These 4 Surf Rock Hits From the 60s Will Instantly Refresh Your Summer Playlist

In the 60s, surf rock emerged as a popular genre, characterized by heavily reverbed guitar sounds and, often, fun harmonies, as is the case with The Beach Boys. Here are a couple of surf-rock jams to add to your summer playlist.

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“Surfin’ U.S.A” by The Beach Boys

This one definitely deserves a spot in the surf-rock hall of fame. Hell, even Billboard named it the top song of 1963 back in the day.

“Surfin’ U.S.A.” actually took inspiration from the melody of another song, “Sweet Little Sixteen” by Chuck Berry, as Brian Wilson told The Beach Boys.

“I was going with a girl named Judy Bowles, and her brother Jimmy was a surfer. He knew all the surfing spots,” Wilson shared. “I started humming the melody to ‘Sweet Little Sixteen’ and I got fascinated with the fact of doing it, and I thought to myself, ‘God! What about trying to put surf lyrics to ‘Sweet Little Sixteen’s melody?”

“Wipe Out” by The Surfaris

If this one feels familiar, it’s probably because “Wipe Out” has had numerous popular TV and movie placements. Some of these include The Sandlot, Dirty Dancing, and even Stranger Things. “Wipe Out” is a popular surfing term in California, which explains the title.

“Good Vibrations” by The Beach Boys

As you could probably guess, the idea for “Good Vibrations” came about when Brian Wilson was feeling inspired by the frequent use of recreational drugs like LSD.

Wilson hired Tony Asher to help write lyrics for Pet Sounds, who suggested the “Good Vibrations” title.

“He wanted to call the song ‘Good Vibes,’” the songwriter recalled to NPR. “And I kept saying to him, ‘You know, it really ought to be vibrations.’ And he said, ‘Yeah, but that’s not what people say.’ “

“Baja” by The Astronauts

Even though their debut album was titled Surfin’, the group Baja actually wasn’t from anywhere near the West Coast. In fact, they actually originated from Boulder, Colorado. You’d never know it from their first single, “Baja”, though. These vibes definitely give off that you’re a pro on the waves and that you’ve spent most of your days in sunny California.

Photo by: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images