How to create the perfect summer song

There's a special playlist reserved for summer filled with the perfect tune for road trips and beach adventures.

And as the race for the title of 'song of the summer' gains momentum, Newshub set out to determine what exactly it takes for a song to become the 'it' song of the sunny season.

If you flash back through summers of old, the number one songs all queued up together creates the ultimate summer soundtrack - songs like Madonna's 'Papa Don't Preach' in 1986 and OMC's 'How Bizarre' in 1996.

Every year Forbes, Billboard and Rolling Stone will fight to declare the song of the summer - but really it's the people who will choose.

So far this year, Kiwis are conflicted on which tune deserves the title.

People Newshub spoke to suggested anything composed by the group The Chainsmokers, or Travis Scott's hit song 'Sicko Mode', or something by New Zealand's own Katchafire.

"It should be a jumpy song," said one person. 

Another said, "It's got to have a bit of beat, it's got to have the U2 feel about it."

British artist Ed Sheeran, who knows a bit about getting radio play, reckons the recipe to a pop hit is four simple cords. But turning a pop hit into a summer success takes something a little bit extra.

Music critic Alex Behan says all pop songs have the same ingredients, reliability, a hook and something unique.

"I suppose the difference between a hit song and a summer hit song is just that vibe - it's got to be heading to the beach, turning down windows, burning something down or turning something up."

In New Zealand, Six60 dominate the gene, Mr Behan says. And right now two of their albums are back in the charts.

"Look at the themes they're singing about: friends, singing about family and good times and community. Those are things New Zealanders relate to - human beings can relate to, especially over summer," says Mr Behan.

And the best part is: it's winter on the other side of the world, so the biggest artists are already working on a song that could very well be dubbed the next big summer hit just in time to cheer up our winter.

Newshub.