History AwesomeMusic / TheBeachBoys

* The 3-minute version of "Child Is Father Of The Man" issued on the "Friends" Boxset is the best version of the song. An epic composition composed of various parts, including a beautiful outro.

* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5dyXN74aZGQ "Little Saint Nick"]] has become more or less a Christmas staple, with a fun TechnologyPorn lyric that boasts about Jolly Ol' Saint Nick's sleigh, all in inimitable Beach Boys ListSong format.

* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWPo5SC3zik "God Only Knows"]] is often considered one of the best songs by the group, and of ''all time''. Carl's melancholy vocal is a work of absolute beauty. The song has been praised from a variety of musicians, including Music/PaulMcCartney, who called it his favorite song of all time, and took inspiration from its style for his own song [[Music/RevolverBeatlesAlbum "Here, There, and Everywhere"]].

* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1YlJoGtH9lY "Heroes and Villains"]] is one of Brian's undisputed experimental masterpieces. Built around a deceptively simple chord pattern, it stops and goes as it will, visiting a whole bunch of different eras of music on the way. Released in a bunch of different versions over the years that have become progressively closer to what Brian envisioned before it all fell apart, it's hard to argue that the 5-minute ''The Smile Sessions'' version isn't the definitive version of the song.
* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UoZg4Osvh0Y "Wonderful"]] is a simple, clean, innocent song about TheirFirstTime... that also contains one of Brian's most complex and wondrous chord patterns. Only one man in the universe can do 'em like this. Carl's serene vocals could get the point across with no words at all.
* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Z07Ngr_Ve4 "The Elements: Fire"]] is rather infamous for its troubled sessions, but when it comes down to it it's a clincher of a song. Brilliantly teetering on the cutting edge between cartoonishness and frightening psychedelia, it perfectly encapsulates the madness and horror of an all-consuming fire.

* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7d15izmxsg "Little Pad"]] is a goofy, yet lovable little musical "sketch" that fits right in with ''[=SMiLE=]'''s modular approach to song structure and generally wonderful strangeness. The close harmonies, blending in perfectly with some light slide guitar, is one of the most underrated vocal gifts the boys have bestowed upon us.
* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LofTXvKsO-c "Good Vibrations"]] is most likely the first song to come to mind when people think about The Beach Boys. Not only was it a monster hit, but also one of the definitive singles of the '60s, if not of all time. Described as a "pocket symphony", it consists of many diverging sections that somehow, someway, fit together beautifully. Really, it's a microcosm of the spirit of ''[=SMiLE=]'' in and of itself. Featuring a fantastic lead vocal by Carl and apt use of the Electro-Theremin, it might very well be the Beach Boys' most triumphant and dynamic moment.
* The album's rendition of [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muitXv-8ANQ "Wind Chimes"]] is often considered superior to the planned ''Music/{{Smile|TheBeachBoys}}'' version. Sparse and intimate (yet not without an eerie, malicious undercurrent; though really, this could be said for the album its entirety), it really showcases the Boys' vocal versatility, indeed making them sound somewhat like an actual wind chime.

* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J82QtZgNflQ "Wild Honey"]] and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKLEQN5dL1U "Here Comes the Night"]] are both brilliant rock songs off this album, with the former being quite psychedelic as well.
* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfElDtjJJJo "Darlin'"]] is a classic uptempo number that benefits greatly from a heartfelt and technically flawless vocal turn by Carl. It also inspired the name of a short-lived group started by Tomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo, who later became much more well-known under the name Music/DaftPunk.
* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trHndYrQtvg "How She Boogalooed It"]] is an insanely catchy ThreeChordsAndTheTruth rock 'n' roll influenced song that predates {{punk rock}} in its speed, rhythm and simplicity. It is said to have been an influence on Music/TheB52s.
* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPrv7pq1V9c "Aren't You Glad"]] has some really nice melodies and brass in it.
* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8mzTxSRIwg "Let the Wind Blow"]] could easily be a ''Smile''-era song, with a haunting piano arrangement and wind-like vocals.

* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmD7durJcWo "Little Bird"]] is one of Dennis' first shows of song-writing prowess, and his brother Brian contributes significantly to this song. Soulful, existential, and catchy are the key terms here. Parts of the song show clear inspiration from ''[=SMiLE=]''-era compositions.
* The album opener, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_KKen7DC7c "Meant for You"]], is absolutely beautiful, with Mike giving one of his best vocals. The song barely breaks 40 seconds but manages to be one of the most beautiful things they ever recorded.
* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zxcQt1ATvA "Diamond Head"]] is a lush instrumental, similar in tone to "Little Pad", which perfectly captures the mellow feel of the ''Friends'' album.

