20 Perfect Albums To Bring Out That Summer Feeling

With the first real signs of sunshine appearing in recent days it's easy to get excited about the prospect of basking in the glory of an endless heatwave, dipping into the cool waters of a fresh-flowing river and supping on ice cold beers as the sun's rays caress you. Well, at least that's the ideal - whether or not the weather lives up to this high expectation is another matter entirely, and all too often it's a case of making the most of it when you can. Still, now is as good a time as any to dust of the CD collection and scour through the racks for some tunes to get you in the mood for a long, lazy summer's day reclining in the garden, or venturing out on a road trip, roof down, stereo blasting out amazing music on full volume. Great summer music isn't confined to any particular genre - from hip hop to house and disco to funk, there are plenty of styles to compliment that glowing orb in the sky. What they all have in common is that almost indescribable mood which lifts the spirit and puts a smile on your face. Here are twenty perfect albums for a hot summer's day - kick back, relax and let the vibes wash over you.

It's difficult to think of a truly perfect summer album but Stevie Wonder gets damn close with Songs In The Key Of Life.

Taken as a whole the album almost feels like a summation of the many diverse influences which Wonder has assimilated into his music - few albums are as full of passion, energy and love.