Food & Drink | The essential guide to the perfect BBQ playlist

Hosting a BBQ isn?t just about cooking some fine grub and keeping everyone?s plates full ? you?ll want the perfect musical accompaniment for a sun-kissed day with friends.

So what is the perfect BBQ song? It?s a difficult question to answer but everyone can immediately recognise whether or not a song goes down well with a juicy burger on a summer?s day.

In our minds, the criteria is fairly simple. The song must be recognisable to your crowd of well-fed friends, have an easygoing nature and preferably a summer sound. Also, it can't overshadow the mood by being too dancey or too much of a party track.

Instead of attempting the nearly unexplainable, we've included six essentials that needs to be part of your BBQ playlist this summer.

Modest Mouse - Float On

Heavily sampled in Lupe Fiasco's 'The Show Goes On', 'Float On' immediately kicks into gear with an unmistakable guitar riff that should draw the ear of any BBQ-loving gathering.

DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince - Summertime

Of course it's an obvious choice but this 1990s classic is one of the best summer songs of all time and thus is perfectly suited to any BBQ.

Jack Johnson - Upside Down

Jack Johnson himself has admitted that he makes BBQ music and while plenty of his biggest tracks are romance-tinged, we prefer the lazy amble that is the infectious 'Upside Down'.

Weezer - Island In The Sun

Weezer tend to disappear for years on end before popping up with a pop classic and that was certainly the case with 'Island In The Sun', which carries all the positive connotations that its title suggets.

Ice Cube - It Was A Good Day

A solo career highlight from Ice Cube, this laid-back 1993 hit finds the rapper recounting his ideal day, which involves everything from playing basketball, having drinks and watching Yo! MTV Raps. Not a word about BBQs though...

ELO - Mr Blue Sky

A track that recalls care-free summer days, with the sun "shining in the sky" and without "a cloud in sight", 'Mr Blue Sky' even makes us hungry just thinking about it.

So how do our choices stack up? We're all ears if you reckon that we've missed out on a stone-cold BBQ classic so be sure to post your suggestions in the comments section below.

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