Kicking things off with the famed ~lost~ Beach Boys concert from 1964 (https://youtu.be/5a4YupnT1sM?si=cdHk1GMnRmFJU_ct) both b/c they’re the kings of surf rock and in remembrance of the dearly missed Brian, Carl and Dennis Wilson
#RetroView #RIPBrianWilson #BeachBoys
THE BEACH BOYS THE LOST CONCERT 1964

YouTube
Next we have Ernie Cruz Jr. and Troy Fernandez AKA the contemporary Hawaiian 90s duo The Ka’au Crater Boys with “Surf” (https://tinyurl.com/y42yxsxb) from their 1993 album “Valley Style” ( https://tinyurl.com/2zmbzayf)
#RetroView #KaauCraterBoys
The Chantays with “Move It” (https://tinyurl.com/vcbt54b2), which is the b-side to their most popular song: 1963’s “Pipeline” (https://tinyurl.com/4jzb2ehm). They have a plaque on Hollywood's Rock Walk
#RetroView #TheChantays
Next is legendary Shawnee rock and roll rebel Link Wray with the late 50s jam “Slinky” (https://tinyurl.com/r3c7zw7p). While not explicitly a surf rock musician a good deal of his music has beach-y vibes
#RetroView #LinkWray
Tokyo, Japan’s The Surf Coasters with their cover of surf rock legend Dick Dale’s iconic “Misirlou” (https://tinyurl.com/32kms2z5). You can check out some of their live shows for free on InternetArchive (https://archive.org/details/SurfCoasters)
#RetroView #TheSurfCoasters
Then middle aged surf rock legend Dick Dale with “Nitro” (https://tinyurl.com/mtx6ph6m) from his 1993 album “Tribal Thunder” (https://tinyurl.com/36usxxse), which was his first album of new songs in nearly 30yrs!
#RetroView #DickDale
The Space Cossacks are Washington D.C.’s premier surf rock quartet. Here they are with “Red Sunrise” (https://tinyurl.com/4aku28hv) They’ve been at it since the mid90s and show no signs of slowing down, their latest album is a pair of split EPs released in May 2025
#RetroView #TheSpaceCossacks
“Ocean Beach” (https://tinyurl.com/yd8r76x5) by San Francisco’s The Mermen. This is from their second album, 1994’s “Food for Other Fish” (https://tinyurl.com/y37k4ny3) They’re still at it and gigging around. Their most recent album is 2021’s “Splendeurs Et Miseres”(https://tinyurl.com/5a9r63js)
#RetroView #TheMermen
Next is Takeshi Terauchi And The Bunnys with “Kanjincho” (https://tinyurl.com/mpeufu48) from their 1967 album “Seichô Terauchi Bushi” (https://tinyurl.com/5n8s9pu9) Takeshi Terauchi is considered to be one of the most influential Japanese surf rock musicians
#RetroView #TakeshiTerauchi #TakeshiTerauchiAndTheBunnys
In fact, here’s two-time Polaris Music Prize nominated Japanese-Canadian psychedelic surf rock band TEKE::TEKE with their cover of Takeshi Terauchi’s “Chidori” (https://tinyurl.com/54kw7e24). They’re actually started off as a Takeshi Terauchi tribute band!
#RetroView #TEKETEKE #TakeshiTerauchi
The Flirts were an 80s girl group. “[Bop Bop] On the Beach” is their collaboration with surf rock legends Jan & Dean (https://tinyurl.com/msx29y63) from the soundtrack to the first “Karate Kid” movie (https://tinyurl.com/mv6b7yza)
#RetroView #TheFlirts #JanAndDean
The Sun Eggs were an Olympia, Washington surf rock band in the early 00s that called it a day back in late 2015. “Shark to Blood” (https://tinyurl.com/mr3ft522) isn’t on any of their releases but was rumored to have been written for a future album that never came to fruition
#RetroView #SunEggs
Japanese rock legends The 5678s, who most will recognize from the first “Kill Bill” film (https://tinyurl.com/mr34pepr) They’ve been at it for nearly 40yrs and have no plans to stop anytime soon. This is “The Dance in the Avenue A” (https://tinyurl.com/3n9mwcn6) from 1997’s “Pin Heel Stomp” (https://tinyurl.com/yty68e96)
#RetroView #The5678s
Finnish gothabilly (AKA surf rock with spider webs painted on the sides) band The Messer Chups with “Magneto” (https://tinyurl.com/4junzaky). Their most recent album is May 2025’s “Don't Worry, Be Creepy EP” (https://tinyurl.com/ry2xy5f5)
#RetroView #TheMesserChups
The Sandals are an early 60s surf rock band most famous for their score for the 1966 surfing documentary “The Endless Summer” (which can be watched for free on TUBI: https://tinyurl.com/ye28zzys) This is the theme from that (https://youtu.be/hg4FvOi-N18?si=40d8DkOh8JvjOeOp). The Soundtrack is available here (https://tinyurl.com/4n5vhkb5)
#RetroView #TheSandals #TheEndlessSummer
#RetroView favorite The Surfragettes return with their cover of “Spice Up Your Life” by The Spice Girls (https://tinyurl.com/bjsb7y2u) You can check out their 2024 album “Easy as Pie” here (https://tinyurl.com/23cx9kan)
#TheSurfagettes #SpiceGirls
Early NYC rockers Santo and Johnny with “Caravan” and “Summertime” (https://tinyurl.com/4zud7b3e) from their 1959 self titled debut album.
#RetroView #SantoAndJohnny
Shannon and The Clams are a garage band from Oakland. This is “Ozma” (https://tinyurl.com/y6javj4e) from their 2013 album “Dreams in the Rat House” (https://tinyurl.com/4nt35bf4)
#RetroView #ShannonAndTheClams
The Ventures with “Walk, Don’t Run” (https://tinyurl.com/43p5n3pe) their hit single from their 1960 album of the same name (https://tinyurl.com/mr48evm3) There’s a recent documentary about them on TUBI (https://tinyurl.com/46tkcv66)
#RetroView #TheVentures
A surf rock playlist without Jan and Dean? Not on my watch! Here’s “Surf City” (https://tinyurl.com/45mpxz3n), which was written by Brian Wilson and Jan Berry for Jan and Dean’s 1963 album (https://tinyurl.com/yw4aujwf)
#RetroView #JanAndDean #RIPBrianWilson #BrianWilson
Seattle’s all female surf rock band La Luz with “Call in the Day” (https://tinyurl.com/3zbaezey) from their 2013 debut album “It’s Alive” (https://tinyurl.com/mukxd2wc). Their most recent album is 2024’s “News of the Universe” (https://tinyurl.com/mr6hr37b)
#RetroView #LaLuz