The California Sound refers to a popular music aesthetic engendered by American pop and rock recording artists from Southern California in the 1960s. 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.