100 Greatest Beach Music Songs
Criteria: These songs were ranked based upon their initial and lasting poularity among Beach Music fans, and on their impact and influence on Beach Music and its culture.
Greatest Beach Music Songs
1. Sixty Minute Man
Dominoes
2. Carolina Girls
General Johnson & the Chairmen of the Board
3. I Love Beach Music
Embers
4. Ms. Grace
Tymes
5. Summertime's Calling Me
Catalinas
Dominoes
2. Carolina Girls
General Johnson & the Chairmen of the Board
3. I Love Beach Music
Embers
4. Ms. Grace
Tymes
5. Summertime's Calling Me
Catalinas
6. Stay
Maurice Williams & the Zodiacs
7. My Girl
Temptations
8. Cool Me Out
Lamont Dozier
9. Under The Boardwalk
Drifters
10. Myrtle Beach Days
Fantastic Shakers
11. Brenda
O.C. Smith
12. One Mint Julep
Clovers
13. It Will Stand
Showmen
14. Rainy Day Bells
Globetrotters
15. Lady Soul
Temptations
16. Be Young, Be Foolish, Be Happy
Tams
17. You're More Than A Number In My Little Red Book
Drifters
18. Hey Baby
Bruce Channel
19. With This Ring
Platters
20. Nip Sip
Clovers
21. Party Time Man
Futures
22. Club Savoy
Rockin' Louie & The Mamma Jammers
23. Thank You John
Willie Tee
24. Think
The "5" Royales
25. (I'm Just Thinking About) Cooling Out
Jerry Butler
26. My Guy
Mary Wells
27. Come Get To This
Marvin Gaye
28. You Bring Out The Boogie In Me
Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee
29. Hello Stranger
Barbara Lewis
30. 39-21-46
Showmen
31. Green Eyes
Ravens
32. It Ain't No Big Thing
Radiants
33. Work With Me Annie
Midnighters
34. Anna
Arthur Alexander
35. Don't Drop It
Wilbert Harrison
36. It's All Right
Impressions
37. Baby I Need Your Lovin'
Four Tops
38. Good Rockin' Tonight
Wynonie Harris
39. I Got The Fever
Prophets
40. Just A Gigolo/I Ain't Got Nobody
Louis Prima
41. Safronia B
Calvin Boze
42. Going Back To Louisiana
Delbert McClinton
43. Zing Went The Strings Of My Heart
Coasters
44. This Old Heart Of Mine
Isley Brothers
45. Stubborn Kind Of Fellow
Marvin Gaye
46. You're So Fine
Falcons
47. Searchin'
Coasters
48. Drinkin' Wine Spo-Dee-O-Dee
Stick McGhee
49. The Entertainer
Tony Clarke
50. Lipstick Traces
Benny Spellman
51. She Shot A Hole In My Soul
Clifford Curry
52. Give Me Just A Little More Time
Chairmen Of The Board
53. Just One Look
Doris Troy
54. But It's Alright
J.J. Jackson
55. What Kind Of Fool (Do You Think I Am)
Tams
56. I Need Your Loving
Don Gardner & Dee Dee Ford
57. Easy Comin' Out (Hard Goin' In)
William Bell
58. Girl Watcher
O'Kaysions
59. White Cliffs Of Dover
Checkers
60. Annie Had A Baby
Midnighters
61. I Do Love You
Billy Stewart
62. A Quiet Place
Garnet Mimms & the Enchanters
63. Kissin' In The Back Row Of The Movies
Drifters
64. I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)
Four Tops
65. Meet Me With Your Black Drawers On
Gloria Hardiman
66. Something Old, Something New
Fantastics
67. It Started With A Kiss
Hot Chocolate
68. Kansas City
Wilbert Harrison
69. Shakin' The Shack
Fantastic Shakers
70. I Used To Cry Mercy, Mercy
Lamplighters
71. Walking Up A One Way Street
Willie Tee
72. Surely I Love You
Rosco Gordon
73. Kidnapper
Jewell & the Rubies
74. More Today Than Yesterday
Spiral Starecase
75. Across The Street
Lenny O'Henry
76. Mercy Mr. Percy
Varetta Dillard
77. Jamie
Eddie Holland
