10 Song Recommendations to Make Fourth of July Parties a Blast

If you are hosting a Fourth of July, party, then you have taken a significant step towards enjoying the anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. But merely hosting a Fourth of July barbecue does not guarantee a good time.

The quality of a party depends on several factors, some of which are beyond the control of the host, but one thing that the host can control is the music that gets played. It's important to remember that barbecues and weddings are very different types of events, so the kind of music that is ideal for formal events centered around dancing is not necessarily the best kind of music for a Fourth of July party.

The guests probably will not be willing to do the electric slide, "Hot in Here" doesn't make much sense at all when the party is outside, and Donna Summer shouldn't be singing about the last dance to a group of people who might not have danced all day. However, just because many wedding/Bar Mitzvah/school dance staples should be off limits doesn't meant that there is a shortage of good Fourth of July songs. To prove that point, I will list ten such songs below in no particular order:

#1) "Celebration" by Kool and the Gang. July 4th parties are generally laid back before the beer starts to take effect, and this is a laid back song about a party that takes place once a year. I don't think that a song can get much more appropriate than that.

#2) "The Remedy" by Jason Mraz. It's certainly not a classic party song, but it mentions fireworks and the 4th of July in the beginning of the song and for that reason alone it should be played on Independence Day.

#3) "Lazy, Hazy, Crazy Days of Summer" by Nat King Cole. It's an old song about relaxing and having fun in the sun which should work as well this year as it did fifty years ago.

#4) "In the Summertime" by Mungo Jerry. This one is another low-key summer song from long ago.

#5) "Island in the Sun" by Weezer. A good July 4th party is kind of like being on an island in the sun - isolated from all the people that you don't want around while enjoying the summer weather and refreshments and each other's company and experiencing a feeling of independence from bosses at work and other dislike authority figures that weren't invited to the party. Particularly wealthy hosts can throw the party on an actual sun-drenched island.

6) "Paul Revere" by the Beastie Boys. Out of all the songs that prominently reference what is commonly known as the American Revolution, most of which are probably from the musical "1776", this one is almost definitely the most party-friendly.

7) "Summer Lovin'" From Grease. Sure, it's cheesy, but as the beer flows from cup to throat senses of shame will disappear and everyone who knows the song ((should be almost everyone) will sing along. It might even encourage a little summer loving between people you would expect that from and maybe even some that you wouldn't.

8) "Hot, Hot, Hot" by Buster Poindexter. If any classic dance party songs belong at a July 4th party, this one does. It should be hot at the party, and unlike the Nelly song mentioned in my introductory paragraph it doesn't make the assumption that the people are inside.

9) "Party Hard" by Andrew W.K.. Most people at the party might want to just hang out early on, but as the numbers on the clock increase the desire to party hard should increase as well.

10) "Buzzin'" by Shwayze. This song could easily be one of the biggest hits of the summer of 2008, and it happens to be a low-key song about partying. It could also be a conversation starter in case some of the guests aren't familiar with recent music and would like to know who that is and what they are saying.

I came up with all ten of these songs without looking anything up, so there should be quite a few other appropriate Fourth of July songs that I haven't thought of. There are still a few weeks to make a playlist for a July 4th party, and if that is what you're trying to do then good luck and I hope that my suggestions have been helpful.