50 Best Rock Songs About the Beach

Best Rock Tracks for a Beach Vibe

There’s a strange kind of tension at the shoreline. It’s not exactly relaxation, not quite chaos, but something stuck between sunscreen haze and the sound of waves eating away at the day. Sand sticks to everything, coolers never close right, and the air tastes faintly like salt and cheap beer. Then a guitar riff kicks in and the whole place shifts. Some of these tracks were written with the ocean in mind, others only stumbled into the vibe, but the feeling lines up anyway. The mix of heat, noise, and possibility hangs there with every chord.

The beach is messy in the way summer always is. People lean too hard into the fun, radios crackle at the edge of distortion, and someone’s speaker is way louder than it should be. These songs thrive in that blur, from surf-rock swagger to arena anthems that somehow sound better with sand under your feet. They carry the wild pulse of long days that collapse into humid nights, the same kind of energy that fuels playlists across pop, rock, country, and R&B songs. Not every track talks about waves or tides, but they sit in that restless space and let the beach energy spill out.

You don’t need a postcard version of the coast for these to land. It could be a late drive with windows rolled down, a bonfire flickering unevenly, or a lazy afternoon with nothing planned. The guitars crunch, the hooks stretch out, and suddenly it feels like the ocean’s there even if it’s miles away. Here are the best rock songs for a beach vibe that fit perfectly into reels and stories.

1. 'Surf City' by Jan & Dean

2. 'Surfin' U.S.A.' by The Beach Boys

3. 'Rockaway Beach' by Ramones

4. 'Wipe Out' by The Surfaris

5. 'Island in the Sun' by Weezer

6. '(Sittin' on) The Dock of the Bay' by Otis Redding

7. 'Kokomo' by The Beach Boys

8. 'King of the Beach' by Wavves

9. 'Surf Wax America' by Weezer

10. 'Santeria' by Sublime

11. 'California Sun' by The Rivieras

12. 'Pipeline' by The Chantays

13. 'Under the Boardwalk' by The Drifters

14. 'Surfin' Bird' by The Trashmen

15. 'I Live For The Sun' by The Sunrays

16. 'Let's Go Trippin'' by Dick Dale & His Del-Tones

17. 'Endless Summer' by The Super Stocks

18. 'Catch a Wave' by The Beach Boys

19. 'Walk Don't Run' by The Ventures

20. 'Misirlou' by Dick Dale & His Del-Tones

21. 'Summer of '69' by Bryan Adams

22. 'Summer of Love' by The B-52s

23. 'California Girls' by The Beach Boys

24. 'Seaside' by The Kooks

25. 'Here Comes the Sun' by The Beatles

26. 'Redondo Beach' by Patti Smith Group

27. 'The Ocean' by Led Zeppelin

28. 'Ocean Avenue' by Yellowcard

29. 'Beachcomber' by ? & The Mysterians

30. 'Echo Beach' by Martha and the Muffins

31. 'In the Summertime' by Mungo Jerry

32. 'Hot Fun in the Summertime' by Sly & The Family Stone

33. 'Cruel Summer' by Bananarama

34. 'The Boys of Summer' by Don Henley

35. 'Rock Lobster' by The B-52s

36. 'The Tide Is High' by Blondie

37. 'Beach Baby' by First Class

38. 'Surfer Girl' by The Beach Boys

39. 'Beach House' by The Chainsmokers

40. 'Tiny Town' by The Dead Milkmen

41. 'Dancin' Days' by Led Zeppelin

42. 'Malibu' by Hole

43. 'Take Me to the River' by Talking Heads

44. 'Swallowed Whole' by Pearl Jam

45. 'Only the Ocean' by Jack Johnson

46. 'Ocean Man' by Ween

47. 'Atlantic City' by Bruce Springsteen

48. 'Golden Brown' by The Stranglers

49. 'Dancing In The Street' by Van Halen

50. 'California' by Phantom Planet