With Labour Day weekend over and fall just around the corner we decided to look back on the summer with 25 songs that defined it.  Of the hundreds of good tracks that were released this summer, picking just 25 was painful. However, what qualifies as “the summer” was perhaps more alluding than the task of narrowing down the crop.  For the purposes of this list it was first agreed that June – August would suffice as the rule, but it quickly became obvious that some songs which were released in late April, early May could not be left off this list in good conscience. But more importantly….

What counts as a song that really defined the summer? Is it one that heavily references sunshine and lazy days? Or is this designation strictly about the quality of the song itself and where it stands compared to the competition. Whether you agree or vehemently disagree (we hope you’ll let us know) most of all we hope that at least a few of these songs will remind you of summer 2010.

	Arcade Fire – “Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)”. Sprawl II was not an immediate standout hit on The Suburbs – In order to discover it, the listener must first digest the enormity that is the first 14 tracks to arrive at the second last song – a dark, unassuming synch heavy reference to Paul Farmer’s (Partner’s in Health) book of the same name. Mountains Beyond Mountains is as enigmatic and captivating live as it is on the record. A slew of remixes will no doubt keep us warm dancing in the club when winter arrives. Hype | iTunes
	Kanye West feat. Bon Iver, Rick Ross, Jay-Z & Nicki Minaj – “Monster”. This monstrosity of a posse cut might have been better suited for the Halloween season but it’s understandable why Mr. West would be too excited to keep this beast caged. Top notch performances from Kanye, Jay-Z, Justin Vernon (closer to his Gayngs incarnation than the Bon Iver one he’s credited as), recently deified Rick Ross in a brief cameo role, and a 32-bar barrage from Nicki “more-buzz-than-the-vuvuzelas” Minaj made the sheer magnitude of this banger unavoidable this summer. Hype | mp3
	Best Coast “Boyfriend”. Few things evoke the feeling of summer like sun, sand and sea, but instead of developing a female-fronted version of Yellowcard, Best Coast helped establish this year’s surf sound as something subtle, edgy and drenched in UV.  While nearly every song on her full-length debut, Crazy For You can arguably define summer 2010, it’s the record’s first single, “Boyfriend” that peaked the interest of both new and existing fans, helping to solidify the July album as one of the year’s best. Hype | iTunes
	Broken Social Scene “Meet Me in the Basement”. As if “World Sick” wasn’t commanding enough, Broken Social Scene’s “Meet Me in the Basement” quickly became the stirring anthem for the G20 fallout as the band’s visual counterpart worked to perfectly articulate the feelings of frustration and disbelief felt by most Canadians after the weekend’s events.  Video aside, the track still managed to conjure up energy and enthusiasm for anyone that listened, with its tempo and melody working to reflect determination and empowerment or even the simple joy of basking in long weekend bliss. Hype | iTunes
	Janelle Monae feat. B.o.B. and Lupe Fiasco – Tightrope (Wondamix). What do you do when you release a perfectly executed genre-busting debut LP? Grab two of the most talented rappers on the scene and flip your nostalgic funky lead single into a bumping f-you to your naysayers. It’s fair to assume that Janelle Monáe is living every artist’s dream by doing whatever she wants and having legions of people love it. Hype | iTunes
	Cee Lo Green “Fuck You”.There was perhaps no other track on this list that took hold of our hearts and minds like Cee Lo’s any situation anthem “Fuck You”. Whether it’s responding to emails with only the youtube link, belting it out as you creep photos of your ex girlfriend on facebook or just enjoying it because some people might be offended – Fuck You became a summer anthem seconds after going live online. Hype | iTunes
	Black Keys “Tighten Up”. If Tokyo Police Club’s Wait Up was the younger, foolish you when school let out and you looked out at your summer with blind optimism, The Black Keys’ ‘Tighten Up’ is what was left of your heart by the time Labour Day weekend came round. video | Hype | iTunes
	Arcade Fire “We Used to Wait“. The irony of listing ‘We Used To Wait’, a measured yet scathing criticism of our immediate obsessed culture, is not lost on us. Neither is singing along to its anthemic chorus all summer because If there was an anthem on The Suburbs, or if it even matters, We Used To Wait is that song. Many summer songs barely lasted a day but nobody will soon forget sitting in front of our computer as the video for We Used To Wait unfolded before them. Hype | iTunes | Video
	Shad “Rose Garden”. While TSOL obviously doesn’t enjoy the same mass popularity as other summer bangers (Kanye, Drake) there’s no doubt that it’s only a matter of time.  This isn’t a “headphone track”, with Rose Garden, you’ve gotta play it out loud. Hype | iTunes
	Kid Cudi, Best Coast, Rostam Batmanglij “All Summer”. We’re not sure exactly how this track came about; was it devised by a group of cunning marketing execs in the Converse boardroom or was it innocently commissioned to Cudi, Bethany Cosentino and Rostam to carry the likeminded brand and support music. Does it matter? Of course it does, but if enjoyed for what it is – an ad then there’s no harm done. Think about it – Converse knows exactly how to make music for blog buzz and they’re willing to associate themselves with a song that clearly references smoking blunts to do it. The future is messssssed up. Hype | Video
