Songs of Summer, from Sir Mix-a-Lot to Robin Thicke

Every summer has a soundtrack.

And for those who listen to pop radio, that soundtrack tends to have one song so unavoidable that hearing it years later can transport a listener right back to whatever else was going on that summer.

Last year, for example, it was Robin Thicke's "Blurred Lines." This year? Well, summer hasn't started yet.

So while you're waiting, here's a look back at the hits that dominated the summers leading up to "Blurred Lines," according to Billboard.

Sir Mix-A-Lot, "Baby Got Back" (1992)

Everybody liked big butts in the summer of '92 — or liked rapping along with Sir Mix-a-Lot as he proudly extolled the virtues of well-rounded women. Even the cast of "Friends" were not immune to saluting the decade's most durable novelty hit. Sir Mix-a-Lot spends half the track mocking the women in Cosmo, rapping "To the beanpole dames in the magazines, you ain't it, Miss Thing/ Give me a sista/ I can't resist her/ Red beans and rice didn't miss her." And the video is just as entertaining as the song. "Baby Got Back" spent five weeks at the top, but really, it was more about the bottom. It also finished second on the Billboard year-end Hot 100.

UB40, "Can't Help Falling in Love" (1993)

This song has been around the block a time or two. A hit for Elvis Presley in the early '60s, it's been done (to death) by everyone, from Patti Page and Doris Day to Chris Isaak, U2, the Pretenders, Bon Jovi, Bob Dylan and far too many more to list. And if you ranked them in order of artistic merit, UB40's version wouldn't even crack the Top 10. But it perhaps is the most commercially successful, hitting No. 1 both here (where Presley's version foundered at No. 2) and in the U.K. After seven weeks at No. 1, it finished seventh on the year-end Hot 100.

All-4-One, "I Swear" (1994)

The a cappella intro is practically doo-wop, but it soon settles into the sort of slightly soulful easy listening that helped make Lionel Richie a wealthy man. It sounds like it was made for proms and weddings, which is twice as nice for those who choose to spend forever with their prom date. This was actually the second time an artist hit the Hot 100 with "I Swear." The first was John Michael Montgomery, who also took it to the top of Billboard's country chart. This version spent 11 weeks at No. 1 and finished second on the year-end Hot 100.

TLC, "Waterfalls" (1995)

There's an undeniable echo of Prince at work here, from the slinky wah-guitar to T-Boz's pouty delivery. The melody is timeless and the late great Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes looks adorable rocking a ponytail in the video. But the depth of the lyrics is what ultimately makes this single stand out from the other songs here, starting with "A lonely mother gazing out of a window, staring at a son that she just can't touch." Despite actually making a point, the song spent seven weeks at No. 1 and finished second on the year-end Hot 100. It also turned up in the Top 10 of VH1's "100 Greatest Songs of the 1990s."

Los del Río, "Macarena (Bayside Boys Mix)" (1996)

Yes, the biggest thing to hit the dance floor at your cousin's wedding since "The Chicken Dance" was once a giant pop hit, spending 14 weeks at No. 1 and topping Billboard's year-end Hot 100. It later was named "The Greatest One-Hit Wonder of All Time" by VH1, so if you're wondering why you can't quite think of any other hits by Los del Río, that's why. It also topped a list at VH1 of "40 Awesomely Bad No. 1 Songs," which seems doubtful at best. The song was first released in 1993 and danced its way into the U.S. mainstream after being remixed by the Bayside Boys.

Puff Daddy and Faith Evans featuring 112, "I'll Be Missing You" (1997)

It was a bittersweet summer for Top 40 radio listeners, what with everyone singing along to this heartfelt tribute to the late great Notorious B.I.G., who had been murdered that March. The hook is lifted straight from "Every Breath You Take" by the Police, which led to the song being trashed in some circles as patently unoriginal. And Blender went on to rank it 25th on a list of "50 Worst Songs Ever," calling it "a nauseating brew of gloopy sentimentality and strategic-marketing mawkishness." And yet, the people liked it. "I'll Be Missing You" spent 12 weeks topping Billboard's Hot 100, placing third on Billboard's year-end Hot 100.

Brandy & Monica, "The Boy is Mine" (1998)

A sultry R&B track with a thumping bass groove, this song was apparently inspired by "The Girl Is Mine," a truly horrible duet by two slumming pop legends who should have known better (Paul McCartney, Michael Jackson). Brandy & Monica's version spent 13 weeks at No. 1, more time than any other song released in 1998. It also finished second on the year-end Hot 100 and took home a Grammy for best R&B performance by a duo or group. This was the first time either star had topped the Hot 100.

