Memorable Fourth of July Melodies for your Barbecue

What's not to love about Independence Day? It's one of the only holidays that comes with absolutely no strings attached. There's no reason to buy presents for people; no obligation to fly coast-to-coast; no prerequisite to kiss a stranger just because it's midnight; no call to start cooking before dawn; no bobbing for apples in someone else's saliva frappe - do I need to continue? One of the most wonderful things about the Fourth of July is that you can pick whomever you want to hang out with.

So what's on your agenda this year? Tis the season for a killer backyard barbecue or a seaside clambake. Break out the Frisbees and wiffleball and get ready to fire up your hi-fi. Get ready to crank some sweet summertime tunes. What makes a great Fourth of July party mix? It's got to bring back some old memories, it helps if it makes you feel proud of this great nation of ours, and for heaven's sake it's got to be upbeat. We're leaving the cool-kid indie bands off this mix tape, even if you think it makes you look intellectual around your yuppie buddies.

Here are my 10 recommendations for a groovy grillin' playlist.

Independence Day - Martina McBride
Let Freedom ring, let the white dove sing/Let the whole world know that today is a day of reckoning. It's the tale of one woman's personal liberation in a little town, but you can't beat the awesome chorus and Martina's formidable vocal prowess.

Authority Song - John Cougar Mellencamp
John Mellencamp is Americana. His songs about little pink houses and teenage lust strike a chord in all of us. It just wouldn't be right not to include one of his greatest hits on the Independence Day Mix Tape. Granted, the character in the song is upset because he fights authority and authority always wins, but it's that American rebel attitude that's so endearing.

Born in the USA - Bruce Springsteen
Of course this song makes the list. Cliche as it might be, it just doesn't get any more ballad-of-the-working-man than "Born in the USA"�Got in a little hometown jam/So they put a rifle in my hands/Sent me off to a foreign land/to go and kill the yellow man. This isn't just a great song from rock and roll history, it's an American anthem.

Philadelphia Freedom - Elton John
As a character in the film "Dazed and Confused" said, "Don't forget what you're celebrating (on July fourth), and that's the fact that a bunch of slave-owning, aristocratic, white males didn't want to pay their taxes." So where did all those founding fathers get their drink on after signing the Declaration of Independence? Philadelphia, of course. How better to commemorate your holiday barbecue than with a song about Philly?

(Pride) In the Name of Love - U2
In what is considered as one of U2's most memorable hits, the band pays tribute to Martin Luther King, Jr. Starting with its instantly recognizable organ intro, the melody feverishly crescendos to the bridge, culminating in the proclamation, Free at last, they took your life/They could not take your pride.

Living in America - James Brown
The title says it all and James Brown is an icon. You just can't help but tap your feet and howl like Brown does. I can't get enough of the horn section. Every song should have horns.

Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue - Toby Keith
When this song came out it was all sorts of controversial. If you recall, it's the one where Keith says the "American Way" is analogous to putting a boot up the backside of one's enemy. He sings about Uncle Sam, the Statue of Liberty, eagles. It's just right for this kind of occasion.

Something Like That - Tim McGraw
This song brings the nostalgia factor, surely, but it has little to do with freedom or patriotism or independence. It fits a grillin' holiday simply because the lyric goes I had a barbecue stain on my white tee shirt. Isn't that good enough?

Summer of '69 - Bryan Adams
Who doesn't look back on their younger years and remember how much fun they had? Adams reflects on how much he and his rock 'n' roll buddies have grown up since the glory days.

Low Rider - War
It's a chilled out song for a chilled out day of cruising down the boulevard, people watching, being seen. It's one of those songs everybody knows, even if they don't realize it.