March 4, 1963 –
The Beach Boys released Surfin’ U.S.A. a song with lyrics by Brian Wilson set to the music of Sweet Little Sixteen, written by Chuck Berry. Billboard ranked Surfin’ U.S.A. the No. 1 song of 1963.
Many of the early Beach Boys’ songs were about surfing. Dennis Wilson was the only Beach Boy who actually surfed, but surfing was a very popular at the time, especially with teenagers who bought records. For The Beach Boys, the surfing subculture gave them an opportunity to write songs about adventure and fun while exploring vocal harmonies and new production techniques. And while the majority of Americans didn’t surf, the songs represented California, which was considered new and modern and a great place to be. Surfing, and California by extension, became more about a state of mind.
Demand Euphoria!
The Haus of Dcaligari 