Timeline of American Surf Music

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Timeline of American Surf Music
by Alex Cosper

1960 - The Ventures have an instrumental hit with their cover of "Walk Don't Run"
1960 - The Ventures have a top 15 hit with "Perfidia"
1960 - "Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini" by Brian Hyland is a number one hit
1961 - Dick Dale releases his first single "Let's Go Trippin'"
1962 - Beach Boys have their first big hit with "Surfin' Safari"
1962 - Dick Dale releases his signature song "Miserlou"
1962 - Dick Dale releases first album Surfers' Choice
1963 - Beach Party, featuring Dick Dale music, kicks off a wave of beach party films
1963 - "Pipeline" by The Chantay's is a top 5 hit
1963 - "Surf City" by Jan & Dean hits number one in July
1963 - "Surfin' USA" by the Beach Boys is a top 3 hit
1963 - "Surfer Girl" by the Beach Boys is a top 10 hit
1963 - The Surfaris have a massive surf anthem hit with "Wipeout"
1964 - Ventures released a new version of "Walk Don't Run" that becomes a big hit
1964 - Beach Boys continue their string of hits with "Fun, Fun, Fun" and "I Get Around"
1964 - Jan & Dean have a hit with the theme song for the film Ride the Wild Surf
1965 - "California Girls" by the Beach Boys helps popularize west coast pop culture
1966 - "Wipeout" by the Surfaris re-charts and is a hit again
1966 - "No Matter What Shape (Your Stomach's In)" by the T-Bones is a top 10 hit
1966 - "Good Vibrations" by the Beach Boys is considered an influential sonic masterpiece
1969 - The Ventures have a top 5 hit with the theme from the TV series "Hawaii Five-O"
1974 - The Endless Summer by the Beach Boys is a retrospective of their musical career
1976 - The Beach Boys return to the charts with the Chuck Berry cover "Rock and Roll Music"
1981 - "The Beach Boys Medley" in a top 15 hit
1983 - Dick Dale returns with his surf comeback album Tiger Loose
1987 - The Fat Boys and the Beach Boys have a major surf/rap hit with "Wipeout"
1988 - The Beach Boys have their first #1 hit in two decades with "Kokomo"
1993 - Dick Dale releases Tribal Thunder album
1994 - Dick Dale appears on the Pulp Fiction soundtrack
1994 - Dick Dale releases Unknown Territory
1994 - Rhino releases the Cowabunga Surf Box Set
1996 - Dick Dale releases Calling Up Spirits