The Surfaris

Originating from Glendora, California, the surf ensemble known as the Surfaris endures in memory thanks to "Wipe Out," their 1963 single that climbed to number two and stands among the landmark rock instrumentals for its memorable ascending-and-descending guitar line together with an isolated drum-roll break, passages that countless novices at rock & roll—millions, to be precise—later copied. Throughout the mid-'60s the group issued roughly half a dozen albums along with numerous singles; of these, only the immediate successor to "Wipe Out," titled "Point Panic," managed to reach the central rungs of the charts. Far more accomplished than the average surf act that appeared for a single moment, their drummer Ron Wilson earned admiration from the peerless session player Hal Blaine, whose description of Wilson's unrestrained, crashing approach places it as a clear precursor to the style later developed by Keith Moon. On select occasions Wilson also supplied lead vocals when the Surfaris echoed the Beach Boys.