Making My Favorite Albums Fight For a Spot on the Perfect Summer Playlist

Over my four years writing for Her Campus, album reviews have been some of my favorite things to write. Not including group articles, I have recommended 12 albums over the years. Each of these albums have held a special place in my heart, being the soundtrack to different parts of my college experience. As finals come to a close and graduation looms, I am looking for the best bops to sing along to this summer. This is the ranking of every album I have ever  reviewed based on how much I want to listen to them with the windows rolled down, hanging in a hammock, or dancing under the stars.

#12- TURN OFF THE LIGHT by Kim Petras

• My first Her Campus article ever was a review of Kim Petras’ Halloween album. If you are someone who plans your Halloween costume months in advance, this album should absolutely be on rotation this summer. For the rest of us, this album is not coming on until October, and one of Kim’s other songs has a better shot of making the playlist.
• Best Song for Summer: “There Will Be Blood”

#11- Being Funny In A Foreign Language by The 1975

• Don’t let my “I hate Matty Healy” t-shirt fool you: I love this album. It’s just too wintery for a summer playlist. Don’t believe me? Check out their song “Wintering” and you will be convinced that this album was made for the colder months. 
• Best Song for Summer: “I’m In Love With You”

#10- cloudy by joan

• This little EP is sweet and sticky like a late summer day, and was a staple of my playlists in 2021. However, I don’t think it has as much staying power as some of the other albums on the list. At 18 minutes, it is a good EP to put on to romanticize walking your dog in the morning. 
• Best Song for Summer: “cover girl”

#9- The Dark by The Band CAMINO

• I adore this album. However, it doesn’t have the “song of the summer,” intangible pop quality I look for this time of year. If you gravitate to a more alternative sound in the summer, this is a fun one, but it doesn’t have the ultra-catchy hooks I associate with summer songs. 
• Best Song For Summer: “See You Later”

#8- SAWAYAMA by Rina Sawayama

• This album might be the exact opposite of cloudy. cloudy is low production, perfect for being in nature; SAWAYAMA is a party. There are such catchy earworms throughout this album, and it feels like songs you dance to in a friend’s apartment or hear on a night out. 
• Best Song For Summer: “XS”

#7- folklore by Taylor Swift

• You thought I went four years without reviewing a Taylor Swift album? This is the perfect sunrise album for me. It’s quiet, contemplative, and the ideal soundtrack for watching the start of a new day.
• Best Song For Summer: “august”

#6- AFTER DINNER WE TALK DREAMS by MICHELLE

• If you read my 2023 album challenge article, you know that this album is special. It has high energy, unbelievable harmonies, and a unique sound. As the title implies, this album is perfect for chatting with your favorite people, long after the sun goes down, empty plates still sitting in front of you.  
• Best Song For Summer: “LAYLA IN THE ROCKET”

#5- SUPERBLOOM by MisterWives

• What can I say other than it’s an album about coming into full bloom like the leaves on the trees? Perfect for days when you feel like you need a boost. The full band—horn section and all—makes listening to this album such a memorable experience, plus so many tracks encourage you to get up and dance around. 
• Best Song For Summer: “SUPERBLOOM”

#4- Women In Music Pt. III by HAIM

• HAIM’s music feels like going back in time. They have a rock sound that makes you feel powerful, with lyrics that will keep you listening over and over. This is the perfect song for driving fast and letting the wind throw your hair around. 
• Best Song For Summer: “Summer Girl” 

#3- Solar Power by Lorde

• After Lorde’s 2017 hit Melodrama, people were largely let down by her mellow third album. If you haven’t listened to it since you initially wrote it off in 2021, go get a big hat, lay down on the beach, and give it another try. It matches the slow, hot days that define summer so perfectly.
• Best Song For Summer: “Solar Power”

#2- GUTS (spilled) by Olivia Rodrigo

• Olivia Rodrigo is the pop star we all deserve. Her songs are so catchy, and have the chokehold on FM radio that I associate with my childhood summers. There is something special about having songs that almost everyone you know can sing along to together.
• Best Song For Summer: “so american”

#1- The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess by Chappell Roan

• The GUTS tour is really dominating the top of this list, and for good reason. If you still haven’t listened to Chappell Roan, what are you waiting for? She has blown up as the opening act for Olivia Rodrigo and is the sound of summer. Songs like “Femininomenon,” “Red Wine Supernova,” and “Super Graphic Ultra Modern Girl” all have the pop quality to accompany a pool party montage. 
• Best Song For Summer: “Naked In Manhattan”

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