50 Best Tropical Beach Songs for IG Reels & Stories

Best Songs for a Tropical Beach Vibe on Instagram Reels and Stories

There’s a certain headspace that hits when the shoreline stretches out in front of you. Salt on your skin, flip-flops dragging through the sand, and that hum of waves that turns into background noise until the right track cuts through. It might not be a song that literally mentions beaches, but it slips into the moment anyway. The playlist for this kind of scene doesn’t need polish. It needs sunburnt energy, lazy confidence, or a bassline that feels like iced rum in the heat.

Not every tropical vibe feels like calm sunsets and coconut drinks. Some moments are messy, like too many bodies packed on the sand around a speaker that keeps crackling, or that restless pulse when the afternoon lingers too long. The right songs lean into that energy instead of trying to fix it. You’ll hear breezy hooks pretending everything’s carefree, or pop, rock, country, and R&B songs that carry their own heat even when the lyrics point somewhere else. Some tracks sound like escape, others sound like trouble brewing with a smile, and all of them click when played against the roll of surf in the background.

These picks thrive in quick clips where the visuals are more chaotic than curated. A reel of tangled hair in the wind, a story of half-spilled cocktails, a shot of someone running barefoot through sand that’s already too hot to stand still. The tracks hold the energy of sunburnt afternoons and midnight swims, not the picture-perfect postcard. Here are the best tropical beach songs for Instagram reels and stories.

1. 'Kokomo' by The Beach Boys

2. 'Three Little Birds' by Bob Marley & The Wailers

3. 'Margaritaville' by Jimmy Buffett

4. 'Island in the Sun' by Weezer

5. 'Riptide' by Vance Joy

6. 'Malibu' by Miley Cyrus

7. 'Under the Boardwalk' by The Drifters

8. 'Toes' by Zac Brown Band

9. 'Steal My Sunshine' by Len

10. 'Soak Up The Sun' by Sheryl Crow

11. 'Don't Worry, Be Happy' by Bobby McFerrin

12. 'The Lazy Song' by Bruno Mars

13. 'Good Vibrations' by The Beach Boys

14. 'Red Red Wine' by UB40

15. 'Here Comes the Sun' by The Beatles

16. 'The Tide Is High' by Blondie

17. 'Stir It Up' by Bob Marley

18. 'Walkin' on the Sun' by Smash Mouth

19. 'Brown Eyed Girl' by Van Morrison

20. 'One Love/People Get Ready' by Bob Marley & The Wailers

21. 'Summer of '69' by Bryan Adams

22. 'Surfin' USA' by The Beach Boys

23. 'Cooler Than Me' by Mike Posner

24. 'Hot Stuff' by Donna Summer

25. 'Is This Love' by Bob Marley & The Wailers

26. 'I'm Yours' by Jason Mraz

27. 'Escape (The Piña Colada Song)' by Rupert Holmes

28. 'Get Lucky' by Daft Punk

29. 'Cruel Summer' by Ace of Base

30. 'Summertime Sadness' by Lana Del Rey

31. 'Walkin' on Sunshine' by Katrina & The Waves

32. 'Summertime' by DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince

33. 'The Girl from Ipanema' by Stan Getz & João Gilberto

34. 'Golden' by Harry Styles

35. 'Hey, Soul Sister' by Train

36. 'California Gurls' by Katy Perry

37. 'September' by Earth, Wind & Fire

38. 'Sunset Lover' by Petit Biscuit

39. 'Watermelon Sugar' by Harry Styles

40. 'Walking On A Dream' by Empire of the Sun

41. 'Sweat (A La La La La Long)' by Inner Circle

42. 'Could You Be Loved' by Bob Marley & The Wailers

43. 'Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)' by Harry Belafonte

44. 'Wipe Out' by The Surfaris

45. 'O-o-h Child' by The Five Stairsteps

46. 'Come Away With Me' by Norah Jones

47. 'Groovin'' by The Young Rascals

48. 'The Boys of Summer' by Don Henley

49. 'Get Up, Stand Up' by Bob Marley & The Wailers

50. 'Heat Waves' by Glass Animals