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9/28/2009 3:32 AM

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What was your soundtrack for the summer of 2009? What songs will forever remind you of that miserably cool, death-draped June, July and August that is now part of our past?

For decades, radio has peppered its summer playlists with appropriate seasonal hits, whether they are part of a "Summer Smash" weekend or, more subliminally, filtered into the rotation from Memorial Day through Labor Day. More recently, Edison Research, in particular its columnist Sean Ross, has been declaring a yearly No. 1 summer song based on its tempo, energy or breeziness and domination of the radio dial. His pick for 2009 is "Boom Boom Pow" by the Black-Eyed Peas, a tune that even the most casual radio listener should recognize, if not love. Runners-up included another Peas' song, "I Gotta Feeling," Katy Perry's "Waking Up in Vegas" and Lady Gaga's "Lovegame."

In past years, Ross has crowned as champs, "I Kissed A Girl" (2008), "Beautiful Girls" (2007) and "Promiscuous" (2006). If those songs don't prompt visions of vacations, barbeques and summer camp, it could be that you've been too old for summer camp for quite some time. I know the feeling. I can reel off my most memorable summer songs for about a 15-year window from 1962 to 1977 - "Surf City," "Summer in the City," "Honky Tonk Woman," "Signs" and "School's Out" among them. After that, I draw a blank. I suspect that the limited window is true for most people - songs become associated with an era as much as with the season. As radio listening becomes less intense, or when one switches to radio stations that don't accent current hits, the summer hit sensation fades.

Likewise, there are certainly years when summer song memories reach far beyond two or three tunes. I'm quite certain I could name 30 or 40 songs from the summer of 1966 - with an outdoor job and a new driver's license, the radio was a constant companion.

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Here are some personal picks as ultimate summer songs - based not on quality, but on sheer appropriateness to the season and/or airplay. The song association is so vivid that the list was put together without benefit of research; delve into the '80s or '90s, though, and we'd be cracking open books. We'd appreciate hearing about your own choices as well - for any decade. I'd venture that you won't require any research, either. And if you're of a certain (younger) age, pass along your thoughts on the music of the summer of 2009 - and if you believe those songs will still register with you 20, 30 or even 40 years from now ... as these songs do for me:

1960: Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini - Bryan Hyland; "Alley Oop" - Hollywood Argyles; "Everybody's Somebody's Fool" - Connie Francis

1961: "Tossin' and Turnin' - Bobby Lewis; "Raindrops" - Dee Clark; "Hats Off To Larry" - Del Shannon

1962: "Roses Are Red" - Bobby Vinton; "I Can't Stop Loving You" - Ray Charles; "Palisades Park" - Freddy Cannon

1963: "Surf City" - Jan & Dean; "Wipeout" - Surfaris; "Fingertips Part II" - Stevie Wonder

1964: "Hard Day's Night" - Beatles; "I Get Around" - Beach Boys; "Under the Boardwalk" - Drifters

1965: "Satisfaction" - Rolling Stones; "I Can't Help Myself" - Four Tops; "Mr. Tamourine Man" - Byrds

1966: "Summer in the City" - Lovin' Spoonful; "Hanky Panky" - Tommy James; "Wild Thing" - Troggs

1967: "Windy"- Association; "Light My Fire" - Doors; "San Francisco" - Scott McKenzie

1968: "Hello I Love You" - Doors; "Sunshine of Your Love" - Cream; "Born to be WIld" - Steppenwolf

1969: "Honky Tonk Woman" - Rolling Stones, "In the Year 2525" - Zager & Evans "Sweet Caroline" - Neil Diamond

1970: "Mama Told Me" - Three Dog Night; "HItchin A Ride" - Vanity Fare; "In The Summertime" - Mungo Jerry

1971: "Signs" - Five Man Electrical Band; "Indian Reservation" - Raiders; "Brown Sugar" - Rolling Stones

1972: "School's Out" - Alice Cooper; "Brandy" - Looking Glass; "Rocket Man" - Elton John

1973: "Brother Louie" - Stories; "Bad Bad Leroy Brown" - Jim Croce; "Kodachrone" - Paul Simon

1974: "Rock The Boat" - Hues Corporation; "Night Chicago Died" - Paper Lace; "Waterloo" - ABBA

1975: "The Hustle" - Van McCoy; "One of These Nights" - Eagles; "Listen to What the Man Said" - Paul McCartney

1976: "Afternoon Delight" - Starland Vocal Band; "Play That Funky Music" - Wild Cherry; "Kiss and Say Goodbye" - Manhattans

1977: "Margaritaville" - Jimmy Buffet; "Undercover Angel" - Alan O'Day; "Best of My Love" - Emotions

1978: "Baker Street" - Gerry Rafferty; "Grease" - Frankie Valli; "Hot Blooded" - Foreigner

1979: "My Sharona" -Knack; "Devil Went Down to Georgia" - Charlie Daniels; "Chuck E's In Love" - Rickie Lee Jones

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Thanks for the recent article about "NYPD Blue." I could not agree more. Used the DVDs as motivation to work out every morning. Fourty-five minutes on the elliptical equals one episode. Blew through four seasons very quickly and was very dissappointed that I could not get a legitimate copy of season five and up. Do you know why the rest of the series is not available? Thanks in advance for any info you could dig up. Regards, Kurt Butte, Island Park, N.Y.

Dear Kurt, I found a few offers for the complete series (12 seasons) of "NYPD," but have no way of knowing if they are legitimate. The only single-season packages available are through season four. There have been some announcements of a season five release date, but all have fizzled. Package releases are, as you might expect, based on demand, and evidently, the first four seasons haven't been big sellers.

Nonetheless, recent history of TV series packaging suggests that all seasons are issued eventually; some with more bells and whistles than others. I'd keep checking with 20th Century Fox Studios, which has the rights to the show.

Terry Hazlett can be reached at snowballrizzo@aol.com.

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