36 Songs About the Ocean, from Beyond the Sea to Under the Sea

What is the most famous song about the ocean?

"(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" by Otis Redding and "Beyond the Sea" by Bobby Darin are the most famous songs about the sea. For kids, "Under the Sea" from The Little Mermaid and "How Far I'll Go" from Moana are the favorites, and "Kokomo" by The Beach Boys is the beach song everyone knows.

Classic songs about the sea

1. "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay", Otis Redding: a man sitting by the water, far from home.
2. "Beyond the Sea", Bobby Darin: a swinging love song.
3. "La Mer", Charles Trenet: the French original of "Beyond the Sea".
4. "Sea of Love", Phil Phillips: a dreamy 50s love song.
5. "Sea of Heartbreak", Don Gibson: a classic country-pop ballad.
6. "The Ocean", Led Zeppelin: a rock song for the crowd.
7. "Saltwater", Julian Lennon: a 90s song about protecting the planet.
8. "Orinoco Flow", Enya: the sailing-away song.

Surf and beach songs

9. "Kokomo", The Beach Boys: a tropical escape.
10. "Surfin' U.S.A.", The Beach Boys: the surf anthem.
11. "Sloop John B", The Beach Boys: a folk song about a sea voyage.
12. "Wipe Out", The Surfaris: the surf-rock instrumental.
13. "Misirlou", Dick Dale: fast, wild surf guitar.
14. "Island in the Sun", Weezer: a sunny singalong.
15. "Margaritaville", Jimmy Buffett: life on the beach.
16. "Ocean Man", Ween: a goofy cult favorite.

Songs about sailing

17. "Sailing", Christopher Cross: smooth 80s calm.
18. "Come Sail Away", Styx: a big rock journey.
19. "Brandy (You're a Fine Girl)", Looking Glass: a sailor's love story.
20. "Rock the Boat", The Hues Corporation: a disco classic.
21. "Albatross", Fleetwood Mac: a calm, gliding instrumental.

Disney songs about the ocean

22. "Under the Sea", from The Little Mermaid: the calypso classic.
23. "Part of Your World", from The Little Mermaid: dreaming of the land above.
24. "How Far I'll Go", from Moana: called by the ocean.
25. "We Know the Way", from Moana: a voyaging song.
26. "You're Welcome", from Moana: a fun island favorite.

Country beach songs

27. "Knee Deep", Zac Brown Band featuring Jimmy Buffett: escape to the beach.
28. "Toes", Zac Brown Band: sand and sunshine.
29. "Ocean Front Property", George Strait: a funny promise.
30. "When the Sun Goes Down", Kenny Chesney and Uncle Kracker: a beach evening.
31. "Beer in Mexico", Kenny Chesney: a laid-back escape.

Ocean love songs and calm sea music

32. "Ocean Eyes", Billie Eilish: a dreamy love song.
33. "Oceans (Where Feet May Fail)", Hillsong United: a worship song about trust.
34. "Clair de lune", Claude Debussy: calm as still water.
35. "La Mer", Claude Debussy: an orchestral portrait of the sea.
36. "The Tide Is High", Blondie: a breezy reggae-pop classic.

Songs about the ocean for a beach wedding

For a beach wedding, "Beyond the Sea" works for the cocktail hour, "Sea of Love" or "Ocean Eyes" for a first dance and "Kokomo" or "Margaritaville" for the party. A ukulele or steel drum cover of a favorite love song fits the setting perfectly. Test your speaker outdoors first: wind and waves swallow more sound than you expect.

A beach day playlist

• Morning: "Sailing", "Orinoco Flow" and "Albatross".
• Afternoon: "Kokomo", "Island in the Sun", "Toes" and "Knee Deep".
• Sunset: "The Dock of the Bay", "When the Sun Goes Down" and "Beyond the Sea".

Ocean songs about love

The sea is a classic image for love that runs deep. "Beyond the Sea", "Sea of Love" and "Ocean Eyes" are favorites for a romantic dinner, and "Kokomo" is the playful pick for anyone dreaming about a honeymoon.

Ocean songs for a memorial

For someone who loved the sea, families often choose "Sailing", "Orinoco Flow", "Albatross" or "Beyond the Sea" for a memorial or a gathering at the water. For more ideas, see our funeral and memorial songs.

A road trip to the coast

Heading to the beach? Start with "Surfin' U.S.A." and "Island in the Sun", add "Margaritaville" and "Toes" as the coast gets closer and save "The Dock of the Bay" for the first sunset on the sand.

Songs about the ocean for kids

Kids love "Under the Sea", "How Far I'll Go", "You're Welcome" and "Baby Shark", plus surf instrumentals like "Wipe Out" for a dance party. For bedtime, see our lullabies.

Why the ocean inspires so many songs

The ocean stands for freedom, distance, adventure and calm all at once. It can mean a love across the water, a trip you have been waiting for all year or simply the peace of the waves at the end of a long day. For more nature songs, see our songs about rain and songs about the moon.

A song about your favorite beach memory

A honeymoon in the islands, a family beach house, a proposal at sunset: a personalized song can turn your favorite ocean memory into music, with your names and every detail.

How to create a song about a memory

1. Choose a style from 14 genres: acoustic, pop, country, Latin and more.
2. Add the names of the people in the song.
3. Share the memory and two more moments you want included.
4. Review the lyrics and edit or regenerate them for free before any music is made.
5. Listen to 4 free 45-second previews and choose your favorite.

The full 3 to 4 minute song costs $24.99, or $29.99 for Premium with four full versions and editable lyrics. You get the MP3, a gift page and the lyrics as a PDF.

Turn your ocean memory into a song: create a song and hear four previews for free.