Walmart associates pick the tracks that take them back.
By Bo Woloszyn, Senior Broadcast Manager, Walmart Radio
When I was a kid growing up in Pennsylvania, summer meant one thing: road trips to Lake Erie. No ocean breeze for us — we were inland folks — but that didn’t matter. The lake had everything. Sand. Sun. Cheap sunglasses. And local radio cranked so loud you could hear it two parking lots over. That’s where my love of summer playlists began: bouncing between stations, discovering something new, always chasing that song.
Fast forward to now, and summer 2025 is shaping up to be a banger. The sounds coming out right now? Wildly diverse. There’s the feel-good, windows-down energy of early-2000s pop-punk making a loud comeback. Country-pop crossovers are everywhere. Retro funk is quietly (or not so quietly) sliding back into the mainstream. Indie acts are also having a moment — streaming has blown the doors wide open for some real hidden gems.
But here’s the thing: the best summer soundtrack isn’t just about what’s trending. It’s about what resonates with us, together. That’s why we turned to the real experts: our associates. We asked you to share the songs that define your summer, the tracks that get you moving, and the anthems you can’t help but play on repeat. The result? A summer playlist curated by the people who know how to make every day a little brighter, no matter where the road takes you.
Did your fave make the Top 20?
20 – Kokomo – The Beach Boys
19 – Caribbean Queen – Billy Ocean
18 – Redneck Yacht Club – Craig Morgan
17 – Don’t Stop Believin’ – Journey
16 – Free Bird – Lynyrd Skynyrd
15 – Pontoon – Little Big Town
14 – Wipeout – The Surfaris
13 – Summer Girls – LFO
12 – You Sexy Thing – Hot Chocolate
11 – Play That Funky Music – Wild Cherry
10 – I Love Rock ’n Roll – Joan Jett
9 – Summer of '69 – Bryan Adams
8 – Good Vibrations – The Beach Boys
7 – Smooth – Santana feat. Rob Thomas
6 – Vacation – Go-Go’s
See if you can guess which tunes made the Top 5.
