Whether you’re daydreaming about warm sand or actually planning your next trip to the shore, songs about the beach capture the feeling of escape, love, and laid-back fun. These aren’t metaphorical songs about food or anything abstract. This list focuses on literal beach settings, complete with waves, sand, and sunscreen.
Be sure to check out the Songs About the Beach Playlist at the bottom of this page.
Best Songs About the Beach
1. “Under the Boardwalk” – The Drifters
Lyric Sample: “On a blanket with my baby is where I’ll be.”
This soul classic is about sneaking away to a shady spot by the ocean, mixing young love with the sounds and smells of the shore. It’s one of the most recognizable beach songs ever recorded.
Related: Best Songs About Summer
2. “Somewhere on a Beach” – Dierks Bentley
Lyric Sample: “I’m somewhere on a beach, sippin’ somethin’ strong, got a new girl, she got it goin’ on.”
Bentley turns a breakup into a beach vacation in this country track, using sun and sand to shake off an ex. It’s a carefree middle finger to heartbreak.
3. “Kokomo” – The Beach Boys
Lyric Sample: “Aruba, Jamaica, ooh I wanna take you.”
With a list of dream destinations and a steel-drum vibe, this late-career hit helped bring the Beach Boys back into the spotlight. It’s pure vacation fantasy.
4. “Beach House” – Carly Rae Jepsen
Lyric Sample: “I’ve got a beach house in Malibu and I’m probably gonna hurt your feelings.”
Carly Rae Jepsen blends humor and disappointment in this pop song that pokes fun at modern dating. The beach setting makes the whole thing feel sunnier than it really is.
5. “Cabin by the Sea” – Dirty Heads
Lyric Sample: “Picture you and me in the cabin by the sea, you paint the fence, I’ll hang the tire from the tree.”
This reggae-hip hop hybrid is all about building a beachside life with your closest friends. With sand, porch hangs, and firelight, it paints a clear picture of peace by the ocean.
6. “Sand in My Boots” – Morgan Wallen
Lyric Sample: “She left her flip-flops by my Red Wings on the beach.”
This country ballad uses a beach fling as the spark that leaves a mark long after the sand is gone. It’s full of longing for something that couldn’t last.
7. “Echo Beach” – Martha and the Muffins
Lyric Sample: “From nine to five I have to spend my time at work, my job is very boring, I’m an office clerk.”
This new wave track contrasts the dullness of office life with the dream of being at the beach instead. It’s literal, relatable, and backed by synths that made it a standout in the ’80s.
8. “Knee Deep” – Zac Brown Band ft. Jimmy Buffett
Lyric Sample: “Only worry in the world is the tide gonna reach my chair.”
This country collaboration follows a man who walks away from heartbreak and stress, choosing the ocean as his escape plan. The beach becomes his version of therapy, with nothing but sun, water, and peace of mind.
9. “Rockaway Beach” – Ramones
Lyric Sample: “It’s not hard, not far to reach, we can hitch a ride to Rockaway Beach.”
This punk classic is all about ditching the city for a quick escape to the sand. It’s simple, loud, and makes the beach sound like the only place that matters.
10. “Beachin’” – Jake Owen
Lyric Sample: “Sunshine, blue eyes, tan lines, it’s low tide, rolling white sand, cold can koozie in my hand.”
This country hit paints a full scene of a carefree beach day, from cold drinks to reggae bands. It’s all sun, sand, and slow dancing in the heat.
11. “Malibu” – Miley Cyrus
Lyric Sample: “We watched the sun go down as we were walking, I’d spent the rest of my life standing here talking.”
This pop track finds Miley at her most mellow, embracing a slower, sweeter life on the coast. It’s a gentle look at peace found in unexpected places.
12. “Beach Baby” – First Class
Lyric Sample: “Beach baby, beach baby, there on the sand, from July till the end of September.”
This ’70s tune captures a summertime romance that didn’t make it past Labor Day. The harmonies and surf-rock touches keep it feeling light and catchy.
13. “Toes” – Zac Brown Band
Lyric Sample: “I got my toes in the water, ass in the sand.”
Zac Brown Band returns with a song that follows a man who ditches real-life stress for a beach escape filled with booze, sun, and zero responsibility. It’s a modern country favorite built around getting away from it all, barefoot.
14. “Seaside” – The Kooks
Lyric Sample: “Do you want to go to the seaside?”
This acoustic indie track tells the story of wanting to escape with someone to the beach and spend time together. It captures the calm and closeness found by the water.
15. “Down at the Lah De Dah” – Jimmy Buffett
Lyric Sample: “Down at the Lah De Dah, there’s a perfect margarita in a Mason jar.”
