Summer brings barbecues, beaches, road trips, parties, holiday weight and much more. So you need to have great music in the background to cater for all occasions in the season. To add to all the fun you're having, here are some of Kristin Macfarlane's top picks for must-have summer albums.
Myfirst summer must-have has to be Katchafire's On The Road Again. There's something about reggae music - Kiwi reggae music to be exact - that gives you the feeling of relaxation. Summer for me is all about having fun and a bit of time out.
And there are plenty of summer anthems on this album to bust out at the barbie or in the car during awesome road trips.
For a bit of everything, Rihanna's Loud album has to be played during summer. It has your upbeat party songs (perfect to have when you're getting your dance on), the sexy tracks for those naughty moments and some nice, chilled-out tunes you need when you're feeling hung over from too much alcohol or food.
If you don't want to slow down at all during summer, make sure you play Ministry of Sound's The Annual 2011 mixed by Hook n Sling and Tommy Trash - this 42-track album will have you amping for hours, over and over again.
My pick for a summer hip-hop album is Jay-Z's The Hits Collection Volume 1. With new and old tracks from a hip-hop superstar, the album will have you kicking back to a collection of great songs that have helped make Jay-Z such a big name in the game.
A couple more fun album must-haves are Mai FM's Summer Jams compilation and Katy Perry's Teenage Dream album featuring the summer anthem California Gurls. When you're as hot as Katy Perry you can't not be included in the hottest season.
