In tenth grade, I learned how to make a data set say whatever I wanted it to say. Darrell Huff’s classic 1954 book How to Lie With Statistics ought to be required reading. So when I set out to prove the vitality of rock and roll in 2026 by using one particular list, your warning lights should go on.
The list is a readers' poll conducted by the music website Stereogum.com. They asked voters to weigh in on the “song of the summer.” That concept has gotten so popular these days that Billboard maintains a summer songs ranking and NPR does stories on the contenders.
The problem with relying on Stereogum is that they focus their attention on indie rock. That’s why I read them. That’s why most people read them. Consequently, the readers poll has an element of self-selection.
Poll of summer songs suggests rock & roll still has a place in pop culture
We who read Stereogum are apt to listen to and prefer rock & roll over other forms of pop music. And now that I have shot my own argument in the foot, let’s move on to some genuinely encouraging data.
Even though the Stereogum poll had several decidedly non-rock numbers in its top ten, at least half of the songs were either rock & roll or pretty damn close.
Numbers one, three, five, and ten were in the “not rock” camp. Madonna’s “Danceteria,” with its numerous callouts to 1982, held the top spot. The disco throwback name-drops (among others) Mark Kamins, Fab 5 Freddy, and the Rock Steady Crew. It is a very good dance track.
Slayyyter’s “Dance…,” at number three, may have been a better choice for number one, given its more current vibe, and Charli XCX’s “SS26 “ (number five) was my personal favorite, though the title (which stands for “spring, summer, 26”) might have been trying a bit too hard.
Zara Larsson’s “Midnight Sun,” was an acceptable, good-time, night-out summer jam at number 10.
But then we had the rockers.
Olivia Rodrigo’s “Expectations” at number two isn’t all that far removed from Madonna’s “Danceteria.” Both feature an early-‘80s throwback vibe built on insistent synth beats. But Rodrigo steers much closer to the new wavy sound of early ‘80s Blondie, while Madonna sounds much more like early ‘80s … well, Madonna.
At four and six, we really have some Stereogum oddities. Phoebe Bridgers’ “Lost Boys” (number six) is an earworm of a tune, but it doesn’t have the energy normally associated with summer classics. At four, we get Kevin Morby’s “Javelin.”
I have never associated Morby’s expressive, literate folk rock with summer songs. No one has. “Javelin” is a sweet, smart, and modestly upbeat tune. I like it a lot, but even grading on a curve – comparing it to other Morby tunes as opposed to, say, Olivia Dean – I’m not sure I could vote for it as a summer classic.
But the other three rockers need no qualifiers. They bring up the back half of the list – numbers seven, eight and nine – and they are all great summer rockers.
Ratboys are admittedly a Stereogum favorite, but their song “Penny in a Lake” does not need excuses. It's quirky country punk and a fabulous mid-tempo rock song with hints of twang. I suppose the lyric ...
“Motorbikes are running fine
Whiskey in the summertime”
is what earned it a spot on this list over some other legit choices from their Singin’ to an Empty Chair album.
The Strokes seem positively venerable at this point. Their newest album, Reality Awaits, has ups and downs, but “Going Shopping” does seem well-suited for a summer playlist with its dance beat and catchy chorus.
But the best proof that rock and roll can still matter to people just looking to have some summer fun comes at number nine. Twisted Teens blow out the garage with “Florida Water Blues.”
Now, just consider that a song with “Blues” in the title made someone’s summer playlist and see how intriguing this is. And the opening lyric, referencing “a hundred beers of solitude,” is pure subversive genius for a summer song. It is a party song. It is a rock song. You can dance to it – maybe not quite as easily as you can to Slayyyter or Zara Larsson – but you can dance.
It is living, modern rock – a throwback to Graham Parsons and Lynyrd Skynyrd – but modern enough to rock crowds in 2026.
Now, I ought to mention that only one of the songs on Stereogum’s readers’ poll shows up on that Billboard Top 20 summer songs list – Larsson’s “Midnight Sun.” Rodrigo has three songs on the Billboard chart – but not “Expectations.” There’s no Ella Langley or Olivia Dean on the Stereogum list. No Drake or Sombr. They are the mainstream’s idea of summer.
The readers at Stereogum have a different idea, and it at least acknowledges rock and roll can still compete.
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