Surfin' U.S.A.

Surfin' U.S.A. is the second studio album released by American rock band the Beach Boys. It reached number two in the US, lasting 78 weeks on the albums chart, eventually being certified gold by the RIAA, and brought the group newfound national success. It was led by one single, its title track with the B-side "Shut Down". In the United Kingdom, the album was belatedly released in late 1965, reaching number 17.

The majority of the album's recording commenced in the first week of 1963, three months after the release of Surfin' Safari. Like the group's debut album, production was credited ostensibly to Capitol's representative for Artists and Repertoire, Nick Venet, although bandleader Brian Wilson was heavily involved in the album's composition. The album marks the beginning of his practice to doubletrack vocals, resulting in a fuller sound.

Background

In 1990, Brian Wilson reflected on Surfin' U.S.A. in liner notes which accompanied its first CD issue:

Front cover artwork

The photograph that adorns the front sleeve was taken by artist/photographer/surfer John Severson during January 1960, showing California-based waverider Leslie Williams riding the winter swell at Sunset Beach (Oahu) in Hawaii. Intended for the front cover of Severson's Surfer magazine, the original negative was damaged during the color separation process and couldn't appear in print. When Capitol Records requested a suitable photograph for the new Beach Boys album Severson fixed the damaged image and sold it to them.

Surfin' U.S.A. (song)

"Surfin' U.S.A." is a song with lyrics by Brian Wilson set to the music of "Sweet Little Sixteen," written by Chuck Berry. It was first recorded by Wilson's band the Beach Boys and released as a single on March 4, 1963, then appearing as the title track to their album Surfin' U.S.A. Also produced by Wilson, the single peaked at number two in the chart of the Music Vendor trade paper (within a year renamed Record World) and at number three on the Billboard and Cash Box charts. It was backed with "Shut Down".

Billboard ranked "Surfin' U.S.A." the number 2 song of 1963. It has since become emblematic of the California Sound. The song "Surfin' U.S.A." is part of the The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll list.

Composition

The song features Brian Wilson's surfing-related lyrics set to the music of Chuck Berry's "Sweet Little Sixteen". According to Wilson,

In 2015, Mike Love stated that "Surfin' U.S.A." was one of many Beach Boys songs he helped write but did not receive credit for.