A strictly all-killer affair, this record maintains a foundation of solid roots reggae while avoiding the pitfalls of mind-numbing dub or the cheesy "up with people" messaging so prevalent in recent Jamaican music. Pablo's ghostly melodica playing (ironically) gives the album a light, breezy feel, making these compositions too catchy and fluid to elicit anything but joy in the listener. All said, this is an excellent introduction to one of the greatest and most underappreciated producers of all time. The album's highly recommended for barbecues or back-porch smoke-outs. - Mark Crowder

Although it's somewhat of a predictable entry for any "Great Summer Albums" list, we'd be guilty of a glaring omission were we not to include the infamous Pet Sounds album among these ranks. Something about Brian Wilson's mellifluous voice and the catchy pop melodies backed by audacious harmonies always ensures that this album finds its way into my summer rotation. It serves up the perfect mix of sentimental heartfelt tunes and more-upbeat, playful fare. Songs like "Wouldn't It Be Nice" and "Sloop John B" are welcome to visit my car stereo anytime this summer, and I would recommend them to any music fan, regardless of which generation he or she belongs to (or doesn't belong to). - Laura Hess

After the sun has set and the margaritas have set in, it's time to get your sarong into a twist with a Coachwhips' primordial garage-rock sweat festival! A live Coachwhips show was always like being subjected to a heat wave...and that was the point. Sure you could purchase their music (which you should) and groove alone in your room. But why? Coachwhips shows were about handpicking your favorite group of mentally fractured friends, loading up the car, and getting your booty to a venue--if you actually wanted to experience this group as God intended. But because of the group's demise, you'll just have to do all of the above in the comfort of your favorite summertime hangout instead. - Chris Rolls

For me, this five-year-old release still holds up as the best driving-around-with-the-windows-down album. Since this activity goes better with warm weather, summertime is right on time for cranking up the Quik. "Pitch in on a Party" is the ultimate head-bobber, while "Quikker Said Than Dunn" (a remake of Eazy-E's "Eazy-Er Said Than Dunn") will bring you back even further than five years...more like 15. - Peter Gavin

Find the most stressed-out person you know, play this album for him or her, and then watch as he or she descends helplessly into the most tranquil of moods. The "calm" factor is definitely evident here with tracks like "Banana Pancakes" and "Never Know." Opening the album is "Better Together," a track that's soothing and lyrical. It features Johnson's gentle voice inviting the listener to close his or her eyes, settle back with his or her feet in the warm sand, and then just chill. Summer's all about the mellow tunes, and this album's full of them. - Erin Geiger

First of all... I know. I know you never want to hear about this album again, and I know that if you hear "Hey Ya" one more time you're going to turn away from me and walk stone-faced into the ocean. I can't even believe I'm hyping it, considering how firmly this double album has been planted in everyone's collective face for the past couple of years, but I'm going to go for it anyway. Why is this a great summer album? Because if you skip past "Hey Ya," you'll hear some outstanding tracks you may have overlooked before. My money's on "Knowin'" for the best Speakerboxx/Love Below track of summer 2005. - Eliot Van Buskirk

Peter Tosh liberated himself from Bob Marley and the Wailers approximately a year before the release of Legalize It in 1976. This solo endeavor catapulted Tosh into international reggae superstardom. Significantly less political than its successors, Legalize It focuses first and foremost on blazing Jamaican music. This classic album overflows from start to finish with ridiculously tight rhythms that flow with all the vigor of molasses, signature Hammond keys, and playful lyricism from Tosh. The album does pack some political punch (as the title suggests), but so joyous are the recordings that any remnant of social criticism comes off like a cooling Caribbean breeze. -CR

This is one of those bands that people either love or hate. Even the normally convivial MP3.com staff was split over the question of whether SFA was one of the greatest bands of all time or a complete waste of time. I'm clearly in the "pro-SFA" camp, and to me, this is the Super Furry album to listen to during the summer. Play it over headphones and your head just might explode as it tries to process everything that's going on in the background of these gorgeous songs. Or just pop it on the stereo to feel summertime literally sweep into the room. - EVB

Released in 1995 at the height of Brit-pop mania, this album had everyone buzzing. Unforgettable melodies combined with sheer youthful exuberance guaranteed that this effort would be a favorite not just in pubs, but at any gathering of drunken Brits or Anglophile wannabes. Filled with the sort of energy not witnessed since the early Buzzcocks, this record can be a little challenging if you feel the urge to grasp the complexity of the playing while you're busy pogoing around with your mates. While songs like "Strange Ones," "Lenny," "Lose It," and the wildly popular "Caught by the Fuzz" recall adolescent hijinks that normally occur between the last and first days of school, other tracks, like "Time" and "Sofa (Of My Lethargy)," will lull you into a haze not unlike an almost-worn-off summer afternoon. The Oxford-based group would go on to become finer musicians and make arguably better records as they matured, but they've yet to match the fever and elation this debut caused upon its release. - MC

Best known for their Paleolithic rendition of the classic summer hit "Wild Thing," the Troggs represented the grimy side of the '60s British Invasion. The group was absurdly popular in their native England, but it was not afforded the same luxury stateside. Despite the single "Wild Thing" capturing the number one spot on the American charts, the Troggs failed to tour the States, which may have opened American ears to the group's risqué proto-punk rock-and-roll. Back home, the group managed to turn sex-driven pop into major British chart success and also drew fire from a smorgasbord of conservative organizations. It appears the English were plenty aware that lust and summer heat are a winning combination! - CR

Summertime Jams
Kick out the jams with this collection of summer songs that's sure to make your next barbecue sizzle...or at least give you ideas for some summer mixes of your own.

Summertime Gear
"School is out and there's a sort of a buzz. Back then I didn't really know what it was, but now I see what have of this, the way that people respond to summer madness."