Some of the music I listened to with my friends in a darkened dormitory room in Moscow back in 1989–90:
I’ll add these two:
Giorgio Moroder? Breezy/ephemeral? Have you lost your mind, burpo?
Well, I’m good at a few things. One of them is “generally picking pretty decent selections for themed mix playlists.”
“Burning Flies”—Looper
“Ladies and Gentlemen we are Floating in Space”—Spiritualized
“Strange Angels”—Laurie Anderson
“Music Box Dancer”—Frank Mills
“Hymne”—Vangelis
“Passacaglia - Allegro moderato”—Krzysztof Penderecki
Thank you. Upon hearing this, it was instant recognition for me. I didn’t know I’ve been missing this childhood tune.
‘Wicked game’ is another good song but with different story. I have a ukulele cover, but wasn’t aware that the original is even better.
Regarding the main topic: so far, the best clue I’ve been able to gather is that ‘Hot’ has a chord progression of i7-iv7-VII-III, which is as unique as it can get. I can’t find any other songs, at all, which utilize this combination. Perhaps it was because of the subtle unfamiliarity with the chords that I rejected ‘Hot’ at first, but thankfully I was obliged by circumstances to listen to it a few more times. It didn’t help that during the very 1st hearing, the tempo was 150%.
If this isn’t pure poetry, I don’t know what is. I’m amazed it didn’t raise higher in the carts than it did.
My second favorite Al Stewart song. My daughter used to dance to this when it was on.
“Year of the Cat” is one of my all-time favorite songs. Lovely musically, and it paints such a vivid picture lyrically.
I’ll never forget the first time I heard this in a darkened basement ca.1974, drinking scotch and smoking good cigars. The whole bloody album is an absolute masterpiece.
I’m glad you liked “Elizabethan Serenade.” The paintings it’s paired with deserve their own thread.
Dream A Little Dream, by Cass Elliot. She had such a good voice. https://youtu.be/LYw3TWcP8H8?si=0N_FBZBr9dVCOG_y
Durnit, I whiffed on “ephemeral,” ergo, I withdraw my submissions.
‘She comes out of the sun in a silk dress running like a watercolor in the rain’ is just unmatched.
This whole album, really, but I’ll start with the first track.
I Surrender
Now, I’m kinda embarresed to say that I found this song from the episode of American Horror Story when Eileen Wuornos played it on the jukebox of serial killers.
Mazzy Star - Fade into You
Breezy, ephemeral songs? You’ve come to right place.
Yung Kai - Blue
Powers of the Monk - Puffy Head
Jet - Look What You’ve Done
Mitski - My Love Mine All Mine
Not in English but a very beautiful song,
Ải Hồng Nhan - Cần Vinh X Lee Ken
Also, I think the genre you might really like is ‘lo-fi’
isaintjames - Sweets
Another one, Seahorses. You Can Talk To Me
Vietnamese have songs even more beautiful than that. I’ve got a few lo-fi songs, but I don’t think they have that “thing” that ‘Hot’ has. This song imo qualifies as breezy & ephemeral; too bad I liked it on 1st listen 
Speak of dancing, my 14-month-old niece just learnt to walk for a dozen weeks or so and can’t even run. Yet, she attempts to dance whenever she sees ‘Hot’ playing. It doesn’t really happen with other songs.
I don’t know what you mean by “ephemeral” in this context, but here are some songs I think are breezy:
I’d guess most popular songs tend to the breezy and ephemeral, though it’s amazing what sticks in the memory:
And there are plenty in other countries: here’s one about the coming of spring in France (ironically from spring in.. 1940)
Todd Rundgren / Love Of The Common Man
I hesitated somewhat when including this work, since it is quite long. However, I do think it meets the criteria of “breezy” and “ephemeral.'“ It was written in the aftermath of the First World War, if I’m not mistaken.
