The curious case of songs named after famous surfers

Eddie Aikau: he is one of the several surfers whose names inspired song titles

Music is one of humankind's greatest universal languages, capable of expressing emotions, telling stories, and connecting people across cultures and time.

The world's largest music platforms have already announced having registered over 100 million songs in their databases.

The overall number of musical compositions, though, should be much higher.

A recent research concluded that the most popular word in song titles is "You," followed closely by "I."

Then, the analysis concluded that the most used non-article, pronoun, or preposition is "Love," followed by "Time."

These findings are probably not a surprise, and neither is the fact the most common themes in Billboard charting songs from 1960 to 2009 were the following:

Breakup;
Desire;
Loss;
Jadedness;
Inspiration;
Aspiration;
Nostalgia;
Pain;
Desperation;
Rebellion;
Escapism;
Confusion;

Based on this data, it would be interesting to write a song titled "I Love You, Time" - a tune about the desire to overcome the loss of youth.

But what about surfing (and professional surfers)? Is it a trending topic when bands and artists need to come up with a name for their melodies?

Well, not exactly, except with The Beach Boys.

Kelly Slater: the name of a song by Perf

Unusual Track Title Naming

However, there is a curious niche phenomenon, and we're going to label it (very appropriately) "Songs Named After Surfers" - a curious and entertaining little corner of music history.

From "Miki Dora," the original bad boy of the surf scene, to "Kelly Slater," who's basically Poseidon with better abs, these tracks immortalize surf legends who've spent more time hanging ten than most of us have spent hanging our laundry.

Then, throw in tunes about Mick Fanning, the shark-punching hero, Eddie Aikau, the Hawaiian who took lifeguarding to another level, and Gabriel Medina, who surfs like gravity's a suggestion, and you've got the coolest and most unusual playlist.

All are titled after these surf legends.

Caution: we expect you to open your mind and broaden your horizons, as some of these songs might struggle to ride down your ear canal.

What you're about to experience is not exactly surf music - it's music named after surfers.

The good news is that there are also some really nice tunes honoring these heroes of the waves.

Pro tip: whenever you can, pay attention to the lyrics. There are some gems out there.

Kelly Slater: he's a musician, but his name is also used for titling tracks