Question: What is Surf Music?
Answer: During the 1960s, as the sport of surfing became very popular in the U.S.A. (specifically Southern California), another genre of popular music soon emerged. Aptly called "surf music," this type of music is either instrumental or contain vocals. The guitar riffs and vocal harmonies featured in surf music attempts to capture what one might experience when surfing or going to the beach.
Although the popularity of surf music has dwindled, its influence can still be heard in the music of other musicians and bands including the Go-Go's, Blondie and the Ramones.
Notable Surf Music
Vocal surf music by William Jan Berry and Dean Ormsby Torrence (aka Jan and Dean)
- Baby Talk (1959)
- Surf City (1963)
- Deadman's Curve (1964)
Vocal surf music by The Beach Boys
- Surfin’ U.S.A. (1963)
- California Girls (1965)
Instrumental surf music by Dick Dale and the Del-Tones
- Let’s Go Trippin (1961)
- Misirlou (1962)
Other Examples of Surf Music
- Baja by the Astronauts
- Pipeline by the Chantays
- Stick Shift by the Duals
- Walk Don’t Run by the Ventures
- Wipe Out by the Surfaris
Music Samples Courtesy of YouTube
