Be honest, did your head naturally drum up a surfy riff as you read the term “surf music?” Ours did. There aren’t many genres that elicit such strong audible memories like that, so bravo, surf music, you succeeded in transporting us back to those surfy ‘60s.
Many say that this “bravo” could be given to Mr. Richard Dale for pioneering those surfy reverb-heavy electric guitars that somehow evoke the sound of crashing waves on a sun-soaked beach. He was an avid surfer who deliberately aimed to capture the feeling of riding some tubular waves, and man did he pull that off.
Not long after Dale and his Del-tones kicked it off, a ton of other great bands got in on the action. As is with any new genre, some equally creative bands felt compelled to share their summery stories, while others just tried to capitalize on a trend. Today, we’re focusing on the former. The bands who — like Mr. Dale — became synonymous with riding some mondo waves in the ‘60s.
1
The Lively Ones
An American surf rock band from Southern California in the 1960s. Their 1963 song "Surf Rider" was featured in the final sequence and the end credits of Quentin Tarantino's 1994 film Pulp Fiction.
2
Jan and Dean
They were an American surf rock duo who pioneered the “California Sound” and vocal surf music styles later popularized by the Beach Boys. Here they are on the cover of Cash Box Magazine on August 3, 1963.
3
The Bel Airs
They were best known for their 1961 hit "Mr. Moto" — an early instrumental surf tune.
4
Dicky Dale In His Element
Known as the “King of the Surf Guitar,” Dale basically invented the genre in the late 1950s and early ‘60s. His distinctive style helped popularize surf rock and instrumental rock as a whole.
5
The Beach Boys performing “I Get Around” on Ed Sullivan in 1964.
Though Dennis Wilson was the only true surfer in the band, their early success was significantly boosted by songs like "Surfin' U.S.A.", which put them at the forefront of the "California sound," surf rock, and rock music itself. (They're obviously one of the biggest bands of all time).
6
Dicky Dale Rockin’ A Surfy Solo
7
The Challengers
This instrumental surf music band began in Los Angeles in late 1962. Their debut album, “Surfbeat,” is the biggest-selling instrumental surf album of all time, and helped bring surf music to the rest of the world.
8
The Surfaris
Formed in Glendora, California in 1962, they are best known for the 1963 hit "Wipe Out” (which is quite possibly the surfiest surf song of all time).
9
The Beach Boys
On the beach, of course.
10
The Ventures
This instrumental surf rock band formed in 1958 in Tacoma, Washington. With over 100 million records sold, the group is the best-selling instrumental band of all time, and they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2008.
11
The Atlantics
This Australian surf band was founded in 1961. They were Australia's most successful of the genre, and most well known for their classic hit, "Bombora."
12
The Trashmen
The Trashmen are a rock band formed in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 1962. They’re best known for their biggest hit, 1963's "Surfin' Bird", which reached No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100.