Christina Aguilera, "Genie in a Bottle" (1999)

Aguilera's breakthrough single, released when she was all of 18, made the most of provocative, PG-friendly sexual innuendo: "If you want to be with me/ Baby, there's a price to pay/ I'm a genie in a bottle/ You gotta rub me the right way." And that's after the half-whispered pouting of "My body's saying 'Let's go,' but my heart is saying, 'No.' " It was the seventh-biggest single of the year and spent five weeks at No. 1 (or three more weeks than Aguilera's fellow former Mousekeeter, Britney Spears, did early that same year with her first single, " ... Baby One More Time").

Matchbox 20, "Bent" (2000)

A lot of people got "Bent," it would seem, in the summer of 2000, the last time a heavy, distorted guitar lick introduced the biggest-selling single of the summer. Matchbox Twenty only spent one week at No. 1 with "Bent," which clearly benefited from singer Rob Thomas' chart-topping vocals on Santana's enormous comeback single, "Smooth." No self-respecting critic would admit to liking this, but damn, the chorus hook is pretty undeniable. It finished ninth on a year-end Hot 100 that also featured "Smooth" at No. 2.

Eve featuring Gwen Stefani, "Let Me Blow Ya Mind" (2001)

The video starts with Eve and Gwen Stefani getting mug shots in the LA County Jail, then flashes back to how they got there as the slinky funk groove takes control. Eve's first line is "Drop ya glasses/ Shake ya asses" and Stefani comes in on the chorus hook, provocatively purring "Let me blow ya mind." What's weird about this being that year's biggest summer hit is that it never topped the Hot 100, falling short at No. 2. But it had staying power, placing seventh on the Pazz & Jop poll, Village Voice's annual survey of several hundred music critics, and taking home a Grammy and MTV Video Music Award.

Nelly, "Hot in Herre" (2002)

It's amazing to think how many schoolkids learned to misspell "here" in the summer of 2002, when Nelly memorably rhymed "good gracious" with "ass bodacious" on his way to offering a practical solution to the summer heat: "It's getting hot in herre, so take off all your clothes." Of course! Meanwhile, the Neptunes' production rides a Chuck Brown go-go sample, "Bustin' Loose," to slinky funk nirvana. Nelly's first chart-topping single, "Hot in Herre" placed third on a year-end Hot 100, topped by Nickelback. How sad is that?

Beyoncé featuring Jay-Z, "Crazy in Love" (2003)

Beyoncé's breakthrough single made the most of Jay-Z's guest appearance (declaring himself a star like Ringo). But the horn part that producer Rich Harrison sampled from the Chi-Lites hit, "Are You My Woman (Tell Me So)," is just as crucial to the single's overall appeal, giving the whole thing a vibe so triumphant, you half expect Rocky to race past Beyoncé, fists in the air, as she struts up a ramp in her best Daisy Dukes for the video. She spent more weeks at No. 1 with another song, "Baby Boy," later that year, but this is the one considered a classic. It came in fourth on Billboard's year-end Hot 100.

Usher, "Confessions Part II" (2004)

An orchestrated throwback to the golden age of soul, this slow jam starts with Usher confessing "Every time I was in LA, I was with my ex-girlfriend/ Every time you called, I told you, 'Baby, I'm working.' " And his time in the confessional only gets more awkward as the song slips into slinky funk mode. This song should have come with a warning: Don't try this at home. What's weird is Usher had three other songs that spent more weeks at No. 1 in 2004: "Yeah!" (which topped the year-end Hot 100) "Burn" (which finished second) and "My Boo." "Confessions Part II" finished 12th, but it was hot that summer, edging out "Burn."

Mariah Carey, "We Belong Together" (2005)

The first chart-topping single from her unexpected comeback, 2005's "The Emancipation of Mimi," "We Belong Together" is a classic Carey slow jam with a fast and fluid vocal fueled by heartache and nostalgia. The best part is the Bobby Womack shout-out ("Wait a minute, this is too deep/ I've gotta change the station"). But it sounds more like the radio was playing "You Are Everything" by the Stylistics. In a good way. It topped the year-end Hot 100, won two Grammys and went on to even greater glory when Billboard named it single of the decade.

Nelly Furtado featuring Timbaland, "Promiscuous" (2006)

A pretty girl flirting her way through a slinky club jam called "Promiscuous" while reminding us all why God invented midriff-baring tops in the accompanying video. What's not to like? This single finished third on Billboard's year-end Hot 100 but took home pop single of the year at the Billboard Awards. It was also a hit with the critics, placing fourth on Blender's year-end list (and sixth on Village Voice's Pazz & Jop poll).

