Beach Pop
tagStarted 1962Peak 1963-1966Last big hit still active
Sun-and-surf pop: bright vocal harmonies, jangly or reverb-kissed guitars, hand-clap drive and carefree melodies about waves, summer and seaside romance. Rooted in the early-1960s California sound and revived by mellow modern surf-folk. Warm, nostalgic and endlessly summery, trading island riddims for sandy West Coast and coastal-acoustic breeziness.
History
Born with the Beach Boys and Jan & Dean's early-1960s surf-pop, beach pop set the template of stacked harmonies and summer imagery. The mood resurfaced in the 2000s through Jack Johnson's post-surf acoustic mellow and Colbie Caillat's sun-warmed singer-pop, keeping the coastal sound a perennial warm-weather staple.
Defining artists
Essential listening
Sources
- Wikipedia: The Beach Boys
- AllMusic: Surf / Beach Pop
- Billboard Hot 100 archives