Heat wave-inspired: Inner-city block party playlist

Unless you’ve already decided that stepping out for class isn’t really your style, you’ve probably noticed that California has been sweltering recently. With such unrelenting heat, it appears summer will be around for a while longer, bringing back memories of those inner-city block parties and BBQs common in the ’90s.

I’m talking about the ones that you would see in TV shows and movies, but some of you might know from firsthand experience the big gatherings that would stretch all the way down the neighborhood in the blistering summer heat, or smaller gatherings with aunts, uncles and cousins you now only see in old family pictures.

These parties would have some of the best BBQs. Everyone would bring carefree attitudes along with their food. If there was a pool, everyone would be swimming at some point, and you could always count on someone being thrown in. If there wasn’t a pool, a broken fire hydrant or a sprinklers would often be substituted. Kids would run around playing games, and the adults would talk about the days when they were kids. These were the kickbacks and potlucks before kickbacks and potlucks were a thing, and they were one of the great things that unfortunately peaked in the ’90s.

But even better than the food, the fun and the company at these get-togethers was the music. Someone with an oversized boom box for the smaller parties or an expansive speaker set-up for the larger parties would play the latest and greatest mixed with some old-school jams to set the tone for the party. The music would jump around from something that would infect your body with the spirit of dance to something else that makes you think everything is right in the world in that moment. Whoever was controlling the tunes had to have a superb taste in music, because they were responsible for making memories for everyone at the party.

I couldn’t include every single song that I could think of, but this playlist offers a good taste of what you could expect back in the day. These songs really capture the feeling of being at a BBQ with your extended family or going to the neighborhood party a couple of blocks down the street, so grab a plate and hang out while it’s still hot outside.