Check Out This Summery Playlist Full of the Best Beach Songs
It doesn't take too much persuasion to get people excited for a beach trip. The thought of taking a dip in the ocean, having your toes in the sand, and reading an easy-breezy beach read alone is enough to raise anyone's spirits! Whether you're venturing to the beach for Memorial Day or 4th of July weekend, a great way to keep that coastline momentum is by listening to a bunch of beach-y summer songs ahead of time. There are plenty of great tunes to get the job done, so listen to this list of the best beach songs.
Ahead, you'll find a collection of the best songs about the beach or for the beach that capture that wide-open ocean mood. If you're looking for a '60s California sound, The Beach Boys have tons of classics to tide (😂) you over, with tunes like "Catch a Wave" or "Surfin' U.S.A." Anyone looking to stack their playlist with country songs can find plenty of those here, too, including The Avett Brothers and Blake Shelton. And a list of beach songs wouldn't be complete without the '50s style bop about summer love from Ree Drummond's favorite movie musical, Grease. Grab your straw hats, towels, and swimsuits, and turn up the tunes!
"Surf City" by Jan & Dean
It's a surfer's world, and we're just living in it! That's what it feels like come summertime, anyway. Head to Surf City with Jan & Dean by blasting this carefree tune before each beach trip!
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"I'm Yours" by Jason Mraz
If Jason Mraz's music could be described in a couple of words, "beach music" would be the first thing that comes to mind. There's just something about his voice and his use of acoustic instruments that will have you ready to bask in the sun by the oceanside.
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"Beyond the Sea" by Bobby Darin
"Somewhere beyond the sea... she's there watching for me." Send these lyrics to your BFFs the next time you want to plan a beach day, and they'll immediately get the memo.
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“San Francisco” by The Mowgli’s
Do you think The Mowgli’s knew they created the ultimate road-trip-to-the-beach hit when they made this song? The upbeat melody will cheer you up even on the cloudiest days, and the lyrics are definitely belt-worthy.
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"Rockaway Beach" by The Ramones
Every beach deserves its own anthem. Thank goodness Rockaway Beach had The Ramones to take care of this task! If your favorite spot doesn't yet have one, then maybe it's *your* time to shine! 😂
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"(Sittin' On) the Dock of the Bay" by Otis Redding
Going fishing or just lounging about on a slow summer day? Otis Redding has a song just for those warm afternoons "watching the tide roll away."
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"Island in the Sun" by Weezer
The dorkiest guys in 2000s rock and roll composed one of the most chilled-out summer songs of their generation, exemplifying the SoCal vibe. It was a hit on the radio and one of the band's biggest hits ever outside the US, but the song almost didn't make it onto Weezer's self-titled album.
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"At the Beach" by The Avett Brothers
This Avett Brothers' song captures the healing power that going to the beach has for everybody. They talk about giving their worries to the sea and how the ocean lets us leave the stressful world behind.
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"Catch a Wave" by The Beach Boys
Close your eyes and let the upbeat beach pop hit carry you to the ocean! Like so many Beach Boys bops, this one is replete with gorgeous harmonies that sound like musical sunshine. It's a simple song that's all about surfing.
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"Under the Boardwalk" by The Drifters
Few songs capture the spirit of relaxation like this 1960s hit. Originally performed by The Drifters, "Under the Boardwalk" has been covered by innumerable artists and tells the story of a tryst between a man and a woman in a seaside town.
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"Some Beach" by Blake Shelton
Here's a feel-good country song to make you want to hop in the car and head to the sandy coast! It tells the story of a man who imagines "some beach, somewhere" that's waiting for him whenever life becomes frustrating.
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"When the Sun Goes Down" by K.Chesney and Kenny Chesney
This hit by K. Chesney has the upbeat feel of a Beach Boys song with the narrative fun of classic country. The first lyrics capture an afternoon staying at the beach perfectly, "Suntan toes ticklin' the sand / Cold drink chillin' in my right hand."
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"No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems" by Kenny Chesney
A lighthearted intro of guitar picking and strumming welcomes you into this song as Kenney continues to layer in keys, fiddle, and drums. It's a laid-back country song that reminds you that summer = no problems.
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"Soak Up the Sun" by Sheryl Crow
If you lived through the 2000s, this song was everywhere during summer. Sheryl Crow's fun alt-rock tune will get you hopping and dancing around and ready to go "soak up the sun."
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"California Gurls" by Katy Perry
Who could forget about Katy Perry's ode to Cali "gurls!" Perry's song comes from her album "Teenage Dream," and that's what the song evokes—an upbeat dream of being a glamorous, sun-soaked California kid.
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"Only the Ocean" by Jack Johnson
Jack Johnson, always the masterful lyricist, crafts a mellow acoustic song with the sweetest back story. "The sea is a place my father led me to, and it's a place I've taken my own children... when my father died, we took his ashes to the sea. The last song on the record is called 'Only the Ocean' and that's really a song for my father. Every time I go to the ocean now I feel like I'm visiting him."
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"Knee Deep" by Zac Brown Band
Hello, upbeat beach day! Zac Brown Band captures our feeling so well in the chorus to this summery song, "Wishing I was knee deep in the water somewhere / Got the blue sky breeze and it don't seem fair / Only worry in the world is the tide gonna reach my chair."
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"Surf Wax America" by Weezer
Listen to Weezer shred guitar while you shred that wave! This song is upbeat and just sounds like teenage summer angst. Weezer's lead singer was a huge Beach Boys fan, and their drummer told Billboard the song "tapped into that vibe a little, but in a more punk rock way."
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"The Boys of Summer" by Don Henley
Throw it back to the '80s with this synthy sun-drenched hit! It may be almost forty years since this tune first dropped, but it's still a quintessential summer song about clinging to love.
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"Surfin' U.S.A." by The Beach Boys
The moment the initial chords of "Surfin'" play, you just immediately know what song it is—that's how memorable this Beach Boys tune has proven. It became emblematic of the "California Sound" aesthetic and the American dream, as typified by surfboards, beach parties, and hamburger joints.
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"Toes" by Zac Brown Band
There's truly nothing better than your toes in the water, your bum in the sand, and a cold drink in your hand! Zac Brown Band celebrates leaving Georgia for a vacation where things are mellow and they're perfectly content.
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"New Light" by John Mayer
Turn up this funky John Mayer tune when you're relaxing at the beach. It's all about wanting to be more to someone than just a friend, as Mayer pines for one night to be seen "in a new light."
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"Cake By the Ocean" by DNCE
Okay, this dancey beach song may be by "DNCE," but it's fronted by Joe Jonas. It has a very funny backstory about a mistranslation by the band's Swedish producers (that shan't be mentioned here), but Jonas then turned the mistake into a euphemism.
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"Summer Nights" by John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John
A beach playlist wouldn't be complete without this Grease song! It's a quintessential song of summer love and tells the story of how Danny and Sandy met by the ocean. "Summer loving had me a blast / Summer loving happened so fast," the pair sing.
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"Margaritaville" by Jimmy Buffett
Spend the season by the beach with Mr. Jimmy Buffett. Another laid-back tune, this time about someone with nowhere to go and out of luck with a woman. They stay by the beach "watchin' the sun bake all of those tourists."
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