* This album kicks off with the Boys returning, quite successfully, to their old surf sound on [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-vMTAzfNOA "Do It Again"]], a very catchy track to boot.
* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RuNk0Yt_XKk "I Can Hear Music"]] is a cover of a comparatively obscure Music/PhilSpector production for The Ronettes that the Boys take to entirely on another level, to the point of CoveredUp. Flawlessly emulating the Wall of Sound while staying true to that Beach Boys sound, this shows Carl at his best with an unforgettable vocal performance.
* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKlM8gYaPRE "Be With Me"]] is one of the most beautiful (and creepy) songs penned by Dennis Wilson, with a haunting coda added. His other songs are worth mentioning as [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=msS7rybUIdo "All I Want to Do"]] (sung by Mike) is consistently described as one of the Beach Boys' heaviest songs, and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JacmCO7GDR4 "Never Learn Not to Love"]] is notorious for being mainly written by the infamous Charles Manson.
* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSsQOfKm2y0 "I Went to Sleep"]] is a pure Brian moment. A lazy 3/4 lullaby, it's evocative and funny, with restrained, near-inaudible harmonies.
* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X76ejh4EIV4 "Our Prayer"]] was meant to be the opener for ''[=SMiLE=]'', a pure a cappella ''tour de force'' of just how refined and effortless their harmonies could be at their best. The complex chord pattern is one of those things only Brian could come up with.
* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WA_kZR1kPug "Cabinessence"]] is another ''[=SMiLE=]'' remnant, one of the few to be, more or less, fully completed, and thus presented in 1967-form here. Enriched with Van Dyke Parks' oblique, mystical lyrics, it paints an "aural portrait" of the settlers of the Old West. The complex "Who Ran the Iron Horse?" chorus manages to make the Boys' harmonies sound just like a speeding locomotive.

* This is the Beach Boys album where Dennis really shines the most. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSXsl6V7c8Y "Slip On Through"]] is often considered to be the greatest album opener the Beach Boys did, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHPT3TMszZ4 "It's About Time"]] (sung by Carl) is a well-made memorable rocker, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dy20zTd6jk0 "Got to Know the Woman"]] is fun, and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HbKlUAu7FVc "Forever"]] is now his SignatureSong with the Beach Boys.
* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oe6y_7NnLFU "This Whole World"]] is a Brian song filled with a lot of love. It just crams ''so much music'' into its comparatively short timespan. Carl's passionate lead vocal definitely brings it to another level, yet again. In its own way, it's a bit of a segue into [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cV_HsHto2aI "Add Some Music to Your Day"]], a universal statement about music's omnipresence in life, with all the Boys (bar Dennis) getting at least one verse. Halfway through, the song modulates into what could easily be another entirely, and it's pure magic. Equally touching and funny ("You'll hear children chasing ice cream carts!"), it's definitely one of their most relatable songs.
* Brian's [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVis0FbvJsU "All I Wanna Do"]] seems to predict the whole chillwave genre by about 40 years, and boasts a sublime lead vocal by Mike Love to boot.
* Bruce's melodramatic [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZeKdZklJQ6o "Tears in the Morning"]], a lovely tune, scored with accordions and a brass band, is one of his best compositions.

* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qz71IbuEhNM "Long Promised Road"]] is one of Carl Wilson's greatest compositions, very much displaying a sense of identity separate from Brian's work. Empowering, self-affirming lyrics about overcoming the trials of a life's past, present, and future. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzFQV5rhrb0 "Feel Flows"]] is also worth mentioning, another brilliant Carl song.
* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qStlMci-Xx0 "Disney Girls (1957)"]] is an unexpected moment of greatness from Music/BruceJohnston. Way ahead of the curve with the whole '50s nostalgia thing, it's a sentimental, heartfelt old-timey number that fits Bruce's voice perfectly. Brian has praised it for its chords and harmonies as well.
* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBAhT-_dLes "A Day in the Life of a Tree"]] is a simple, but heartbreaking Brian composition, with a pained, broken vocal by then-manager Jack Rieley. In its own right, it's a great song of environmental consciousness, but some have said that the lyrics could be equally applied to Brian himself, whose creative process and life was about to hit a sudden stop, never to be quite the same again.
* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpJ-pLYmDHU "Don't Go Near the Water"]] has a good environmental message, and a surprisingly gorgeous instrumental coda.
* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXZ_L6zJn1c "'Til I Die"]] is beautiful, mystical, and scary; the dark atmosphere is given a major boost by some of the band's best harmonies.[[note]]In the ''Feel Flows: The Sunflower & Surf's Up Sessions 1969–1971'' BoxedSet, one of the tracks is [[ACappella just this song's vocals isolated]].[[/note]] It's regarded as one of Brian's best songs from the '70s; he also says it's a favorite of his.
* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v75f5W6LgLM "Surf's Up"]] is the last of the ''[=SMiLE=]'' remnants to be released for some time. One of the four originally envisioned centerpieces of ''[=SMiLE=]'', it's arguable that this album version is the best. With Carl and Brian sharing lead vocals (Brian's parts consist of his legendary solo demo with some overdubs), Van Dyke Parks' strange, yet haunting lyrics shine through yet again. The song, and indeed, the album, ends on an absolutely ''massive'' vocal tag that captures the courageous grandiosity of ''[=SMiLE=]''.

* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2KxIVjhomU "You Need a Mess of Help to Stand Alone"]] is a great rocker that starts off this album, with excellent co-vocals from Carl and Blondie.
* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwUHXqx0Cew "All This Is That"]] is regarded as one of the strongest songs in their discography that has little to no involvement from Brian. Credited to Al, Carl, and Mike, it's a cleverly-veiled tribute to transcendental meditation, practiced by a few band members, while remaining quite universal and applicable. As soothing as the peaceful images that the lyrics evoke, Carl's "jai guru dev" vocal tag is an absolute thing of beauty, his seldom-heard falsetto being a good match for Brian's in his vocal prime.
* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GoS6aWUYXdw "Marcella"]] was apparently Brian's attempt to emulate Music/{{The Rolling Stones|Band}}. While it doesn't sound quite like its inspiration, it's still a very catchy, well-structured pop song, with great vocal harmonies throughout and a cool guitar solo in the middle for good measure.

* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImpkjsTzLh0 "Sail On, Sailor"]] is a beautiful, mature song that showed The Beach Boys coming of age. Musically it sounds little like what they were known for, and is often mistaken for Music/NeilYoung, The Music/{{Eagles}} or early Music/SteelyDan.
* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7gAXZKAQ9s "The Trader"]] is consistently ranked as one of the best songs Carl ever wrote.
* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_jEr3VDpA8 "Steamboat]], a collaboration between Dennis, who wrote the song and sings the bass vocals, and Carl, who sings lead, has a slow driving tempo that sounds not unlike an old steamboat plowing down a river (or a locomotive climbing up a steep mountain grade). Makes use of some instruments that the band rarely used such as a Jew's harp. They also used the sound of a real steam engine in the mix.

* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qStlMci-Xx0 "Disney Girls (1957)"]] is an unexpected moment of greatness from Bruce Johnston. Way ahead of the curve with the whole '50s nostalgia thing, it's a sentimental, heartfelt old-timey number that fits Bruce's voice perfectly. Brian has praised it for its chords and harmonies as well.

[[AC:Music/SurfsUp (1971)]]

* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_jEr3VDpA8 "Steamboat]], a collaboration between Dennis, who wrote the song and sings the bass vocals and Carl, who sings lead, has a slow driving tempo that sounds not unlike an old steamboat plowing down a river (or a locomotive climbing up a steep mountain grade). Makes use of some different instruments that the band rarely used such as a Jew's harp. They also utilized the sound of a real steam engine in the mix.

* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GoS6aWUYXdw "Marcella"]] was apparently Brian's attempt to emulate Music/TheRollingStones. While it doesn't sound quite like its inspiration, it's still a very catchy, well-structured pop song, with great vocal harmonies throughout and a cool guitar solo in the middle for good measure.

* "Surfin' U.S.A.". The melody might not be theirs, but it's hard to argue they didn't improve upon Music/ChuckBerry's original song ("Sweet Little Sixteen") in many ways. Taking ideas from "Surfin' Safari" UpToEleven, this is perhaps their most enduring and iconic surfing song.

[[AC:Music/{{Holland}} (1973)]]

* The title track, while not their first single, is really where the Boys found their sound. Music/MikeLove's infectious vocal delivery and catchy ListSong lyrics, Carl's energetic surf guitar, and some nice harmonies make this one a classic.

* The title track, while not their first single, is really where the Boys found their sound. Mike's infectious vocal delivery and catchy ListSong lyrics, Carl's energetic surf guitar, and some nice harmonies make this one a classic.

* "Little Girl (You're My Miss America)" is another great song from this album, and one of the first example of Brian's innate ability to improve the songs he covered. It is also the first Beach Boys song sung by Dennis Wilson.

