I don’t know about you, but in my neck of the woods, summer was a late arrival. But it has now hit with a bang, and we all said hello to 90-degree weather.

I’m not really complaining, because I like the warm weather much better than the winter cold. And I have many fond memories of certain past summers, musically and otherwise.

Back in the days when air-conditioned cars were a luxury, there was nothing better than riding through the country with the windows rolled down and the radio turned up. In recalling those days, I thought it would be interesting to see what the top country music hits are related to summer days, and to share a few of my favorites.

Alan Jackson’s “Summertime Blues” is the first that comes to mind. This is actually a song released by Eddie Cochran in 1958 that was quite popular, and recorded by several other bands and artists, including the Beach Boys and The Who. But Jackson put his signature on this oldie in 1994, which became a No. 1 hit for him.

You can’t mention summertime songs without thinking of Kenny Chesney. If there is one artist made for summer, it has to be him. His 2006 hit “Summertime” went to the top of Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart and became a fan favorite.

Brad Paisley’s 2010 hit “Water” is one of my all-time favorites, and reminds me so much of growing up in the country near our favorite swimming holes. This became a certified gold hit for Paisley, and the video for the song was pretty darn good, too.

Keith Urban’s “Long Hot Summer” came in June 2011 and reached No. 1 by the fall of that year. It is a typical Urban song, which means it’s really good. It’s one of those that makes you want to get up and dance.

No list of summertime country hits would be complete without Rascal Flatts’ “Summer Nights.” This song was released in 2009 and is one of those for the younger folks, but reminds us in the older crowd what summers were once like, as well.

There are so many other great summertime country tunes I could mention … so I think I’ll head to the creek with my reclining lawn chair, a cold sweet tea, and do a little more research.

Bluegrass Johnson comes from a long line of country music performers and enjoys a passion for the rhythm and melody. From the hills of Kentucky, he will offer his opinions on a variety of music. Readers with questions or comments may write to Johnson in care of this publication.