Surfin' U.S.A. is a song by the American rock band The Beach Boys, released as a single on March 4, 1963 and opening track of the album Surfin' U.S.A. The tune is a rewritten version of Chuck Berry's Sweet Little Sixteen with new surfing lyrics written by Brian Wilson and an uncredited Mike Love; Berry's publisher Arc Music owned the copyright. It blends surf music with rock and roll, runs about 2 minutes and 29 seconds, and was issued by Capitol Records produced by Nick Venet after being recorded January 5, 1963 at Western Studio in Hollywood. The single rose to number three on the Billboard Hot 100 and number two on the Music Vendor/Record World chart, and Billboard named it the number one song of 1963. The lyrics name a string of surfing spots mainly in California, with mentions such as Del Mar, Santa Cruz, Trestles, Swami's, Pacific Palisades, and Waimea Bay, showcasing the California Surf culture. Surfin' U.S.A. helped establish the Beach Boys as leading exponents of the California Sound and became a staple of their live shows.
