@highstreetrock: Arguably one of their most popular songs, “Surfin’ U.S.A.” was released by The Beach Boys in March of 1963. The tune was massively successful, ranking number three on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. The surf rock tune embodies the culture of Southern California, which was and still is a haven for surfers and beach enthusiasts. Several famous surfing spots are mentioned including Del Mar, Santa Cruz, and Pacific Palisades. The song is inspired by Chuck Berry’s “Sweet Little Sixteen”, which if compared side by side, are strikingly similar. Beach Boys bassist Brian Wilson was listed as the only songwriter when the song was released, but after Berry caught wind of this he demanded that he received credit for coming up with the melody of the song. In order to avoid an expensive lawsuit, Murray Wilson (the father of band members Brian, Carl, and Dennis and also The Beach Boys manager), handed over the publishing royalties to Arc Music. After the dispute was settled, Berry was given credit and listed as a songwriter. As the story goes, apparently The Beach Boys didn’t realize they weren’t receiving royalties from the song until 25 years later! Despite receiving no royalties, Brian Wilson never held anything against Berry, as he was a huge fan and admired his music. Brian’s brother Carl even mentioned that the band, “ran into Berry in Copenhagen and he told us he loves Surfin’ U.S.A.”. It seems Berry had a change in heart after receiving the credit he deserved. This 60’s classic remains an anthem for SoCal and helped define the genre of surf rock. Like and follow for more oldies! #thebeachboys #surfinusa #fyp #oldies #rocknroll #60smusic #surfrock

Richie & The High St Rockers

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Monday 05 May 2025 12:33:49 GMT