The Ultimate Summer Barbecue Playlist

A summer barbecue may SEEM simple on the outside, but the secret to a good barbecue is preparation! You don't want to finally sit down only to realize you forgot condiments so let's go through some simple ingredients...

Sunshine - George Canyon
This one may seem obvious but even the slightest shower can put a damper on a great party. If there's rain in the forecast; best to make it a bar night! Once you've got clear skies it's time to stock up on some essentials...

Red Solo Cup - Toby Keith
Bounty - Dean Brody
Ice Ice Baby - Vanilla Ice
The first one should be fairly obvious (who wants to do dishes?) and the second one is more a musical reminder to pick up some paper towels rather than (as the lyrics suggest) to steal a girl away from the Mexican Cartel….Probably shouldn't do that… Finally, you don't want to have to send one of your friends on a last minute ice run do ya? Better fill that cooler!  Anyways- are ya hungry yet?

Cheeseburger In Paradise - Jimmy Buffet
Chicken Fried - Zac Brown Band
Hot Dog - Led Zeppelin
It's always a good idea to plan out the menu ahead of time! Often times the number one barbecue question comes down to the main dish. Burgers? Dogs? Chicken? I say- why not all three? Once you've got that figured out let's not forget the importance of a good side dish….

Do You Want Fries With That? - Tim McGraw
Pork & Beans - Weezer
Mmmm those are some good sides. It's almost time to fire up the grill but first let's try to remember those OTHER food groups. You might get a sweet tooth after devouring all that salt, so let's take care of that, shall we…?

Banana - Abandin All Hope
Watermelon Crawl - Tracy Byrd
Cherry Pie - Warrant
Fort McMurray's own Abandin All Hope provide some much needed potassium, and if any of your friends are from Saskatchewan- let's just say they'll find another use for the Watermelon as well. 

Let's hope everyone saves room for dessert but now that we've got the food figured out, it's time to fill up those cups! While a fully stocked cooler of Bud will do just fine- it's best to remember variety is the spice of life…

Beer - Reel Big Fish
Gin and Juice - Snoop Dogg
Whiskey In My Water - Tyler Farr
Maybe It's the Moonshine - The Washboard Union
Champagne - Cavo
Strawberry Wine - Deana Carter
One More Margarita - Friends of Jack
I'm Drinking Rum & Red Bull - Beenie Man
Tequila - The Champs

Oh what's that you're on a budget? Well then- slight change of plans…
BYOB- System of A Down

Alright, so the cooler is stocked and folks are starting to arrive! It's time to fire up that grill…
Lighters - Bad Meets Evil (feat. Bruno Mars)
Gasoline - Seether
Fire It Up - Thousand Foot Krutch

It's going to be a crazy party but let us not forget to take care of those brave souls who have volunteered their DD services for the evening...
Water - Brad Paisley
Caffeine - The Boom Chucka Boys

It may seem obvious but nothing kills a barbecue quicker than "that guy" who forgot to exchange his propane tank. Once the barbecue is lit keep a close eye on those steaks, your guests don't want charcoal! All done? Chow down!
Let's Eat (featuring Xperience) - Macklemore & Ryan Lewis

After the food is done it's time to get the fire pit going! And nothing says sitting around the fire like a little six string strumming!
I Can Play Guitar (featuring Hunter Hayes) - Brett Kissel
Simple Man- Lynyrd Skynyrd
Wagon Wheel- Old Crow Medicine Show

Inevitably, your guitar playing friend is going to run out of tunes (unless you somehow managed to posthumously invite the "Man of 1000 songs" Ron Hynes) so it's time to bust out the portable stereo. If your friends are like mine, you're dealing with a lot of musical tastes so make sure you have a little something for everyone…
I Love Rock and Roll - Joan Jett
Hip Hop - Dead Prez
Play Something Country - Brooks & Dunn

Now believe it or not even in Fort McMurray you will get a little bit of darkness. This can be your turn to call it a night but I say- embrace the night….
When the Sun Goes Down - Kenny Chesney & Uncle Cracker
Patio Lanterns - Kim Mitchell
A Sky Full of Stars - Coldplay
Red Hot Moon - Rancid

Stargazing is fun but you want your barbecue to be a memorable one so it's time to "turn the jets on" and take this party to another level…
Let's Dance - David Bowie
It's Time To Party - Andrew WK
Shots - LMFAO
Let's Go Crazy - Prince
Raise A Little Hell - Trooper

Much like with dogs and children, an easy to way to get drunk people to pass out is to expend all that pent up energy. A nice stroll around the neighborhood could be in order- but keep in mind drinking in public is a no-no, so make sure nobody tries to sneak a "traveller" along for the ride…
Time To Take My Drunk A** Home - Luke Bryan

Alright it's time to call it a night. Hopefully you don't have too many plans tomorrow, unless you threw this party on a Friday in which case….better start planning for Round Two!
Wasn't That A Party? - The Irish Rovers

DISCLAIMER: YOUR party should take place on a night where nobody has to work the next day (preferably a Friday or Saturday)

Want to listen to this playlist on Spotify? Search "YMM Magazine presents...The Ultimate Summer Barbecue"

Mike Jones is the host of the afternoon show on Country 93.3