25 Best Beach Songs for Your Summer Playlist

Here’s a quintessential summer listen! Sampling iconic tracks like Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Sweet Home Alabama” and Warren Zevon’s “Werewolves of London,” it’s a nostalgic sing-along anthem that blends rock, country, and a touch of hip-hop for plenty of fun.

Play this heartfelt and dreamy track during relaxing, mellow moments by the water. It’s a pop-folk personal ode to love and a fresh start, inspired by life in the scenic beauty of Malibu.

You can’t help but bop to this Grammy-winning anthem, which is an irresistible blend of retro-style production and feel-good pop lyrics that celebrate the sweetness of love and the joys of summer.

A seamless blend of country charm and breezy beats, this catchy tune will instantly transport you to a sun-soaked day of warm sand with a cold drink in hand.

With its upbeat rhythm and flirty lyrics, this dancy track feels like a summer fling in song form. It captures the feel of fun escapades in the sun with the beach as a backdrop.

You might not want to get caught in a riptide, but you’ll sure want to listen to this song by Vance Joy. The melody will have you craving a car ride t0 the beach with the windows down.

Pina Colada, anyone? You kind of have to have one when listening to this song! As a matter of fact, sipping on one while laying in the sand sounds like a perfect idea for summer.

No, there isn’t a beach mentioned in this 1996 song. That hardly matters, because the alternative and indie hit is synonymous with words like “chill” and “relaxing,” which is exactly how you want to feel when heading to the oceanside.

It’s a surfer’s world, and we’re just living in it! That’s what it feels like come summertime, anyway. Head to Surf City with Jan & Dean by blasting this carefree tune before each beach trip!

Every beach deserves its own anthem. Thank goodness Rockaway Beach had The Ramones to take care of this task! If your favorite spot doesn’t yet have one, then maybe it’s *your* time to shine! 😂

Going fishing or just lounging about on a slow summer day? Otis Redding has a song just for those warm afternoons “watching the tide roll away.”

The dorkiest guys in 2000s rock and roll composed one of the most chilled-out summer songs of their generation, exemplifying the SoCal vibe. It was a hit on the radio and one of the band’s biggest hits ever outside the US, but the song almost didn’t make it onto Weezer’s self-titled album.

This Avett Brothers’ song captures the healing power that going to the beach has for everybody. They talk about giving their worries to the sea and how the ocean lets us leave the stressful world behind.

Close your eyes and let the upbeat beach pop hit carry you to the ocean! Like so many Beach Boys bops, this one is replete with gorgeous harmonies that sound like musical sunshine. It’s a simple song that’s all about surfing.

Few songs capture the spirit of relaxation like this 1960s hit. Originally performed by The Drifters, “Under the Boardwalk” has been covered by innumerable artists and tells the story of a tryst between a man and a woman in a seaside town.

Here’s a feel-good country song to make you want to hop in the car and head to the sandy coast! It tells the story of a man who imagines “some beach, somewhere” that’s waiting for him whenever life becomes frustrating.

This hit by K. Chesney has the upbeat feel of a Beach Boys song with the narrative fun of classic country. The first lyrics capture an afternoon staying at the beach perfectly, “Suntan toes ticklin’ the sand / Cold drink chillin’ in my right hand.”

A lighthearted intro of guitar picking and strumming welcomes you into this song as Kenney continues to layer in keys, fiddle, and drums. It’s a laid-back country song that reminds you that summer = no problems.

If you lived through the 2000s, this song was everywhere during summer. Sheryl Crow’s fun alt-rock tune will get you hopping and dancing around and ready to go “soak up the sun.”

Hello, upbeat beach day! Zac Brown Band captures our feeling so well in the chorus to this summery song, “Wishing I was knee deep in the water somewhere / Got the blue sky breeze and it don’t seem fair / Only worry in the world is the tide gonna reach my chair.”