Music Blogs

Songs that are popular during the summer tend to be the ones we will remember for the rest of our lives. Even if the popular songs of summer aren't your style, they can be hard to avoid if you go to the beach, go to the club, go to a party, or listen to the radio. So even if you hate the songs you hear during the summer months, they will always have a nostalgic pull since you'll forever associate them with the summer fun you had.

For this playlist I've picked super-popular songs that were charting high on the Billboard Hot 100 chart during the summer months (June -August). I picked one song per year, starting with 1993 and continuing through last summer. These are not my favorite songs or what I feel were the "best" songs, but rather they're a reflection of what I believe were the most popular and most heard songs of summer over the last 20 years.

This list is a time machine that will take you through two decades of summers gone by.

Maybe it will be a good reminder of how fast time flies and that we should do everything we can to get the most out of summer 2013.

Photo: Skip BolenAlmost everyone loves Oprah, but don't count Billy Joel among them. In a new interview published in The New York Times Magazine, the "Piano Man" comes clean about his 2008 appearance on "Oprah," that ended up focusing on his drinking, car accidents and divorce.

When interviewer Andrew Goldman notes that Joel looked "uncomfortable," the superstar confirmed that was the case, saying, "I was very uncomfortable. I was in shock. I didn't realize behind me there were these screens of, like, auto accidents and things about driving and divorce. I thought I was going to come talk about music."

Photo: Brendon ThorneKaty Perry ignited a feud with rapper Chief Keef by dissing one of his songs via Twitter this week.

She said that his tune, "Hate Being Sober," gave her "serious doubt for the world," but it's his response to her comment that really has us doubting for the fate of humanity.

When the 17-year-old Chicago rapper caught wind of Perry's comment, he responded with lewd comments and threatened to assault her, tweeting that he'd "Smack the s--t out her." He also implied that he was going to go into the studio to write a song about the pop star.

He also offered a graphic description of a sexual act he wanted Perry to perform on him.

The "Firework" singer apparently didn't even know it

Photo: Jason SquiresGiven the outpouring of concern that Oklahoma musicians have shown toward their home state this week (see Toby Keith and Blake Shelton), it should come as no surprise that yet another native Oklahoman has come forth to help.

And this one did it in a big way: "American Idol" Carrie Underwood has pledged a remarkable $1 million to Oklahoma for tornado relief.

Is Adam Lambert the next "Idol" judge? [photo: Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic]Rumors circulated this week that Fox honchos, desperate to retool and salvage "American Idol" after a disastrous 12th season, are considering replacing the entire judging panel with "Idol" alums. Such a strategy may seem a little too self-referential, a little too retroactive, and definitely gimmicky, but you know…it just might work.

Usher has lost two of his contestants since the Season 4 "Voice" live shows have begun, but Team Usher is only down, not out. Usher still has his not-so-secret weapon, breakout contestant Michelle Chamuel...and in the end, all it will take is one contestant to win the season. And Usher believes that Michelle is the one.