The Beach Boys song famously used in the 1988 film 'Cocktail' is “Kokomo.”
Written by John Phillips, Scott McKenzie, Mike Love, and Terry Melcher, “Kokomo” was created for the Tom Cruise film Cocktail and became one of the Beach Boys’ biggest late-career successes. The song describes an imagined tropical destination, name-checking places such as Aruba, Jamaica, Bermuda, and the Florida Keys.
“Kokomo” was released as a single in July 1988 and reached number one in the United States and Australia. It later appeared on the film’s soundtrack and on the Beach Boys’ 1989 album Still Cruisin’. Its success was notable because it became the band’s first U.S. number-one hit in 22 years.
A common mix-up is “California Girls,” another famous Beach Boys song with a sunny, travel-themed image. However, “California Girls” was released in 1965 and was not the song featured in Cocktail. Brian Wilson also did not participate in the original recording session, despite being the group’s central creative force during its classic era.