Temperatures are currently up around a hot 100 degrees throughout a wide stretch of the United States.
Related subject matter has made for hit songs over the history of the Billboard Hot 100. Many entries with “hot” or “heat” in their titles have sizzled, including six at No. 1: “Heat Waves,” by Glass Animals, in 2022; “This Is Why I’m Hot,” by Mims (2007); “Drop It Like It’s Hot,” by Snoop Dogg featuring Pharrell (2004); “Hot in Herre,” by Nelly (2002); “Here Comes the Hotstepper,” by Ini Kamoze (1994); and “Hot Stuff,” by Donna Summer (1979).
Oddly enough, all of those songs except for “Hot in Herre” and “Hot Stuff” peaked in cold-weather months (easing the workload of fireplaces and furnaces).
In honor of scalding songs that have burned paths up the Hot 100, Billboard has ranked the 40 biggest hits with “hot” or “heat” in their names. The oldest song on the list? The Dartells’ tasty 1963 single “Hot Pastrami.” The newest: Chappell Roan’s “Hot To Go!,” from last year.
Check out the entire sultry survey below. (Importantly, here are some ways to help keep cool and stay safe.)
This ranking is based on actual performance on the weekly Hot 100 chart from its Aug. 4, 1958, inception, through June 21, 2025. Songs with “hot” or “heat” in their titles are ranked based on an inverse point system, with weeks at No. 1 earning the greatest value and weeks at No. 100 earning the least. Due to changes in chart methodology over the years, eras are weighted to account for different chart turnover rates over various periods.
