Surf-Rock Essentials

When surfing went from a sport to a cultural phenomenon in the early '60s, a new wave of rock 'n' roll came crashing onto the shore to go along with it. On one end of the spectrum were the instrumentals, where deeply twanging, reverb-soaked guitar riffs evoked the churning of the ocean underneath the waves (as on Dick Dale's blistering iconic track "Misirlou"). On the other were the acts that adapted surf-centric lyrics to the template of first-generation rockers like Chuck Berry, coming up with classics like The Beach Boys' immortal board-shorts anthem "Surfin' U.S.A." in the process.