The best summer songs of 2011
Pitbull, Rihanna, Rizzle Kicks, and many more. Here are the top 2011 summer songs to get you feeling all nostalgic.
Date published: 9th Jul 2024
Summer is here! Even though it really doesn’t feel like it at the moment. But there’s plenty of time for that to change. And in preparation for the moment the sun finally decides to come out for good, we’re looking at some of the best summer songs of the past few years.
We’ve already done the best of 2010 and the best of 2019, now we’re looking at 2011 - a year of EDM-inspired pop and massive euphoric choruses. Check out the best summer songs of 2011 below if you’re ready for a powerful hit of nostalgia!
Party Rock Anthem - LMFAO feat. Lauren Bennett, GoonRock
All rise for the national anthem! Fashion? Check. Good vibes? Check. A banger? A big fat check. This uncle-nephew duo brought us some absolute bangers that had us all shuffling (or at least trying to), dropping two albums before dropping off the face of the earth. Thanks for blessing us with some of the best summer hits of 2011, lads.
Bounce - Calvin Harris feat. Kelis
This song is the sonic equivalent of summer. It’s bouncy, Kelis shines on it (as always), and it just makes us want to go to an open-air party and have a cheeky bev or two while laughing with our mates. It’s just so damn feel-good!
Give Me Everything - Pitbull ft. Ne-Yo, Afrojack, Nayer
Dale! Did you even live if you didn’t grab your friend and sing “hey!” at them when Ne-Yo told you to in the song? Rhyming Kodak with Kodak, Mr 305 dominated the charts and our eardrums with this, one of the top 2011 summer songs.
Pumped Up Kicks - Foster The People
Switching it up a bit now, millions of people still adore ‘Pumped Up Kicks’ to this day. And rightfully so, it’s a banger. What a debut single. Now, we all eventually took the time to actually listen to the lyrics to find out it was about a school shooter… but it’s still a cracking summer tune.
Down With The Trumpets - Rizzle Kicks
Jordan and Harley released ‘Down With The Trumpets’ and nothing was the same again. The track was the second single from their debut album Stereo Typical, which also featured ‘Mama Do The Hump’ and ‘When I Was A Youngster’. Bangers on bangers.
Sun Is Up - INNA
Nothing says summer like a bit of Eurorave! Romanian singer INNA gave us a few bangers that we simply couldn’t get enough of like ‘Hot’ as well as this one that instantly takes us back to 2011.
The Lazy Song - Bruno Mars
The laid-back reggae strumming, the whistles, and the lyrics about doing absolutely nothing… such a summer vibe. When the sun’s blazing, making our thighs stick to the plastic chairs in the garden, we will most certainly be doing nothing with this tune playing.
Glad You Came - The Wanted
Aptly set in Ibiza, this dance-pop banger hit number one in the UK. The Wanted were basically rivals to One Direction (which gave us some funny Tweets we revisit every now and then for a laugh. If you know, you know). But while The Wanted didn’t get as big as 1D, they were still massive and stole the hearts of many teenage girls in the UK.
Teenage Dream - Katy Perry
Katy Perry had a knack for showing teenage life like it’s nothing but fun in her music videos, namely ‘Last Friday Night (TGIF)’ and ‘Teenage Dream’... to say we were disappointed when we discovered it wasn’t how she portrayed it is an understatement. But you can’t deny how catchy and free both of these tracks are.
Where Them Girls At - David Guetta feat. Nicki Minaj, Flo Rida
Continuing with the EDM vibes, David Guetta, Nicki, and Flo Rida really put something into this track. We don’t know what that something is but it had us instantly hooked.
I Need A Dollar - Aloe Blacc
Yeah, we’ve got another song with dark lyrics, but it’s just golden. With all the money we’ve been spending on festivals and outdoor raves, we also need a dollar.
Louder - DJ Fresh ft. Sian Evans
The first dubstep track to reach number one on the UK singles charts, ‘Louder’ made history while also becoming the UK’s favourite track for a hot minute. It sounds like living life to the max in the sun, and that DnB switch at 2:30 is gorgeous.
We Found Love - Rihanna ft. Calvin Harris
Rihanna’s longest-running number-one single was this tune with Calvin Harris. The nostalgia’s strong with this one. While the music video is depressing, to say the least, the track is incredible and perfect for your summer adventures.
The Adventures of Raindance Maggie - Red Hot Chili Peppers
One of the best summery rock songs of 2011, RHCP gave us this track as the first single from their tenth album I'm With You. Funky (like almost everything they do) with heavenly guitars (again, a common feature), we’ll be blasting this all summer.
Shake It Out - Florence + The Machine
How she wrote this with a hangover is beyond us. When we’re hungover, we’re in bed all day eating carbs. An incredibly uplifting song that makes us want to forget our troubles and frolic in a field, we simply love this. Easily one of the best summer songs of 2011.
On The Floor - Jennifer Lopez ft. Pitbull
Yeah, this was the era when Pitbull was on almost every major hit. It was impossible to avoid Mr Worldwide. Side note: it’s wild how so many popular tracks like this one owe a lot of their success to Kjarkas, a Bolivian folk band who created the main melody, which you can hear in their track ‘Llorando Se Fue’.
Ni**as in Paris - Jay-Z & Kanye West
Is this a summer song? No, but it slaps.
The top 2011 summer songs really are next level. Maybe it’s just the nostalgia but they’re just different… okay, it’s definitely the nostalgia but still.
If you enjoyed this, why not check out the best songs of 2013, 2014, 2015, or 2016?
Check out our What's On Guide to discover even more rowdy raves and sweaty gigs taking place over the coming weeks and months. For festivals, lifestyle events and more, head on over to our Things To Do page or be inspired by the event selections on our Inspire Me page.
