Beach music, also known as Carolina beach music, is a regional genre which developed from various musical styles of the forties, fifties and sixties. These styles ranged from big bandswing instrumentals to the more raucous sounds of blues/jump blues, doo-wop, boogie, rhythm and blues. rockabilly and old-time rock and roll. Beach music is closely associated with the style of swing dance known as the shag, or the Carolina shag. Recordings with a 4/4 "blues shuffle" rhythmic structure and moderate-to-fast tempo are the most popular music for the shag, and the vast majority of the music in this genre fits that description.
A majority of the recordings that constituted and/or influenced beach music early on were originally termed "race music". As popular R&B tastes changed to encompass funk, disco, hip hop and gangsta rap, the predominantly white beach music enthusiasts have remained more loyal to the "old school" stylings. This has been due primarily to the beat and tempo of the music.