The Holiday Extras holiday playlist
Need a playlist for your next getaway? Look no further. We've rounded up the best summer tracks since Holiday Extras was founded in 1983.
In celebration of our 40th birthday we've put together the ultimate holiday playlist, with one song from every year from 1983 to 2023.
1983: Club Tropicana – Wham!
Fancy rubbing shoulders with the stars in some glamorous New Romantic club in Soho? How about a bit of fun and sunshine on a silly Club 18-30 style holiday, or getting a tan on soft white sands? Club Tropicana is the place to be, and the perfect song to start your holiday.
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Find out more...1984: Caribbean Queen – Billy Ocean
If a Billy Ocean song called Caribbean Queen doesn't take your mind to an exotic beach with perfect turquoise waters, nothing will. This tale of passion bagged Ocean his first US number one hit and made him the first Brit to win the Grammy for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance.
1985: Walking on Sunshine – Katrina and the Waves
Bottled up joy and sunshine in the name – Katrina and the Waves' new wave bop is more than deserving of a place on our playlist. The song's writer and guitarist Kimberley Rew describes it as 'a piece of simple fun', and this simple bit of fun earned them their first US top 40 hit.
1986: We Don't Have to Take Our Clothes Off – Jermaine Stewart
Jermaine Stewart climbed to number two in the UK charts with this dance-pop number all about the merits of modesty, keeping your clothes on and drinking cherry wine. Might be worth taking a few clothes off when jumping in the pool, but that's up to you. Whether you choose to ignore him or not, it's an undeniably catchy tune.
1987: La Bamba – Los Lobos
We've managed to resist the temptation to rickroll you and picked out a more holidayish tune from 1987 – namely, La Bamba. This Mexican folk song was the title track to the Ritchie Valens biopic of the same name, whose rock and roll take is probably the best-known version.
1988: Kokomo – The Beach Boys
Aruba, Jamaica, ooh I wanna take ya to Bermuda, Bahama… need we say any more? The Beach Boys know a thing or two about summer-ready earworms, and while Kokomo was brutally panned by critics at the time, it's no exception. Lighten up Rolling Stone, jeez.
1989: Love Shack – The B-52's
Road trip to the Love Shack, anyone? The shack in question was inspired by a club in Athens (the one in Georgia, not Greece) called the Hawaiian Ha-Le, whose modest exterior housed wild and raucous bands.
1990: Kingston Town – UB40
UB40s sun-kissed cover of calypso musician Lord Creator's ode to their favourite town, Kingston, was their sixth top five hit in the UK.
1991: Summertime – DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince
Before Will Smith was starring in blockbusters and causing a stir at awards ceremonies, he was winning Grammys with DJ Jazzy Jeff for funk-infused hip hop bangers. We don't need to tell you why their most successful song, Summertime, made our list – it samples Summer Madness by Kool & The Gang and is perfect for sipping poolside cocktails to.
1992: Rhythm Is a Dancer – SNAP!
Can't have a holiday playlist without a bit of silly Eurodance nonsense. Nonsense might be a tad harsh – Rhythm Is a Dancer topped charts all over the world, filled up clubs and has since featured in plenty of best song lists.
1993: Twist and Shout – Chaka Demus & Pliers (ft. Jack Radics and Taxi Gang)
Originally recorded by The Top Notes and immortalised by The Beatles on their debut album Please Please Me, reggae duo Chaka Demus & Pliers' playful cover of Twist and Shout screams day at the beach.
1994: Girls & Boys – Blur
The lyrics of Blur's Britpop anthem will resonate with you if you've ever followed the herd down to party towns like Ibiza, Magaluf and Zante. Damon Albarn thought up Girls & Boys while holidaying in Maga, and the track's as chaotic as you'd expect.
1995: Mysterious Girl – Peter Andre
The thought of Peter Andre and his reggae-infused hit Mysterious Girl conjures up the Aussie jungle, palm trees and pi��a coladas in equal measure. Sounds pretty ideal.
1996: The Day We Caught The Train – Ocean Colour Scene
Yes, the Macarena was the dance craze of 1996. No, we're not going to make you listen to it. Instead, this nostalgic Ocean Colour Scene tune is sure to inspire the road tripper in you to get out and see the coast with your favourite person.
1997: At the River – Groove Armada
If you're fond of sand dunes, salty air and floating down the river to downtempo beats, we've found your perfect song. You can't help but feel relaxed while listening to Groove Armada's 1997 amble of a single.
1998: Music Sounds Better With You – Stardust
The 90s was a golden age for French house, with Daft Punk, Cassius and Stardust all making the top 10 of the UK charts. Stardust, a supergroup of French house musicians, only ended up releasing one song, but they struck gold with Music Sounds Better With You as it reached number 2 in the charts. It's considered one of the best dance songs of all time, and will take you from the beach all the way to the club.
1999: Sunshine – Gabrielle
Gabrielle was prolific throughout the 90s and early 00s, introducing the UK to a swathe of R&B classics. Sunshine is her summeriest of outputs and is sure to brighten up your day.
2000: The Time Is Now – Moloko
Moloko's acoustic-driven disco anthem is all about living in the moment, which is what going on holiday is all about, right? It climbed to number two in the charts, making it Moloko's best performing single.
2001: Island in the Sun – Weezer
Dreaming of escaping to a remote island in the sun this summer? So are Weezer, as you can hear on this iconic 00s power pop anthem.
