[2025] Recommended popular melancholic summer classics in Western music

BoatEd Sheeran

Ed Sheeran – Boat [Official Video]

When you’re tired or feeling down, I recommend this song: “Boat.” It’s the opening track on the globally renowned singer Ed Sheeran’s album “-.” With a simple, quiet melody consisting only of guitar, it portrays indelible emotional wounds and the struggle between ideals and reality.

By the end, the song gently gives you a nudge forward, so it might help you reset your mood.

On The Way HomeJohn Mayer

John Mayer – On The Way Home (Official Music Video)

John Mayer is a quintessential American singer and guitarist.

When it comes to songs about the end of summer that he sings, “On The Way Home” comes to mind.

It’s a country tune that depicts the close of summer vacation.

In the song, the protagonist gradually returns to everyday life while wrestling with the desire to “stay forever.” Sprinkled with positive messages, it’s sure to lift your spirits when you listen.

Summer’s EndJohn Prine

John Prine – Summer’s End Official Video

John Prine, who sadly passed away in 2020, included a song themed around the end of summer on his final album, The Tree of Forgiveness.

That song is Summer’s End.

In it, the person he’s lost is likened to a summer that has passed.

The highlight is how the emptiness is conveyed through a variety of literary expressions.

It’s a gentle folk song—perfect for when you want to unwind alone.

Summer is OverKSI

KSI – Summer Is Over [Official Music Video]

The more fun you have in summer, the lonelier its ending can feel, right? With that in mind, let me introduce “Summer Is Over.” It’s a track released by the British rapper KSI, expressing the desire to “live through summer once more” as the season comes to a close.

That alone is bittersweet, but if you reinterpret summer as a period of happiness in life, it becomes even more poignant.

The chill vocals and melody also make it a perfect, mellow listen for the end of summer.

One Kiss Don’t Make A SummerLucky Soul

One Kiss Don’t Make A Summer

Lucky Soul is a British rock band that also enjoys great popularity in Japan, where they’ve even toured.

When it comes to their summer songs, “One Kiss Don’t Make A Summer” is the standout.

It’s a pop-rock track, and vocalist Ali Howard’s clear, crystalline voice adds a refreshing feel.

The lyrics brim with seasonal atmosphere, portraying a summer romance and the frustration of not closing the distance with someone you’ve just started getting to know.

Give it a listen while imagining that tantalizingly close yet elusive relationship.

Rose Colored LensesMiley Cyrus

Miley Cyrus – Rose Colored Lenses (Official Lyric Video)

Singer-songwriter Miley Cyrus.

Her release “Rose Colored Lenses” is crafted in a way that anyone can relate to.

At the very beginning of the song, we meet a woman who wakes up because of the strong sunlight streaming into her room.

It then depicts her heading out even though she doesn’t want to go into the heat.

It’s a classic summertime scenario, right? Another highlight is how a bittersweet love story unfolds alongside it.

SummertimeNew Kids On The Block

New Kids On The Block – Summertime (Official Music Video)

As a romantic song to listen to at the end of summer, I’d like to introduce “Summertime.” It’s a track released after the reunion of New Kids on the Block, the boy band that took the 1980s by storm.

The song looks back, from a male perspective, on the memories of a wonderful summer romance.

While it does touch on farewells and the end of summer, that’s not where it stops.

It goes on to depict the seasons turning and summer returning, with the narrator longing for her each time it comes around.