78. I Got Loaded
Peppermint Harris
79. Hold Back The Night
Trammps
80. Double Shot (Of My Baby's Love)
Swingin' Medallions
81. Wee Baby Blues
Joe Turner
82. Lonely Teardrops
Jackie Wilson
83. That's Summertime To Me
Dale Van Horn
84. Rub A Little Boogie
Champion Jack Dupree
85. Flamingo
Earl Bostic
86. (Mama) He Treats Your Daughter Mean
Ruth Brown
87. Smoky Places
Corsairs
88. Cry To Me
Solomon Burke
89. I Love You 1,000 Times
Platters
90. Searching For My Love
Bobby Moore & the Rhythm Aces
91. Chicken Shack Boogie
Amos Milburn
92. May I
Maurice Williams & the Zodiacs
93. I Just Can't Get You Out Of My Mind
Four Tops
94. Would You Believe
Tempests
95. Candy
Astors
96. The Last Of The Good Rocking Men
Four Jacks
97. I'm Gonna Miss You
Artistics
98. Ocean Boulevard
Band Of Oz
99. Love Makes The World Go Round
Deon Jackson
100. Bless Your Heart
General Johnson & the Chairmen
Maurice Williams & the Zodiacs
7. My Girl
Temptations
8. Cool Me Out
Lamont Dozier
9. Under The Boardwalk
Drifters
10. Myrtle Beach Days
Fantastic Shakers
11. Brenda
O.C. Smith
12. One Mint Julep
Clovers
13. It Will Stand
Showmen
14. Rainy Day Bells
Globetrotters
15. Lady Soul
Temptations
16. Be Young, Be Foolish, Be Happy
Tams
17. You're More Than A Number In My Little Red Book
Drifters
18. Hey Baby
Bruce Channel
19. With This Ring
Platters
20. Nip Sip
Clovers
21. Party Time Man
Futures
22. Club Savoy
Rockin' Louie & The Mamma Jammers
23. Thank You John
Willie Tee
24. Think
The "5" Royales
25. (I'm Just Thinking About) Cooling Out
Jerry Butler
26. My Guy
Mary Wells
27. Come Get To This
Marvin Gaye
28. You Bring Out The Boogie In Me
Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee
29. Hello Stranger
Barbara Lewis
30. 39-21-46
Showmen
31. Green Eyes
Ravens
32. It Ain't No Big Thing
Radiants
33. Work With Me Annie
Midnighters
34. Anna
Arthur Alexander
35. Don't Drop It
Wilbert Harrison
36. It's All Right
Impressions
37. Baby I Need Your Lovin'
Four Tops
38. Good Rockin' Tonight
Wynonie Harris
39. I Got The Fever
Prophets
40. Just A Gigolo/I Ain't Got Nobody
Louis Prima
41. Safronia B
Calvin Boze
42. Going Back To Louisiana
Delbert McClinton
43. Zing Went The Strings Of My Heart
Coasters
44. This Old Heart Of Mine
Isley Brothers
45. Stubborn Kind Of Fellow
Marvin Gaye
46. You're So Fine
Falcons
47. Searchin'
Coasters
48. Drinkin' Wine Spo-Dee-O-Dee
Stick McGhee
49. The Entertainer
Tony Clarke
50. Lipstick Traces
Benny Spellman
51. She Shot A Hole In My Soul
Clifford Curry
52. Give Me Just A Little More Time
Chairmen Of The Board
53. Just One Look
Doris Troy
54. But It's Alright
J.J. Jackson
55. What Kind Of Fool (Do You Think I Am)
Tams
56. I Need Your Loving
Don Gardner & Dee Dee Ford
57. Easy Comin' Out (Hard Goin' In)
William Bell
58. Girl Watcher
O'Kaysions
59. White Cliffs Of Dover
Checkers
60. Annie Had A Baby
Midnighters
61. I Do Love You
Billy Stewart
62. A Quiet Place
Garnet Mimms & the Enchanters
63. Kissin' In The Back Row Of The Movies
Drifters
64. I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)
Four Tops
65. Meet Me With Your Black Drawers On
Gloria Hardiman
66. Something Old, Something New
Fantastics
67. It Started With A Kiss
Hot Chocolate
68. Kansas City
Wilbert Harrison
