If there's ever been a time where great heat wave songs were needed more than they are right now, well, we can't remember it. With scorching temperatures running wild all across this great land of ours, we decided to up the stakes from our recently published Top 10 Summer Songs list -- which is entirely too celebratory and happy for our current situation -- and focus on songs that express a little bit of pain and discomfort. So please, stay inside, stay safe, and enjoy our Top 10 Heat Wave Songs:

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    10

    'Hotter Than Hell'

    Kiss

    It'd be hard to argue that we're in the midst of a massive heat wave right now (July 21, 2011). If our culture survives this calamity, and you're reading this in the future, trust us -- it was hot. Hotter than hell, you could say. Which is exactly what Kiss does here with the title track to their 1974 sophomore album. Of course, the heat doesn't stop them from trying to hit on a married woman. SUUUURE you didn't see her ring, Paul!

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    9

    'Hot 'Lanta'

    Allman Brothers Band

    If the weather's hot enough, as it was when we wrote this, you could change the title of this steaming instrumental cut from the Allman Brothers' seminal 1971 live album 'At Fillmore East' to reference just about any city in America. The song's opening keyboard line seems to radiate in the air like heat waves off a sidewalk. Smart of them to conserve energy by not having anybody sing on this one, too.

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    8

    'This Planet's On Fire (Burn in Hell)'

    Sammy Hagar

    Here's your red-wearing weatherman, Sammy Hagar, with a planetary forecast that's sure to scare the hell out of you. If we're hearing him right, it seems our own sinful actions are responsible for all this hot weather. In fact, it looks like we've doomed the very earth to burn forever because of our selfish ways. We better hydrate now, huh?

  • Metallica
    Metallica
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    7

    'Jump in the Fire'

    Metallica

    James Hetfield seems to be handling the heat wave pretty well on this chugging rocker from his band's 1983 debut 'Kill 'Em All.' Maybe that's because he's taken on the point of view of the Devil himself throughout the lyrics. James/Lucifer seems to share Hagar's views (above) on who's responsible for all this triple-digit weather, and laughs at our current suffering: "You think this is hot? Just wait..."

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    6

    'The Heat Is On'

    Glenn Frey

    Oh, we know we're gonna catch some heat for putting this rather toothless, poppy synth-and-sax rock confection over the mighty Metallica. Two preemptive points: first, the subject matter is more directly tied to our current weather situation. Second, well... a lot of you metalheads are pretty damn funny when you're ticked off.

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    5

    'Burnin' Up'

    Judas Priest

    Crazy as it sounds, some people actually seem to thrive in the heat. You can find these goofballs jogging along sizzling asphalt roads at high noon, or in the case of Judas Priest singer Rob Halford, romantically inspired by the rising temperatures. Apparently for the "Metal God," hot nights are the right time for action. Most likely, he's just eager to get out of the 30 pounds of leather he typically wears on stage.

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    4

    'Skies on Fire'

    AC/DC

    With the way global warming's been affecting our weather patterns over the last several years, it wouldn't surprise us if the sky did literally burst into flames one of these days. Perhaps AC/DC sensed this possibility as well when writing this song from their 2008 'Black Ice' album, on which they warn their listeners to "Pack up up and head for higher ground."

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    3

    'Hot Blooded'

    Foreigner

    Apparently the "hot-blooded" and "cold-blooded" species classifications our science teachers made us learn back in school (so we knew more about the difference between ourselves and say, alligators, which was pretty clear to begin with) don't hold so much water anymore. Which is too bad, because when a heat wave hits, it'd be nice to have actual ice-cold blood running through your veins. Lou Gramm seems to be running a bit hot, independent of the weather, on this track, thanks to a young woman who's caught his eye.

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    2

    'Burn'

    Deep Purple

    Deep Purple sing about a much more severe heat wave then anything the human race has faced so far. Yes, we're talking about armageddon itself. It seems one psychic woman tried to warn the people in this song, but they wouldn't listen until it was too late: "The city's ablaze / The town's on fire / The woman's flames are reaching higher / We were fools / We called her a liar / All I hear is 'Burn!'" (You hear that, Big Oil?)

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    1

    'On Fire'

    Van Halen

    OK we're sick of complaining about the weather now. If you can't beat the heat, you might as well join it! At least, apparently that's Eddie Van Halen's motto, as he does his best to match the sun for energy output on this absolutely scorching guitar expedition from the band's 1978 debut. David Lee Roth's got his back and a fool-proof plan for heat wave enjoyment: "Turn your radios on / I'll appear right there / Yes I will / Turn me up real loud / Now I'm hanging ten now baby..."

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