This is the greatest surf instrumental of all time and has been played so much over the years that it has remained in popular culture ever since. I'm reasonably certain almost anyone who listens to pop music has heard it and most of us have tried to duplicate the bongo solos by pounding on various objects in the living room.
The Surfaris were from Glendora, California (which, ironically, is not particularly close to the beach). "Wipe Out" was their first single release; it reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1963. It was originally released as the B-side; the A-side, "Surfer Joe", reached #62 on the Hot 100. My opinion of "Surfer Joe" on listening to 46 seconds of it is that they were better off as an instrumental band.
The Surfaris continued releasing singles through 1967, including a re-release of "Wipe Out" in 1966. This time around, it reached #16 on the Billboard Hot 100 and did better in Toronto than it did the first time. Two versions of The Surfaris were later formed and were touring concurrently in the early 2000s, one featuring lead guitarist Jim Fuller and sax player Jim Pash, and the other featuring rhythm guitarist Bob Berryhill and his family. Of the original Surfaris, only Berryhill and bassist Pat Connolly are still alive.
In 1987, the hip-hop group Fat Boys combined with the Beach Boys to produce a cover version of "Wipe Out" with lyrics added by the Fat Boys. I much prefer the original but the new version is interesting and there's no reason why every generation should not have a Wipe Out of its own (though I think the Fat Boys did a much better job on this than the Beach Boys). The new version doesn't have a bongo solo, though, so everybody's furniture is safer now.
Created October 10, 2026.