	Kanye West “Power”. Before his long-winded but touching apology to Taylor Swift on twitter this past weekend – Power marked the definitive return of Kanye West to our ears. Where 808’s and Heartbreak veered the rapper painfully of course, Power featuring Jay-Z and Swizz Beatz lined Kanye up to dominate our collective attention this year by releasing a new song every Friday until Christmas. Hype | iTunes
	Crystal Castles “Empathy” It’s hard to argue with Crystal Castles haters, mostly because they seem to consistently miss the point of the music. For all the messed up summer nights you watched the sun come up and thought “I’m sure I’ll feel up for it again in a few days” – Empathy by Crystal Castles. Hype | iTunes
	Wavves “King of the Beach”. Wavves succeeded in cementing themselves as one of the definitive bands of both the summer and the year, as the Californian three-piece added to the west coast influence – especially with the release of title track “King of the Beach”, the off their third full-length album. Nathan Williams’ ability to convey the simultaneous energy and listlessness of summertime cannot be ignored, as his brand of punk-rock lo-fi perfectly articulates the attitudes most of us had during our high school hiatuses. Hype | iTunes
	Black Mountain “Old Fangs”. Although this was most definitely the summer (and year for that matter) of low-fi garage or dance (two odd extremes), a little old rock n’ roll in the form of Old Fangs was a welcomed late comer to the heat-wave. Many of these summer songs are best enjoyed cruising a busy city street, however, Black Mountain’s psych-rock will make you want to plot a course for a long stretch of highway and never look back. Hype | iTunes
	MGMT “It’s Working”. The release of Congratulations sent shockwaves across the blogosphere – where was the next Kids? Why no Weekend Wars 2.0? All the while, Andrew Vanwyngarden and Ben Goldwasser laughed to themselves while devising even stranger music videos. Inspired by drug trips as much as trips to places like Transylvanian cathedrals  – Congratulations is one of the best albums of the year with songs like ‘It’s Working’ that ought to have been the chill-out songs of your summer. Video | iTunes
	The New Pornographers “Crash Years”. Critics call ‘Together’ the band’s most cohesive effort since Twin Cinema (okay, not that long ago). Thanks to heavy rotation on CBC Radio 3, Neko Case’s familiar vocals provided an up-beat, whistling sound track to the summer. What’s the song actually about? Noooo clue, just sing along and be happy. Hype | iTunes
	Tokyo Police Club “Wait Up (Boots of Danger)”. If you spent your summer chasing after a girl/boy (or both – happens) Tokyo Police Club’s confused yet concurrently mature Champ has a bunch of songs just for you. Wait Up (Boots of Danger) is a must include for any comprehensive playlist from the past few months. Hype | iTunes
	Big Boi feat. Cutty “Shutterberg”. Forgive The Son of Chico Dusty for blowing out every speaker you own. You know it was well worth it. Hype | iTunes
	Jenny and Johnny “Scissor Runner”. With a Rilo Kiley album long overdue, those pining for Jenny Lewis in collaborative form were finally appeased as the original west coast power-couple of Lewis and boyfriend Jonathan Rice announced plans for the release of Jenny and Johnny’s I’m Having Fun Now. Together with the streaming mixed tape that helped keep “Scissor Runner” on everyone’s radar, the single maintained the legacy of spirited folk-rock the duo are famous for, resulting in blogs, websites and statuses singing the praises of musical adorability. Hype | iTunes | Stream
	The Roots feat. Monsters of Folk “Dear God 2.0”. A revamp that collaborated with the original creators, Dear God 2.0 is The Roots’ take on the Monster’s of Folk “Dear God”. While a remix can sometimes sound forced, a full-on remake like this is just the thing to restore your faith in music, if it was faltering. Hype | iTunes
	Interpol “Barricade” Interpol’s return to our speakers was cause for celebration. Although the absence of basist and founding member, Carlos D. will be missed, Paul Bank’s signature dark vocals are stronger than ever on Barricade the first official single off the album. Hype | iTunes
	Ty Segall “Girlfriend”. Girlfriend provides a fresh listen to some stripped down rock n roll with heavily distorted vocals and guitars, yet it still manages to keep a melodious side that springs to mind some early Kinks recordings. On “Girlfriend,” off Melted, the opening wall of sound changes to the hand-clap assisted snappy number with Segall’s vocals in full force. mp3 | Hype | iTunes
	Stars “We Don’t Want Your Body”. Stars ‘We Don’t Want Your Body’ is one of those lovely pop song that hides something much darker just underneath the synths within the lyrics. “You sold me some cheap ecstasy. So you could have some sex with me, I don’t want your body” Amy Millan responds to Torquil Campbell’s unrelenting insults (both in character, one must assume). While you’re investigating this track, don’t miss the slew of great remixes a contest yielded. Hype | iTunes
	Land of Talk “Swift Coin”September’s X3 Artist of the Month have delivered a solid follow up to 2008’s Some Are Lakes with Cloak and Cipher. The album is heavily influenced by Jace Lasek hand and no other track exemplifies the band’s growth than Swift Coin – a song that rises in a flurry of distortion but made crystal clear by Powell’s vocals at the same time. Hype | iTunes
	Mark Ronson & The Business Intl. “Band Bang Bang”.Bang Bang Bang took one of the best kept secrets, MNDR (who we first got wind of way back when)  and put her on the main stage. It’s not a think-piece, just an expertly manufactured summer time track to visit your local dance hall with. Hype | iTunes