69. Shakin' The Shack
Fantastic Shakers
70. I Used To Cry Mercy, Mercy
Lamplighters
71. Walking Up A One Way Street
Willie Tee
72. Surely I Love You
Rosco Gordon
73. Kidnapper
Jewell & the Rubies
74. More Today Than Yesterday
Spiral Starecase
75. Across The Street
Lenny O'Henry
76. Mercy Mr. Percy
Varetta Dillard
77. Jamie
Eddie Holland
78. I Got Loaded
Peppermint Harris
79. Hold Back The Night
Trammps
80. Double Shot (Of My Baby's Love)
Swingin' Medallions
81. Wee Baby Blues
Joe Turner
82. Lonely Teardrops
Jackie Wilson
83. That's Summertime To Me
Dale Van Horn
84. Rub A Little Boogie
Champion Jack Dupree
85. Flamingo
Earl Bostic
86. (Mama) He Treats Your Daughter Mean
Ruth Brown
87. Smoky Places
Corsairs
88. Cry To Me
Solomon Burke
89. I Love You 1,000 Times
Platters
90. Searching For My Love
Bobby Moore & the Rhythm Aces
91. Chicken Shack Boogie
Amos Milburn
92. May I
Maurice Williams & the Zodiacs
93. I Just Can't Get You Out Of My Mind
Four Tops
94. Would You Believe
Tempests
95. Candy
Astors
96. The Last Of The Good Rocking Men
Four Jacks
97. I'm Gonna Miss You
Artistics
98. Ocean Boulevard
Band Of Oz
99. Love Makes The World Go Round
Deon Jackson
100. Bless Your Heart
General Johnson & the Chairmen
|
and The Chairmen Of The Board |
|
|
|
& the Zodiacs |
Edited By: Frankie C.
www.beachmusic45.com
List Begun: 2007-03-15
Background: Beach Music is extremely popular in the Carolinas, as far north as Virginia and as far south as northern Florida. It has nothing to do with surf music or the Beach Boys or California. It is mainly R&B music with a beat that is good for doing a dance called "The Shag." Very simply stated, the Shag is a slowed down jitterbug with a few fancy steps, but it was danced slightly different depending on your location in the Southeast. Basically a "perfect" song to "Shag" to is 120 beats per minute.
Beach Music was born after World War II and evolved from two different sources. It was a combination of the black big band sound (i.e. Tiny Bradshaw, Todd Rhodes, Lucky Millinder, Paul Williams, etc.) and the country blues of the South. The juke boxes at the beaches of the Carolinas were instrumental in exposing the young people to the "new" sound. Most of the Juke Boxes in the clubs down by the beaches (in the Black AND White venues) were stocked with many of the same records. The white kids found this new music fresh and addictive and a new dance (The Shag) was created around the early R&B sound.
White kids could "HEAR" the music of the late 40's & early 50's on the black radio stations in the large cities in the Carolinas. Also a major force was 50,000 Watt WLAC from Nashville, which broadcast R&B at night for over 30 years. The problem was that, because of the segregated society at that time, the white kids could not "celebrate" this music in their hometowns. The Carolina kids escaped to the beach, away from their parents, preachers & teachers, to party, drink & dance to their beloved music.
Beach Music has evolved over the years and is still going strong today 60 years later in the Southeast. Although most of the music on this list is over 40 years old, Beach Music is truly a timeless culture. In the southeast Beach Music is popular with people of all ages, from 8 to 80.