Our Five Favorite Jams of Summer 2011

Well, guys. Labor Day has long since passed, which means that summer is more or less over. It sure went fast, didn’t it? As our tan lines fade and temperatures begin to drop, these are the five songs that are going to remind us what an awesome time we had this past summer.

#1 Katy Perry – “Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)” Yes, this pop jam about drunken debauchery falls squarely into the guilty pleasure category, but there’s something about Katy Perry, and the thought of her “skinny dipping in the dark” that we couldn’t resist. Major props, too, for the video cameos from Corey Feldman, Debbie Gibson, Hanson, Kenny G and fellow Friday fan Rebecca Black.

#2 Jay-Z and Kanye West – “No Church in the Wild” While much of this rap royalty duo’s much-anticipated collaboration album Watch the Throne was overcooked and underwhelming, the album’s menacing lead track was everything the rest of the album, well, wasn’t.

#3 Beyonce – “Run the World (Girls)” Mrs. Jay-Z (and mother to be!) Beyonce took fierce to the next level with this Major Lazer-sampling girl power anthem. The Mad Max-style video makes us want to glue razor blades to our fingernails and run around in the desert with a lion. Hot as summer itself, this one.

#4 Bon Iver – “Calgary” The also much-anticipated sophomore release from Wisconsin’s Bon Iver was stunningly gorgeous from start to finish, and a huge relief for those of us who had been waiting years for the follow-up to the group’s 2007 instant classic For Emma, Forever Ago. The album’s haunting lead single, “Calgary”, was the perfect soundtrack for the more poignant moments of all of our summer roadtrips.

#5 Adele – “Rolling in the Deep” This smash hit from the blue-eyed, English soul singer’s sophomore release 21 made heartbreak sound so good, and audiences around the country raved about the raw power of Adele’s live show as well. As danceable as it was devastating, “Rolling in the Deep” was the perfect soundtrack for a summer romance gone bad. Be sure to check out: Vitamin String Quartet Performs Adele Available now at iTunes and Amazon