<P> Surf music is a subgenre of rock music associated with surf culture, particularly as found in Southern California . It was especially popular from 1962 to 1964 in two major forms . The first is instrumental surf, distinguished by reverb - drenched electric guitars played to evoke the sound of crashing waves, largely pioneered by Dick Dale and the Del - Tones . The second is vocal surf, which took elements of the original surf sound and added vocal harmonies, a movement led by the Beach Boys . </P> <P> Dick Dale developed the surf sound from instrumental rock, where he added Middle Eastern and Mexican influences, a spring reverb, and the rapid alternate picking characteristics . His regional hit "Let's Go Trippin"' (1961) launched the surf music craze, inspiring many others to take up the approach . </P> <P> The genre reached national exposure when it was represented by vocal groups such as the Beach Boys and Jan and Dean . Dale is quoted on such groups: "They were surfing sounds (with) surfing lyrics . In other words, the music wasn't surfing music . The words made them surfing songs...That was the difference...the real surfing music is instrumental ." </P> <P> At the height of its popularity, surf music rivaled girl groups and Motown for top American popular music trends . It is sometimes referred to interchangeably with the California Sound . During the later stages of the surf music craze, many of its groups started to write songs about cars and girls; this was later known as hot rod rock . </P>

Who brought surf music to a national audience