Because summer is here, we've got your can't miss beach music playlist

With summer's arrival, it’s time to make a date with the beach.

And while we're at it, let's add some beach music.

So let’s take an extremely unscientific look at the top beach music tracks of all times, both the R&B and soul hits that inspired the genre and the tunes by regional groups that made waves in the ’70s and ’80s. (By the way: There’s lots of songs about surfing and just being on the beach in general, so keep in mind that this list is comprised of songs Most People Would Probably Consider Carolina Beach Music.)

10. ’Myrtle Beach Days,’ The Fantastic Shakers

We kind of hate to admit it, living in North Carolina and all. But Myrtle Beach and North Myrtle Beach have played a huge part in making beach music a big deal and pumping it out to the masses. This song by longtime band The Fantastic Shakers is a legit anthem down on the Grand Strand, and perfectly expresses the beer-soaked good times the music has fueled for so many.

9. “With this Ring,” The Platters

A staple in the repertoire of any self-respecting beach music band, this song, released in 1967, is a prime example of the nostalgia captured by so many songs in the genre. Lots of couples met listening to beach music, and “With this Ring” is a potent reminder of a lifelong bond -- with beach music, and each other.

8. "Sixty Minute Man,“ Billy Ward & His Dominoes

There have been about 60 million versions of this one, but the original goes all the way back to 1951. Good luck trying to stop people from shagging (heh heh) to this one. The shag, of course, is the beach music dance people do up and down the Carolina coasts.

7. “Give Me Just a Little More Time,” Chairmen of the Board

Bdddrrrllllppp! Speaking of shag dancing, there’s not a song in the world with a better rhythm for it than this one, which hit No. 3 on the pop charts back in 1970. The Chairmen of the Board were from Detroit, but singer General Johnson hailed from Norfolk, and when he returned to the Southeast in the 1970s and started touring regionally, his presence infused a lot of life into the beach music scene.

6. “Girl Watcher,“ The O’Kaysions

OK, so this one might some rub some folks the wrong way in the era of #MeToo. But this indelible tune’s lighthearted lilt chronicles a favorite beach pastime that endures to this day.

5. “Summertime’s Calling Me,” The Catalinas

A horn-infused beach music favorite, “Summertime’s Calling Me” by Charlotte band The Catalinas is another tune that shows up on the set list of almost every band that purports to play beach music. For those who live inland, it captures the feeling of getting out of the city and heading down to the beach.

4. “Be Young, Be Foolish, Be Happy,” The Tams

The title of this song from Atlanta band The Tams could be beach music’s motto. With its doo-wop inspired backing vocals and carpe diem lyrics, it’s all about seizing the fun to be had in the moment.

3. “I Love Beach Music,” The Embers

Perhaps the epitome of the so-called “nouveau beach” offshoot of beach music that began to flourish in the mid and late ’70s, this tune by Jackie Gore sums up how many feel about the genre: “I love beach music/ I always have, and I always will.”

2. “Carolina Girls,” General Johnson & the Chairmen of the Board

I tried not to award any band more than one song on this list, so this is a bit of a cheat since it came out around 1980, after Johnson affixed his name to the group he helped found in 1970. In any case, there’s no way to keep this catchy song off the list. “Carolina Girls” was such a well-known regional hit that it was refashioned into a commercial for Carolina Dodge in the early 1990s.

1. “Under the Boardwalk,” The Drifters

Hard not to put the song that arguably inspired the beach music genre at No. 1. With its slow lilt and lyrics about a pleasure-filled summer, it’s perhaps the definitive beach music song.

Honorable mentions: “I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch),” The Four Tops; “You Send Me,” Sam Cooke; “This Magic Moment,” “You’re More Than a Number,” “Up on the Roof,” The Drifters; “Ms. Grace,” The Tymes; “Cool Me Out,” Lamont Dozier; “Stay,” Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs; “My Girl,” The Temptations; “Stagger Lee,” Lloyd Price; “Hello Stranger,” Barbara Lewis.

Contact John Staton at 910-343-2343 or [email protected].

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Because it feels like spring, our Top 10 beach music songs of all time