidad – Jose Feliciano
Summer equivalent:
Despacito – Luis Fonsi
There may be nearly 40 years between these songs, but they’re stacked with similarities. There’s the obvious Spanish language one, although both tracks also have English sections so that non-Spanish speakers have some idea as to what is going on.
Jose Feliciano and Luis Fonsi are both from Puerto Rico, the songs are their biggest worldwide hits and, despite their Mediterranean vibes, both tracks were recorded in the USA.
Christmas song:
Driving Home For Christmas – Chris Rea
Summer equivalent:
Summer of ’69 – Bryan Adams
Two 1980s soft-rock stalwarts with songs that, when you hear them, bring up our own memories of the time of year.
While Rea’s song evokes the magic of seeing family at Christmas, Adam’s track takes you back to childhood summers when the days were long, endlessly sunny and full of adventure. By the time he’s finished, most of us are concurring that “those were the best days of my life”.
Christmas song:
Stay Another Day – East 17
Summer equivalent:
Groovejet – Spiller
At first glance, the east end boys and the glamorous Sophie Ellis-Bextor seem to have little in common. The reason these songs go together? While they are Christmas and summer staples, neither mentions the time of year in their lyrics. Stay Another Day is about losing someone close to you and Groovejet is very much a love song.
However, imagine playing Stay Another Day at a barbecue, or unwrapping your presents to Sophie Ellis-Bextor. They just wouldn’t work.
There is one difference between yuletide hits and summer sizzlers. Christmas songs are polarising, some people love them, others not so much. By Boxing Day, most people are glad to put Slade up in the loft with the decorations.
Summer hits are more widely accepted, it feels like most people enjoy a good sunshine song when the weather is right for it.
It’s the emotions and memories that music evokes which we work with all year long at AVC Immedia.
Whether it’s Christmas, summer or somewhere in between, coming up with playlists of songs that fit a brand or suit a space isn’t enough.
When we’re music profiling for a client, we’re after tracks that will move their customers and give them some feelings they wouldn’t have if our music wasn’t there.
