The Top 88 Countdown

The Beach Boys—the sweet sounds of summer. A creative band known for their rock, pop, surf rock, and psychedelic grooves, they became one of the most popular acts of their time. The band’s close vocal harmonies and youthful Southern California lyrics—referring to surfing, cars, and romance—gained their music popularity throughout the United States. They have been astounding crowds since 1961. The Beach Boys received their big break with the help of the song “Surfin’,” a song that Hite Morgan immediately viewed as a hit. Originally known as The Pendletones, when they first recorded the hit “Surfin’,” on the record label made a mistake inserting the name Beach Boys instead of their real band name. The limited budget meant that the band could not reprint the labels and therefore, the new name was born! The iconic band today is made up of Mike Love, Brian Wilson, Al Jardine, David Marks, and Bruce Johnston. Their past members also include Dennis Wilson, Carl Wilson, Glen Campbell, Ricky Fataar, and Blondie Chaplin. With hits like “Surfer Girls,” “I Get Around,” and “California Girls,” the group has achieved 36 US Top 40 Hits as well as 56 Hot 100 Hits, including 4 #1 singles. In 2004, Rolling Stone magazine awarded the Beach Boys the number 12 spot on the list of the “100 Greatest Artists of All Time.” In honor of the band coming to Cleveland’s Blossom Music Center on June 13, 88.3 will be also giving away pairs of tickets to the show throughout the day. Keep your dials locked on 88.3 FM The Sting on Thursday June 7, 2012 to keep your summer just “beachy”—with the Beach Boys marathon!

--Charlene Bowles

The Red Hot Chili Peppers, what’s not to love? Known worldwide as a punk, funk, psychedelic rock band they have sold over 55 million albums worldwide with countless singles such as “Scar Tissue,” “Under the Bridge” and “Dani California.” They were formed by singer Anthony Kiedis, guitarist Hillel Slovak, bassist Flea and drummer Jack Irons while they attended Fairfax High School in Los Angeles, originally under the moniker of Tony Flow & the Miraculously Majestic Masters of Mayhem. Their first performance was at the Rhythm Lounge in Los Angles to a crowd of approximately 30 people. Their performance was so lively that the band was asked to return the weekend after, which eventually lead to more shows and an unexpected success. They then changed their named to The Red Hot Chili Peppers and got their first record deal in 1984, a self-titled album that sold 300,000 copies thanks to promotion from college radio and MTV. After their first album release slowly but surely they got their start. With 10 albums sold worldwide, their latest release, I'm with You, has them currently touring. The band will be appearing at the Quicken Loans Arena on Saturday June 2^nd, so what better way to celebrate their arrival then with a music marathon? On Thursday May 31^st, 88.3 The Sting will be playing an 18 hour Summer Music Marathon filled with classic hits and punk rock jams. So tune on to 88.3 and make your summer red hot with our marathon!