As the weather heats up, Guardian writers pick their defining summer tracks, from Phoenix and Donna Summer to Stevie Wonder

The unforgiving yellow sun, a trip to the beach, that sweet, cold respite of a dripping ice-cream cone. Somehow this 1969 classic, courtesy of Sly and the Family Stone, sonically captures the exact patina of summer, making it a quintessential part of the seasonal canon. Written and produced by Sly himself (with him and the entire group exuberantly taking on vocal duties), the funk jam scoops a lot into its brisk two and a half minutes. Kicking off with that unmistakable piano riff, it then starkly transitions into its main melody which boasts iconic horns that double as a bugle call for the season. “Hi, hi, hi, hi there” we hear, a breezy greeting mimicking summer’s laidback sensibilities. It’s a mood that later extends into scat-inspired lyrics like, “Boop-boop-boop-boop when I want to.” Despite being released over a half-century ago, Hot Fun in the Summertime is still cool as hell. Rob LeDonne