What makes the perfect song of the summer? Professor Devon Powers studies summer songs. She says every great summer songs usually has three things: a memorable chorus, a beat that makes you feel good and lyrics anyone can sing.
In this episode of Profoundly Pointless we look a the last 25 years of Songs of the Summer. We talk making the perfect summer song, the behind the scenes marketing that turn ordinary songs into massive hits and why we sometimes don’t have a song of the summer.
Then, in the Pointless part of the show, we countdown the Top 5 Summer Songs.
00:00 Introducing Professor Devon Powers
00:58 What Makes a Good Summer Song
06:62 A Bar Song (Tipsy) by Shaboozey
09:23 Despacito by Daddy Yankee
10:19 Blurred Lines by Robin Thicke
11:55 Call Me Maybe by Carly Rae Jespen
15:38 The Simple Complexity of Summer Song
18:04 Old Town Road by Lil Nas X
19:30 Party Rock Anthem by LMFAO
21:21 The Best Song of the Summer
22:19 The Worst Song of the Summer
24:20 Timing the Song of the Summer
26:26 2026’s Song of the Summer
27:37 Pointless
46:18 The Top 5 Summer Songs
Contact the Show
Devon Powers’ Book on Trend Forecasting
Devon Powers’ Book on the Birth of Rock Criticism
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