Summer Girls
| Company type | Record label |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Headquarters | United States |
| Products | Music recordings, singles, albums |
Summer Girls is a track performed by the American pop ensemble LFO, released on June 29, 1999, as the primary single from their first album, LFO. The song climbed to number three on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and earned a platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). In 2010, Billboard ranked it as the 14th most significant summer anthem ever, and in 2019, it was placed 43rd among the top songs of 1999. This release also introduced Devin Lima as a new member following the departure of Brian "Brizz" Gillis.
Background and composition
Penned by Rich Cronin, Dow Brain, and Brad Young, "Summer Girls" contains a variety of inside references. Cronin revealed that the song was initially crafted for a demo tape without anticipating its eventual popularity until it found its way onto Washington, D.C.'s top 40 station WWZZ. After receiving an unmixed version from LFO's original label, Logic Records, Program Director Dale O'Brien promptly included it in the station's rotation.
The lyrics are rich with cultural nods predominantly from the late 1980s and early 1990s era, mentioning brands such as Cherry Coke and Abercrombie & Fitch, celebrities including Macaulay Culkin and Michael J. Fox, as well as pop culture icons like Home Alone, Footloose, New Edition, New Kids on the Block, Larry Bird, Pez candy, The Wizard of Oz, and Shakespeare's sonnets.
Music video
Directed by Marcus Raboy, the music video debuted on July 20, 1999, with filming taking place at Coney Island in New York.
Track listings
US CD and cassette single; Australian CD single
- "Summer Girls" – 4:17
- "Summer Girls" (instrumental) – 4:17
- "Can't Have You" – 4:02
European CD single
- "Summer Girls" – 4:17
- "Summer Girls" (instrumental) – 4:17
UK cassette single
- "Summer Girls" – 4:17
- "Can't Have You" – 4:02
UK CD1
- "Summer Girls" – 4:17
- "Summer Girls" (instrumental) – 4:17
- "Summer Girls" (video) – 4:17
UK CD2
- "Summer Girls" – 4:17
- "Can't Have You" – 4:02
- "Summer Girls" (instrumental) – 4:17
Weekly charts
| Chart (1999) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA) | 71 |
| Canada CHR (Nielsen BDS) | 16 |
| Europe (Eurochart Hot 100) | 52 |
| Europe (European Hit Radio) | 30 |
| Germany | 56 |
| Netherlands (Dutch Top 40 Tipparade) | 12 |
| Netherlands (Dutch Top 100) | 79 |
| New Zealand | 14 |
| Scotland | 26 |
| Sweden | 36 |
| United Kingdom | 16 |
| United States Billboard Hot 100 | 3 |
| United States Mainstream Top 40 | 18 |
| United States Rhythmic Top 40 | 29 |
Year-end rankings
| Chart (1999) | Rank |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100 | 38 |
| US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard) | 68 |
Release timeline
| Region | Release date | Available formats | Record label(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | June 29, 1999 | CD | Arista |
| United Kingdom | September 6, 1999 |
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