2002: Soak Up the Sun – Sheryl Crow
Sheryl Crow and writing partner Jeff Trott came up with Soak Up the Sun while flying from Portland to New York. They wanted to write something to cheer Sheryl up, as she was recovering from surgery at the time, which resulted in holiday-ready bubblegum pop perfect for a sunny day.
2003: Hey Ya! – Outkast
Outkast's second US number one Hey Ya! was the soundtrack to many a summer party back in the day and was arguably the best song of the 00s. Big claim, but not many songs are so unifying that they could get away with being played on practically every radio station, from R&B and pop to alt-rock.
2004: Take Your Mama – Scissor Sisters
Take Your Mama was inspired by lead singer Jake Shears coming out to his mum, bonding with her by introducing her to the gay nightlife scene. It's a night out you'll want to be invited to.
2005: Temperature – Sean Paul
Dancehall legend Sean Paul knows how to raise the temperature. Temperature heated up the Billboard top 10 for 17 weeks, a record at the time, and has lit up the dancefloor ever since.
2006: Put Your Records On – Corinne Bailey Rae
Blue skies, Three Little Birds and listening to your favourite tunes – Put Your Records On paints a pretty perfect picture of the ideal summer's day. So let your hair down and relax.
2007: Glamorous – Fergie (ft. Ludacris)
Not ideal for a cost of living crisis, but daydreaming of popping champagne on first-class flights can't be helped. Glamorous is all about Fergie staying rooted despite her worldwide success, though the dreamy beats and caviar-obsessed lyrics speak to a more luxurious getaway.
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Find out more...2008: Jump in the Pool – Friendly Fires
The perfect song for a cannonball, jumping in the pool has never felt so euphoric thanks to Friendly Fires and their unique blend of indie rock and thumping electronic disco.
2009: Party in the U.S.A. – Miley Cyrus
You'll want to book the next flight to LA after hearing about Miley's Hollywood party lifestyle. Party in the U.S.A. reached number two in the States and will now be stuck in your head for weeks. Sorry about that.
2010: California Gurls – Katy Perry (ft. Snoop Dogg)
Katy Perry will tell you nothing comes close to the golden coast, and it's pretty hard to argue. Her Californian opus is summer personified and even features legendary West Coast rapper Snoop Dogg. What's not to love?
2011: Love On Top – Beyonce
Speaking of love. This song of many key changes gets happier and happier the longer it goes on. Our only criticism is that it isn't longer.
2012: Spectrum (Say My Name) – Florence + The Machine (Calvin Harris Remix)
How can you make Florence + The Machine's colourful orchestral pop track even more colourful? Enter Calvin Harris and his brand of up-tempo house, which adds a whole new dimension and bagged Florence + The Machine their first number one hit.
2013: Get Lucky – Daft Punk
Get Lucky was the song of the summer then, and will be the song of many summers to come. This collaboration of French house legends Daft Punk, chart-topping Pharrell Williams and the disco-loving Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Nile Rodgers was always going to be a hit.
2014: The Heat – Jungle
Jungle is the perfect band for scorchers by the pool. The whole of their first, self-titled album could've worked for this playlist, but track one – The Heat – felt like the obvious choice. The perfect pairing for a 30°C bake on a sun lounger.
2015: Cheerleader – OMI (Felix Jaehn Remix)
Felix Jaehn's remix of Omi's reggae track Cheerleader will take you from your sun lounger to the club and back again. As chill as it is upbeat, it'll bring holiday vibes whatever the occasion.
2016: Cake By The Ocean – DNCE
Fronted by Joe Jonas, DNCE's first 70s-inspired single Cake by the Ocean wasn't a bad start. It reached the top 10 in multiple countries, including number four in the UK. While tucking into cake on the beach sounds like the ideal holiday activity, we're not sure that's exactly what they meant.
2017: Despacito – Louis Fonsi (ft. Daddy Yankee)
Despacito helped to repopularise Spanish-language music in the mainstream charts – it was the first track sung mostly in Spanish to top the Billboard Top 10 since the Macarena. This latin pop bop is also the second most-viewed video on YouTube, just behind Baby Shark. Oh dear.
2018: 2002 – Anne-Marie
Anne-Marie brings all the 2002 nostalgia, referencing late 90s and early 00s classics from Britney Spears, Jay Z, Nelly and more. It's a great bit of pop with an impressive lineup of co-writers, including Ed Sheeran, Julia Michaels and Benny Blanco.
2019: Watermelon Sugar – Harry Styles
Harry Styles scored a Grammy and a Brit Award for Watermelon Sugar, which is about tucking into fresh strawberries and watermelon on a warm summer evening and absolutely nothing else. Honestly. Either way, if you like your holidays to be hot then play this.
2020: Heat Waves – Glass Animals
Released in 2020, this psychedelic sleeper hit topped the US charts for five weeks in early 2022. The lyrics are a bit more melancholy than you'd hope for your holiday, but the wavy R&B groove certainly brings the heat.
2021: Solar Power – Lorde
Spend all winter dreaming of hot weather? So does Lorde, whose track Solar Power perfectly captures those slightly overtanned beach holiday vibes. Should've packed the factor 50.
2022: About Damn Time – Lizzo
If you're in need of a pre-holiday pep talk, Lizzo's your gal. She brings all the feel good funk you could ask for on About Damn Time, which was nominated by MTV as their song of the summer. It didn't win, but what do they know?
2023: Dance the Night – Dua Lipa
Summer 2023 is all about Barbie. The soundtrack's lead single, Dance the Night, brings sun-kissed disco that will surely dominate pool parties and dancefloors for many summers to come. A song featuring Dua Lipa and Mark Ronson was never not going to slay.
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