Surf Pop Rock

tagStarted 1962Peak 1963-1965Last big hit 1966

Located in 1 route

Surf's reverb guitar wedded to bright vocal harmonies and three-minute pop songcraft. Lush, layered backing vocals, sunny major-key melodies, hand-claps, and falsetto top lines celebrating beaches, girls, and California summer. The vocal, radio-friendly face of surf, where harmony replaces instrumental virtuosity.

History

Defined by The Beach Boys, who from 1962 layered Four Freshmen-style harmonies over surf-guitar backing to take the genre to the pop charts with 'Surfin' Safari' and 'Surfin' U.S.A.' Jan & Dean and others followed. Brian Wilson's increasingly sophisticated production carried it toward 'Pet Sounds' before vocal-pop ambitions left pure surf behind.

Defining artists

The Beach BoysSpotify YouTube
Jan & DeanSpotify YouTube
The SurfarisSpotify YouTube
The RivierasSpotify YouTube
Bruce & TerrySpotify YouTube
The Trade WindsSpotify YouTube

Essential listening

Surfin' U.S.A. — The Beach BoysSpotify YouTube
Surf City — Jan & DeanSpotify YouTube
California Sun — The RivierasSpotify YouTube
Fun, Fun, Fun — The Beach BoysSpotify YouTube
Ride the Wild Surf — Jan & DeanSpotify YouTube
New York's a Lonely Town — The Trade WindsSpotify YouTube

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Sources

Wikipedia: The Beach Boys
AllMusic: Surf Pop
Jan & Dean / Wikipedia