Buffett delivers another slice of island life, this time with a made-up beach club that sounds more real with each verse. The whole thing feels like a postcard from nowhere.
16. “Island in the Sun” – Weezer
Lyric Sample: “On an island in the sun, we’ll be playin’ and havin’ fun.”
Weezer’s chillest hit gives the beach a soft indie rock glow. “Island in the Sun” is easy, breezy, and built for background play on road trips to the shore.
Related: Best Songs About Sunshine
17. “Beach Party” – Annette Funicello
Lyric Sample: “Nothin’ is greater than the sand, surf, and salt air, unrack our boards just as soon as we get there.”
This classic ’60s pop song captures the excitement of a beach day filled with surfing and hanging out. It celebrates the fun and freedom of a perfect beach party.
18. “The Beach” – All Time Low
Lyric Sample: “Well, you’re a long walk from my street, and I’m dying in this summer heat.”
This pop-punk track captures the mix of longing and freedom tied to summer days at the beach. It’s about holding onto those moments even as seasons change.
Related: Brit Awards – Song of the Year
19. “On the Beach” – Chris Rea
Lyric Sample: “Between the eyes of love, I call your name, behind the guarded walls I used to go.”
This smooth soft rock song invites listeners to revisit a peaceful place by the sea filled with memories and calm. It’s about the pull of the beach as a place to hold on to special moments.
20. “Cool Down” – Kolohe Kai
Lyric Sample: “So we should go beach now, cool down where the water’s right.”
This reggae song captures the need to escape the heat by heading to the beach and enjoying the waves. It’s a call to relax and recharge in a laid-back Hawaiian setting.
21. “Coastline” – Hollow Coves
Lyric Sample: “I’m leaving home for the coastline, some place under the sun.”
This indie folk song describes escaping to a peaceful beach spot to start fresh and enjoy simple moments. It’s about freedom, new beginnings, and the calming power of the sea.
22. “When the Sun Goes Down” – Kenny Chesney & Uncle Kracker
Lyric Sample: “When the sun goes down, we’ll be groovin’.”
This feel-good country-pop track is about the transformation that happens when daytime ends and the beach becomes a party zone. It’s all about letting loose with your toes in the sand.
23. “One Foot on Sand” – Justin Young
Lyric Sample: “Sense of freedom over the sea, but I watch my home, get further from me.”
This song blends English and Hawaiian, expressing the feeling of being away while staying connected to the beach and home. It’s about holding onto roots even when life takes you far.
24. “At the Beach” – The Avett Brothers
Lyric Sample: “Sand beneath our feet, big blue sky above our heads.”
This folk-rock song captures moments of joy and escape spent at the shore with loved ones. It’s about setting aside life’s worries to enjoy time by the ocean.
25. “Barefoot on the Beach” – Michael Franks
Lyric Sample: “Barefoot on the beach, warmed by the subtropic sun, easily seduced.”
This smooth tune invites you to a relaxed beachside getaway where everything slows down. It’s about enjoying simple pleasures with someone special by the water.
26. “Some Beach” – Blake Shelton
Lyric Sample: “There’s a big umbrella casting shade over an empty chair.”
Shelton turns the phrase into a clever escape from daily stress. “Some Beach” is full of classic country sarcasm with a warm-weather twist.
27. “Island Song” – Zac Brown Band
Lyric Sample: “Can anybody here pass me a beer, and I might keep playing this music that you hear.”
This upbeat country tune invites listeners to unwind at a beachside party with friends, drinks, and steel drums. It’s about letting go, dancing by the bonfire, and enjoying island life to the fullest.
28. “White Sandy Beach of Hawaiʻi” – Israel Kamakawiwoʻole
Lyric Sample: “The sound of the ocean soothes my restless soul.”
This Hawaiian song evokes peaceful moments spent with a loved one on the beach. It’s about warmth, comfort, and the lasting calm that comes from being by the ocean.
29. “Beach Cowboy” – Brian Kelley
Lyric Sample: “Yeah, they call me beach cowboy, sand cruiser, fat tire, turquoise.”
This upbeat country song mixes beach vibes with wild west swagger. It’s about living freely by the shore, having fun, and blending cowboy spirit with coastal life.
Why Do So Many Great Songs Happen at the Beach?
There’s something about the beach that pushes everything else away. It’s a place where people fall in love, get over breakups, drink too much, and forget the calendar exists. That’s why you’ll find it across genres, from punk to pop to country. These aren’t metaphors or fantasies. They’re real songs about real moments, toes in the sand and all.
Want more lists like this? Check out our Songs About Summer, Songs About Sunshine, or Songs About Alcohol lists.