[[AC:Music/{{Smile}} (1967; unreleased)]]

* The album's rendition of [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muitXv-8ANQ "Wind Chimes"]] is often considered superior to the planned ''Music/{{SMiLE}}'' version. Sparse and intimate (yet not without an eerie, malicious undercurrent; though really, this could be said for the album its entirety), it really showcases the Boys' vocal versatility, indeed making them sound somewhat like an actual wind chime.

* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXZ_L6zJn1c "'Til I Die"]] is beautiful, mystical, and scary; the dark atmosphere is given a major boost by some of the band's best harmonies.[[note]]In the ''Feel Flows: The Sunflower & Surf's Up Sessions 1969–1971'' BoxedSet, one of the tracks is [[ACappella just the vocals for the song isolated]].[[/note]] It's regarded as one of Brian's best songs from the '70s; he also says it's a favorite of his.

* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXZ_L6zJn1c "'Til I Die"]] is beautiful, mystical, and scary; the dark atmosphere is given a major boost by some of the band's best harmonies.[[note]]In the ''Feel Flows: The Sunflower & Surf's Up Sessions 1969–1971'' BoxedSet, one of the tracks is [[ACappella just the vocals isolated]].[[/note]] It's regarded as one of Brian's best songs from the '70s; he also says it's a favorite of his.

* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXZ_L6zJn1c "'Til I Die"]] is beautiful, mystical, and scary; the dark atmosphere is given a major boost by some of the band's best harmonies. It's regarded as one of Brian's best songs from the '70s; he also says it's a favorite of his.

* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXZ_L6zJn1c "'Til I Die"]] is beautiful, mystical, and scary; the dark atmosphere is given a boost by some of the band's best harmonies. It's regarded as one of Brian's best songs from the '70s; he also says it's a favorite of his.

* [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWPo5SC3zik "God Only Knows"]] is often considered one of the best songs by the group, and of ''all time''. Carl's melancholy vocal is a work of absolute beauty. The song has been praised from a variety of musicians, including Music/PaulMcCartney, who called it his favorite song of all time, and took inspiration from its style for his own song [[Music/{{Revolver}} "Here, There, and Everywhere"]].

* Really, the whole album. Described as one of the greatest pop albums of all time, this is Brian's first serious attempt at making a cohesive album, bordering on ConceptAlbum.

* "Caroline No". Oh, dear god, "Caroline No". Although a shortish song, it packs enough sadness and wistfulnes to sustain at least three more songs. The tale of a boy finding his childhood sweetheart seemingly traumatised by something in her past is awesome - and deeply sad.

* Again, the "album", though never truly finished, is one continuous piece of awesome music throughout.

* Fan favourite [[https://youtu.be/saQBsEROkFM "Busy Doin’ Nothin’"]] is a wonderfully light and catchy slice of Bossa Nova, with Brain delivering a wonderful vocal about his day to day routine, including visiting a friend and taking a phone call. It’s so incredibly Brian-like that’s it hard to not love

* While often considered one of the band’s weakest efforts, 15 Big Ones is still home to some wonderfully catchy tracks, including the goofy gospel track [[https://youtu.be/v9XhSBwRJfw "That Same Song"]], the sunshine pop throwback [[https://youtu.be/ocUX6u1fOLI "It’s OK"]], the lo-fi jazz pop of [[https://youtu.be/ZHHmLlR1y4U "Had To Phone Ya"]] which features the entire band and Brian’s then wife Marilyn on lead vocals and the climatic cover of Music/TheRighteousBrothers[[https://youtu.be/hbbWXSwJVmk "Just Once In My Life"]], decked out with moog bass and synth strings

* "It’s Gettin’ Late" sports a set of heavenly harmonies, some of Carl’s best vocal work and a haunting beautiful acapella bridge

* As reviled and widely panned as SIP is, the psychedelic rocker "Strange Things Happen" is often considered one of the only good things to come from the album
* The tragically overlooked "Laihana Aloha", while hampered by some cheesy production, boasts an absolutely gorgeous and insanely catchy hook from Carl and some wonderfully thick and strong harmonies, along with Music/VanDykeParks on accordion

* "Soul Searchin’", a (fittingly) soulful ballad penned by Brian in the mid 90s would prove to be the last (original) Beach Boys song Carl would ever provide vocals for, and he knocks it out of the park, especially in the incredibly emotive and powerful chorus

* The tragically overlooked "Laihana Aloha", while hampered by some cheesy production, boasts an absolutely gorgeous and insanely catchy hook from Carl and some wonderfully thick and strong harmonies, along with [[Van Dyke Parks]] on accordion

* The title track is one of their classic ballads. Simple, clean, and crisp-sounding; one of several Brian Wilson compositions inspired by the undying "[[Disney/{{Pinocchio}} When You Wish Upon a Star]]", with an imitable lead vocal by Brian.