On This Day in 1963, the Beach Boys Released a Single That Almost Got Them Sued by a Rock and Roll Icon

On this day (March 4) in 1963, the Beach Boys released “Surfin’ U.S.A.” Since its release, the song has become a classic and is hailed as a shining example of the Southern California surf rock sound. However, the song isn’t wholly original. Brian Wilson used Chuck Berry’s “Sweet Little Sixteen” as the foundation for this surfing anthem. He did so to honor the rock originator, but it almost landed the band in court.

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Wilson wrote the song on a whim. His then-girlfriend’s brother was a surfer who knew all of the best spots. One day, he was humming “Sweet Little Sixteen” and had the idea to put surf lyrics to Berry’s arrangement. So, he went to his girlfriend’s brother for a list of surf spots. Before long, he was putting together a stone-cold classic.

[RELATED: The 3 Undisputed Best Songs From The Beach Boys’ 1966 LP ‘Pet Sounds’]

According to Songfacts, the Beach Boys didn’t get Berry’s permission to use his arrangement. This was at least partially due to the rock legend being incarcerated at the time for transporting a minor across state lines. When Berry threatened to sue, Wilson and company agreed to list him as the song’s composer and gave him a large cut of the royalties.

Mike Love helped Wilson write the song, but did not receive writing credit. It was not included in his 1992 lawsuit against Wilson because Arc Music, Berry’s publisher, owns the publishing rights to the track.

Most of the Beach Boys Didn’t Surf

Dennis Wilson was reportedly the only member of the Beach Boys who surfed. At the time, though, surfing was incredibly popular with teenagers–the band’s target demographic. So, they tapped into the subculture surrounding surfing. This allowed them to write fun songs about days in the sun.

Moreover, surf rock was about more than the actual sport. It was about adventure, fun, and youth culture. Moreover, it represented California to a nation of people who may never see the ocean.

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