Rihanna featuring Jay-Z, "Umbrella" (2007)

For romance in the club, you'd be hard pressed to top "Umbrella," Rihanna's promise to be there on a rainy day with her trusty umbrella to make it all better for you. In one of the catchier choruses to top the charts in years, she tells him, "When the sun shines, we'll shine together. Told you I'll be here forever. Said I'll always be a friend. Took an oath I'm-a stick it out till the end. Now that it's raining more than ever, know that we'll still have each other. You can stand under my umbrella." After filling the summer with thoughts of downpours, it finished second on the year-end Hot 100, right behind Beyoncé's "Irreplaceable."

Katy Perry, "I Kissed a Girl" (2008)

Perry's first single spent seven consecutive weeks at No. 1 and somehow earned a nomination at 2009's Kids' Choice Awards despite its winking, "Girls Gone Wild" approach to a night of bi-curious Cherry ChapStick-flavored kisses. She kissed a girl. And yes, she liked it. But she hopes her boyfriend didn't mind it. (Note to Perry: Boyfriends rarely mind that kind of thing.) The beat says "Gary Glitter got me wasted" and the hook is chewy bubblegum. But Perry's mock-dramatic vocals leave you wondering just how serious we're meant to take this whole scenario, setting the tone with a contrite pout primed for the confessional: "This was never the way I planned/ Not my intention/ I got so brave/ Drink in hand/ Lost my discretion."

The Black Eyed Peas, "I Gotta Feeling" (2009)

Talk about owning the summer. These guys also had the summer's second-hottest single, "Boom Boom Pow." But this one is the better song. The chorus hook is undeniable, working just enough Auto-Tune magic on the disco-worthy optimism inherent in "I gotta feeling that tonight's gonna be a good night." Even when they dumb it down for airplay on the raps, it never gets as dumb as "Boom Boom Pow." In fact, it's kind of funny when he raps, "Fill up my cup. Mazal tov. Look at her dancing. Just take it off." Not only did "I Gotta Feeling" rule the summer of 2009; its 14 weeks at No. 1 on Billboard's Hot 100 extended into two weeks of October.

Katy Perry featuring Snoop Dogg, "California Gurls" (2010)

This is a nearly perfect summer hit. It has that slinky Jackson 5-by-way-of-Chic guitar riff, hand claps, Snoop Dogg on the guest rap, Snoop Dogg references sprinkled throughout — that's "Gin and Juice" she's sippin' underneath those palm trees — and an effervescent groove that's all forward momentum. The Beach Boys' "California Girls" was more inclusive, Mike Love wishing all the girls could be in California, thereby giving him much better access. Perry's "California Gurls" — note Big Star-sanctioned spelling — is a celebration of the California Gurl, with "sun-kissed skin so hot, we'll melt your Popsicle." Perry has called it an answer song to Jay-Z's "Empire State of Mind."

LMFAO featuring Lauren Bennett & GoonRock, "Party Rock Anthem" (2011)

And by party rock, they just mean party, really. There's no rock involved in this euphoric celebration of electro-flavored high jinks. It's actually closer to disco, for an end result that's dumb enough to hold its own against the Black Eyed Peas. But sometimes, stupid is its own reward, especially with beats as undeniable as this. After owning the summer, it finished second on the year-end Hot 100 along the way to becoming the first song in digital history to sell 6 million copies in its first year of release.

Carly Rae Jepsen, "Call Me Maybe" (2012)

There's always something to be said for cute. And this song couldn't be much cuter. The chorus, in particular, is undeniable, with disco strings underscoring the hook as the Jepsen coos, "Hey, I just met you and this is crazy but here's my number, so call me maybe." The song gained traction after Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez tweeted about liking it, earning the singer a deal with Bieber's label, Schoolboy Records. It topped the charts the first official week of summer and stayed at No. 1 for the next nine.

Robin Thicke featuring T.I. and Pharrell, "Blurred Lines" (2013)

A lecherous funk song with plenty of cowbell and some smooth falsetto work from Thicke, it features a singalong chorus hook that's earned the star some backlash from critics who feel the song is celebrating date rape, Thicke targeting a "good girl" because, as he sings with conviction, "I know you want it." Despite the controversy and Hellbound views on sexual consent, "Blurred Lines" topped Billboard's Hot 100 for 12 weeks, making it the longest-running No.1 of 2013.