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Theme Deep-Dive

Pool Days

Chlorine, sunburn, and a boombox by the lifeguard chair.

Celebration (Single Version) by Kool & The Gang — cover art

Picture this: the sun blazes overhead, reflected off the glistening water, while the air is thick with the unmistakable scent of chlorine. Kids splash and dive, laughter mingling with the familiar tunes blaring from the lifeguard's boombox. These were the days of carefree summers spent at the pool, where the soundtracks of Kool & The Gang and Cyndi Lauper became the anthems of our youth. From diving board daredevils to sunbaked afternoons lounging on pool floats, this issue captures the essence of those sun-soaked days between 1980 and 1999, when every splash and every beat echoed the joy of summer freedom. So grab your towel, slather on some sunscreen, and let’s dive headfirst into the nostalgia of a time when our biggest worries were sunburn and snack bar hot dogs.

On the playlist

Celebration (Single Version) by Kool & The Gang — cover art
Celebration (Single Version)
Kool & The Gang
1980
Walking On Sunshine by Katrina and the Waves — cover art
Walking On Sunshine
Katrina and the Waves
1985
Footloose by Kenny Loggins — cover art
Footloose
Kenny Loggins
1984
Vacation by The Go-Go's — cover art
Vacation
The Go-Go's
1982
Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go by Wham! — cover art
Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go
Wham!
1984
Girls Just Want to Have Fun by Cyndi Lauper — cover art
Girls Just Want to Have Fun
Cyndi Lauper
1983
Let's Hear It for the Boy by Deniece Williams — cover art
Let's Hear It for the Boy
Deniece Williams
1984
Down Under by Men At Work — cover art
Down Under
Men At Work
1983
Kokomo by The Beach Boys — cover art
Kokomo
The Beach Boys
1988
Summer of '69 by Bryan Adams — cover art
Summer of '69
Bryan Adams
1985
Jack & Diane by John Mellencamp — cover art
Jack & Diane
John Mellencamp
1982
Jessie's Girl by Rick Springfield — cover art
Jessie's Girl
Rick Springfield
1981

Did you know

  • Adult swim: every hour the lifeguard's whistle cleared the kids out for 15 endless minutes.
  • The snack bar ran on quarters — Bomb Pops, nacho cheese, and a Walkman if you were lucky.
  • These are the songs that leaked out of the lifeguard's boombox between whistle blasts, all summer long.

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