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Close your eyes for a second. Sun on your face, salt in the air, waves in the background, and a cold drink in your hand. Now hit play.
The right beach song can take you straight back to the water — whether you’re actually heading to the coast this weekend or you’re stuck at your desk counting down the days until your next trip to Port Aransas.
I’ve been curating this playlist for years, pulling from our Facebook community, personal favorites, and the songs I hear drifting down the beach at Port A. Here are 65+ of the best beach songs — from Texas coast classics to timeless summer anthems — guaranteed to give you that salty, sandy feeling.
Ready to actually go? Start planning with our First-Time Visitor Guide to Port Aransas or browse the Best Beaches in Port Aransas.
How to listen
Grab a pair of waterproof earbuds for the water or a bluetooth beach speaker for the full outdoor experience. Then pick your platform:
- Amazon Prime Music — stream 2 million+ songs included with your Prime membership. Perfect for the car ride down and the long sad trip home.
- Amazon Music Unlimited — upgrade for ad-free access to 100 million songs. Pairs great with an Echo Dot or Alexa device for hands-free beach listening.
- Our Amazon playlist — already built for you. Just hit play at the bottom of this post.
Want to read on the beach instead? The Amazon Kindle Colorsoft is sunlight-readable with a beautiful color display — pair it with Audible for audiobooks while you walk the shore.
Songs About Port Aransas & the Texas Coast
There’s nothing quite like a song written about the exact stretch of beach you’re standing on. These are our local favorites — pure Texas coast soul.
- Port Aransas — Dylan Kenny
- Port Aransas — Clint Allen Janisch (from the album Port A)
- Port Aransas — Garrett Smith
- Port Aransas — Lange Debault
- Why Don’t You Meet Me Down in Corpus — Gary P. Nunn
- My Kind of Day on Padre — Gary P. Nunn
- Gulf Coast Girl — Caroline Jones
- Sandy Beaches — Delbert McClinton
- Beach Please — Kevin Fowler
Heading to Port A? Don’t miss my guide to Dog-Friendly Things to Do in Port Aransas or check the live beach webcams before you go.
Classic Beach & Summer Anthems
These are the ones that have been on every summer mixtape since before Spotify existed. Timeless.
- All Right Now — Free
- Boys of Summer — Don Henley
- Brandy You’re a Fine Girl — Looking Glass
- California Girls — The Beach Boys
- Good Vibrations — The Beach Boys
- Green Eyed Lady — Sugarloaf
- Island Girl — Elton John
- Island in the Sun — Weezer
- Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka-Dot Bikini — Brian Hyland
- Kokomo — The Beach Boys
- More Than a Feeling — Boston (trust me, it belongs here)
- Sitting on the Dock of the Bay — Otis Redding
- Soak Up the Sun — Sheryl Crow
- Surf City — Jan and Dean
- Surfer Girl — The Beach Boys
- Surfin’ USA — The Beach Boys
- Til I Die — The Beach Boys
- Under the Boardwalk — The Drifters
- Wicked Game — Chris Isaak
- Wipeout — The Beach Boys
Island Time: Jimmy Buffett & Friends
No beach playlist is complete without the Parrot Head canon. These songs practically come with a complimentary margarita.
- Boat Drinks — Jimmy Buffett
- Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes — Jimmy Buffett
- Cheeseburger in Paradise — Jimmy Buffett
- Dreamsicle — Jimmy Buffett
- Escape (The Piña Colada Song) — Rupert Holmes
- It’s 5 O’Clock Somewhere — Alan Jackson & Jimmy Buffett
- Margaritaville — Jimmy Buffett
- Mas Tequila — Sammy Hagar
- A Pirate Looks at Forty — Jimmy Buffett
- Son of a Sailor — Jimmy Buffett
Country & Coastal Country
Kenny Chesney built his entire career on making landlocked people feel like they’re on a beach. Mission accomplished.
- Anything but Mine — Kenny Chesney
- Back to the Island — Leon Russell
- Beachin’ — Jake Owen
- Blue Tacoma — Russell Dickerson
- Huntin’, Fishin’ and Lovin’ Every Day — Luke Bryan
- Key’s in the Conch Shell — Kenny Chesney
- Lights — Journey
- Old Blue Chair — Kenny Chesney
- Saltwater Gospel — Eli Young Band
- Some Beach — Blake Shelton
- The Coast — Court Yard Hounds
- Up Down — Morgan Wallen
- When the Sun Goes Down — Kenny Chesney
Chill Sunset Vibes
These are the ones for the cooler in the sand, golden hour just starting to show up, nobody needs to be anywhere anytime soon.
- Castaway — Zac Brown Band
- Island Song — Zac Brown Band
- Me Time — Brooke Graham
- Meet Virginia — Train
- The One — Elton John
- Toes — Zac Brown Band
- Where the Boat Leaves From — Zac Brown Band
Golden hour in Port A is something else. Read my guide to How to Savor the Sunrise at the South Jetty — one of the most beautiful spots on the Texas coast.
Beach Essentials to Go With Your Playlist
You’ve got the soundtrack — now make sure you’ve got everything else. A few things I never hit the beach without:
- Reef-safe mineral sunscreen — protects your skin and the Gulf ecosystem. See our full guide to sunscreen we actually use at the beach.
- Wide-brimmed sun hat — non-negotiable for an all-day beach day
- Waterproof Bluetooth speaker — so the whole crew can hear the playlist
- Amazon Kindle Colorsoft — color display, sunlight-readable, beach-perfect
- Audible — for audiobooks on your morning beach walk
See everything I pack in the Ultimate Port Aransas Beach Packing List or browse my full Amazon beach gear shop.
Ready to Actually Be There?
There’s only so much a playlist can do. When you’re ready to make it real, here’s where to start:
- 📍 First-Time Visitor Guide to Port Aransas
- 🗓️ 3-Day Itinerary for First-Timers
- 🏖️ Best Beaches in Port Aransas
- 🏠 Where to Stay in Port Aransas
- 🌧️ 30+ Things to Do on a Rainy Day in Port A
- 🐕 Tips for Taking Your Dog to the Beach
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best beach songs of all time? The classics: “Kokomo” by The Beach Boys, “Margaritaville” by Jimmy Buffett, “Boys of Summer” by Don Henley, “Sitting on the Dock of the Bay” by Otis Redding, and “Toes” by Zac Brown Band consistently top every beach playlist for a reason.
What are the best Texas beach songs? For a true Texas coast vibe, start with Gary P. Nunn’s “Why Don’t You Meet Me Down in Corpus,” any of the three songs called “Port Aransas” (by Dylan Kenny, Clint Allen Janisch, and Garrett Smith), Kevin Fowler’s “Beach Please,” and Delbert McClinton’s “Sandy Beaches.”
What music is good for a beach road trip? Upbeat and singable. Kenny Chesney’s entire catalog works, plus Morgan Wallen’s “Up Down,” Luke Bryan’s “Huntin’, Fishin’ and Lovin’ Every Day,” and Jimmy Buffett’s “Changes in Latitudes.”
Can I stream these songs for free? If you have Amazon Prime, you already have access to Prime Music with millions of songs. For the full ad-free experience with 100 million songs, Amazon Music Unlimited is worth every penny for a beach weekend.
