In July 1963, Jan and Dean’s “Surf City” spent two weeks at Number One on the Billboard Hot 100, marking the first surf‑rock anthem to top the charts. Co‑written by Brian Wilson, the song celebrates an idyllic place where every day feels like a party—and there are two girls for every boy.
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In the rock’n’roll era just prior to the Beatles’ US invasion, surf culture captured the national imagination through films such as Beach Party, starring Annette Funicello and Frankie Avalon, and music featuring fierce guitarists like Dick Dale and novelty hits such as the Surfaris’ “Wipe Out”. Yet it was Brian Wilson’s own band, the Beach Boys, that truly spearheaded this movement. Their debut single, “Surfin’”, released in late 1961, doubled as a mission statement: “Surfin’ is the only life, the only way for me.” The band presented themselves in wholesome magazine ads—matching plaid shirts, surfboards in hand—harmonising sweetly with polished warmth.
By summer 1963, the Beach Boys’ second album, Surfin’ USA, had climbed to Number Four in the album charts, and its title track became a top‑five hit thanks to its catchy riffs, sense of style, and nods to California spots like Redondo Beach and La Jolla. For Wilson and his bandmates, the Golden State symbolised cool—and yet the song emphasised inclusivity: if you arrived, you belonged.
Wilson’s lyrics often painted bucolic scenes of California—glossy cars in “Little Deuce Coupe” and “Shut Down”, the most attractive women in “California Girls”, and perfect waves in “Catch a Wave”. These tracks evoked sun‑drenched postcards of coastal car journeys, surf days, and innocent romance. Importantly, Wilson celebrated California as a sanctuary from political turmoil and cultural upheaval.
However, Wilson wasn’t blind to the wider world. The Warmth of the Sun, written after the assassination of John F. Kennedy in 1963, is not a political song but a melancholic breakup track in which the heartbroken narrator finds comfort in the sunshine—demonstrating his capacity to transform grief into subtle optimism.
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In both modest and grander ways, Wilson positioned California as the land of possibilities: songs like “Surfer Girl” echo the wistful magic of “When You Wish Upon a Star”, and “In My Room” recalls his early moments teaching his brothers Carl and Dennis to harmonise. “Noble Surfer” embodies resilience, a hero mastering nature’s unpredictability.
Moreover, Wilson explored the sonic possibilities of Californian pop. His third Beach Boys album, Surfer Girl (1963), featured arrangements by LA session legends the Wrecking Crew and even a harp on “Catch a Wave”. Then came Pet Sounds, inspired by Phil Spector’s lush LA productions, which laid the groundwork for kaleidoscopic pop such as the 1968 Beach Boys album Friends.
Despite his battles with mental health and substance abuse, Wilson continued to revisit those early beach‑side dreams. In the early 1970s song “California Feelin’”, he sings:
“Sunlight chased my cares away / The sun dances through the morning sky.”
Decades later, his solo concept album That Lucky Old Sun explored Los Angeles in all its moods—most notably in “Southern California”:
“In Southern California / Dreams wake up for you / And when you wake up here / You wake up everywhere.”
Dedicated to capturing romantic, film‑like days by the ocean, the song opens with Wilson recalling—and realising—his youthful dream: singing surf songs on the radio with his brothers.
Wilson toured with the Beach Boys until 2012 and retired from solo performances in 2022. His influence resonates worldwide—from the Elephant 6 collective and New York punks like the Ramones, to California revivalists like Best Coast and the ambitious pop of Fleetwood Mac, surf‑rock revivalists like Wavves, and chamber‑pop groups like the Wondermints. Numerous hip‑hop artists have sampled the band, Beyoncé interpolated “Good Vibrations” in Cowboy Carter’s “Ya Ya”, and French duo Air sampled “Do It Again”.
Wilson’s music has also peppered films (Happy Feet, Good Morning, Vietnam, The Big Chill) and television (The Bear, WandaVision, Ted Lasso, Full House), establishing the Beach Boys as the quintessential emblem of sunny California.
Today, Surf City as Wilson imagined it is real: Huntington Beach officially became Surf City USA in 2006. Meanwhile, the Beach Boys continue to tour, perpetuating Wilson’s sun‑soaked stories. Upon his death, the band reflected on their shared legacy:
“Together, we gave the world the American dream of optimism, joy, and a sense of freedom… Music that made people feel good, made them believe in summer and endless possibilities.”
