The List

4 Songs From 1973 That Feel Like Lounging in the Sunshine

Whether youโ€™re a full-blown sun worshipper or somebody who enjoys catching the occasional ray once every blue moon, the right music can make or break an afternoon spent lounging in the sunshine. The wrong playlist makes the whole affair boring, sweaty, and stagnant. But with the right songs in the queueโ€”like these four 1973 tracksโ€”your day of soaking up sunshine becomes relaxing and rejuvenating.

โ€œAny Colour You Likeโ€ by Pink Floyd

Pink Floyd released โ€œAny Colour You Likeโ€ on their 1973 magnum opus, Dark Side Of The Moon. The song begins right at the tail-end of โ€œUs And Themโ€, and if weโ€™re being honest, the transition between these two songs is one of the best moments of the entire album. But for lounging in the sunshine specifically, โ€œAny Colour You Likeโ€ is the way to go. It swirls and swells as the song continues, reflecting the dappling sunshine in a peaceful, almost trance-like way.

Videos by American Songwriter

โ€œDโ€™yer Makโ€™erโ€ by Led Zeppelin

Itโ€™s hard not to hear the reggae influence of Led Zeppelinโ€™s โ€œDโ€™yer Makโ€™erโ€ from Houses Of The Holy and not hear sunshine. The doo-wop-esque track practically oozes sunlight and warm weather, despite the band recording the song in the United Kingdom. Nevertheless, they imbue the track with a hint of Caribbean flavor that was divisive but enduring. Love it or hate it, โ€œDโ€™yer Makโ€™erโ€ is one of Led Zeppelinโ€™s most ubiquitous hits, thanks to its release as a single.

โ€œDesperadoโ€ by The Eagles

Although it was tempting to put โ€œTequila Sunriseโ€ on this list of 1973 songs that seem to radiate sunshine, we decided to go with โ€œDesperadoโ€. The imagery of this classic song seems to have an exceptionally warm hue to it, almost as if the sun were permanently fixed just above the horizon, casting a golden glow over everything and everyone. This one serves as a gentle reminder that every day of lounging in the sunshine has to end with a sunset eventually.

โ€œBig Manโ€ by Charlie Daniels

Finally, weโ€™ll wrap this list of 1973 sunshine lounging songs with a tune that sounds like it could be by anybody but Charlie Daniels. Yet, lo and behold, the man behind โ€œDevil Went Down To Georgiaโ€ is the very same fiddler scratching and strutting his way through the surprisingly funky deep cut โ€œBig Manโ€. Lyrically, the song doesnโ€™t have much to do with being in the sun or outdoors or nature at all. This is more about capturing a specific vibe.

Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images