The sun, the surf, the sand, the sound… when you think of the beach, there may be a few staple songs that come to mind. One of them, most likely, is The Beach Boys‘ “Surfin’ U.S.A.”
The 1963 hit became an anthem for the beach, summertime, vacation—heck, it even became a theme park anthem. Personally, I remember going to Kings Dominion as a kid and always hearing it playing at the wave pool in the park’s Soak City (and that was in the ’90s, decades after its release). Simply put, it’s one of those instantly recognizable tracks that makes you drift back to memories of sunny, smiley, sea-filled days.
Billboard even ranked the song No. 1 on its list of the best beach songs of all time, which includes 10 of the all-time greatest summer songs.
The famed music publication rounded up “10 best songs the past century of music has to offer on the topic, featuring contemporary pop stars such as Miley Cyrus and Katy Perry to visionary groups like The Drifters and, of course, the Beach Boys. Some of them are exactly as fun and free as they seem on the surface, while others were written with deeper metaphors inspired by the ocean’s many mysteries in mind.”
With lyrics written by the band’s Brian Wilson, it was released in March 1963. Wilson was a huge fan of music trailblazer Chuck Berry, taking inspiration from the Father of Rock & Roll’s “Sweet Little Sixteen” and modeling “Surfin’ U.S.A.’s” famous guitar riff after Berry’s iconic style. The song quickly became one of the biggest of its era, peaking at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Related: ’50s Rock Legend Ranked Among Top 5 ‘Greatest Songwriters’ of All Time Only Had One No. 1 Hit
Best Beach Songs, According to Billboard
Check out Billboard‘s complete roundup of Top 10 summery songs (published in 2024) about hitting the beach, below.
10. Rupert Holmes, “Escape (The Piña Colada Song)” – 1979
9. Social House feat. Lil Yachty, “Magic in the Hamptons” – 2018
8. Miley Cyrus, “Malibu” – 2017
7. Jimmy Buffett, “Oldest Surfer on the Beach” – 2013
6. Lorde, “Solar Power” – 2021
5. Weezer, “Island In the Sun” – 2001
4. Ziggy Marley, “Beach in Hawaii” – 2006
3. Katy Perry feat. Snoop Dogg, “California Gurls” – 2010
2. The Drifters, “Under the Boardwalk” – 1964
1. The Beach Boys, “Surfin’ U.S.A.” – 1963
Related: 1967 Classic No. 1 Hit Ranked Ultimate ‘Greatest Song’ of All Time Turns 59 Years Old Today
