The
California Sound refers to a
popular music aesthetic engendered by 1960s
pop and
rock recording artists from
California. It was first related to the
California Myth, an idyllic narrative inspired by the state's beach culture that commonly appeared in the lyrics of commercial pop songs. Later, the Sound was expanded outside of its initial geography and subject matter and was developed to be more sophisticated and bred studio experimentation. A derivative form of it was later classified as
sunshine pop.