Today in 1966, The Beach Boys released their single “Wouldn’t It Be Nice,” the opening track from their album Pet Sounds. Brian produced the record with 16 studio musicians who variously played drums, timpani, glockenspiel, trumpet, saxophones, accordions, guitars, pianos, and upright bass. The single peaked at No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100. Said Brian: “It expresses the frustrations of youth, what you can’t have, what you really want and you have to wait for it.” The single’s B-side was “God Only Knows.” Written by Brian and Tony Asher, the song is distinguished for its harmonic invention and complexity, unusual instrumentation, and subversion of typical popular music conventions, both lyrically and musically. The song peaked at No. 39 on the Billboard Hot 100. It’s often praised as one of the greatest songs of all time, and perhaps The Beach Boys’ finest record. Paul McCartney and Jimmy Webb have both cited “God Only Knows” as their favorite song of all time. Tell us what you think! @thebeachboys #1966 #petsounds
Today in 1966, The Beach Boys released their single “Wouldn’t It Be Nice,” the opening track from their album Pet Sounds. Brian produced the record with 16 studio musicians who variously played drums, timpani, glockenspiel, trumpet, saxophones, accordions, guitars, pianos, and upright bass. The single peaked at No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100. Said Brian: “It expresses the frustrations of youth, what you can’t have, what you really want and you have to wait for it.” The single’s B-side was “God Only Knows.” Written by Brian and Tony Asher, the song is distinguished for its harmonic invention and complexity, unusual instrumentation, and subversion of typical popular music conventions, both lyrically and musically. The song peaked at No. 39 on the Billboard Hot 100. It’s often praised as one of the greatest songs of all time, and perhaps The Beach Boys’ finest record. Paul McCartney and Jimmy Webb have both cited “God Only Knows” as their favorite song of all time. Tell us what you think! @thebeachboys #1966 #petsounds
2021: Clip of Brian playing “God Only Knows” in support of his At My Piano album. #2021 #godonlyknows #atmypiano
Will I dig the same things that turn me on as a kid? Will I look back and say that I wish I hadn’t done what I did? Will I joke around and still dig those sounds When I grow up to be a man? #1950s #california #whenigrowup
Santa Barbara 2019: Brian and band backstage singing “In My Room.” #2019 #inmyroom #santabarbar
Today in 1965, The Beach Today! was released by Capitol Records. Their eighth studio album, it signaled a departure from the band’s previous records with its orchestral sound and abandonment of car or surf songs. Produced, arranged and largely written by Brian, the album featured over 25 studio musicians, and showcased more refined performances, denser and richer arrangements, slower tempos, longer structures, and influences drawn from Phil Spector and Burt Bacharach. Classic tracks included “When I Grow Up (To Be a Man),” “Help Me, Rhonda,” “Dance, Dance, Dance,” “Please Let Me Wonder,” “Kiss Me Baby” and “In the Back for My Mind.” What’s your favorite? #1965 @thebeachboys #today
Caption this photo! Our favorite caption wins an official “Long Promised Road” movie poster. Good luck and we’ll contact the winner directly by Friday. #brianwilson #longpromisedroad #movieposters
Caption this photo! Our favorite caption wins an official “Long Promised Road” movie poster. Good luck and we’ll contact the winner directly by Friday. #brianwilson #longpromisedroad #movieposters
57 Summers Ago – Zuma Beach, Malibu CA. #endlesssummer #1967 #zumabeach #malibu #california #lethimrunwild
On this day in 1966, Brian released his first solo record, “Caroline, No.” The song would later appear as the closing track on The Beach Boys’ album Pet Sounds. Here, Brian talks about the track. #1966 #carolineno #petsounds @thebeachboys
When I Grow Up: Brian playing with Carnie and Wendy @carnie68 @wendywilsonwp
60 years ago this week, The Beach Boys released their fifth album, Shut Down Volume 2. Produced by Brian, the album contained classics like “Fun, Fun, Fun,” “Don’t Worry Baby, and “The Warmth of the Sun.” What’s your favorite track? #1964 #funfunfun #dontworrybaby @thebeachboys
60 years ago this week, The Beach Boys released their fifth album, Shut Down Volume 2. Produced by Brian, the album contained classics like “Fun, Fun, Fun,” “Don’t Worry Baby, and “The Warmth of the Sun.” What’s your favorite track? #1964 #funfunfun #dontworrybaby @thebeachboys
Coming in March: “The Beach Boys Present: The ABC’s of California.” Surf through the alphabet and journey through California. Great for you, your kids, or grandkids! More info and order – Link in Bio. @thebeachboys #abc #california
Coming in March: “The Beach Boys Present: The ABC’s of California.” Surf through the alphabet and journey through California. Great for you, your kids, or grandkids! More info and order – Link in Bio. @thebeachboys #abc #california
Coming in March: “The Beach Boys Present: The ABC’s of California.” Surf through the alphabet and journey through California. Great for you, your kids, or grandkids! More info and order – Link in Bio. @thebeachboys #abc #california
Brian talks about the title track of the 1968 Beach Boys album, Friends. #1968 #friends #waltz #humor @thebeachboys
Singer, songwriter, hitmaker and Raspberries frontman Eric Carmen passed away last week at 74. In an interview on his website, Eric spoke about Brian’s influence on his music: [Early on] “I went to school on Brian Wilson. That was a real breakthrough for me because he was doing things that I thought were so incredibly sophisticated before anybody was doing anything even close. The Pet Sounds album is, to me, the best pop album of all time. Brian introduced me to the idea of writing a bridge for a song that really had nothing to do with the verse and chorus. In the early days, I spent a lot of time concentrating on writing bridges that took you some place that you didn’t expect to go. Many songwriters wrote a song, the song’s in the key of C, it comes time for a bridge and they go to A minor. That bored me. Brian would go to E flat or somewhere strange, and he managed to do it smoothly. He also had a way of delivering you out of the bridge in such a way that you felt like maybe the song had modulated up a step, but you were really back in the original key. That, to me, was artwork.” – Eric Carmen #ericcarmen #raspberriesband #goalltheway #allbymyself
2018 Utah soundcheck clip: Brian, Al and band work out “Wouldn’t It Be Nice” harmonies. #2018 #livemusic
Wishing everyone a fun and safe St. Patrick’s Day this weekend! Here’s Brian in 1964 signing autographs outside the famous Blarney Stone in New York City.
THE BEACH BOYS was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Nonfiction Program! The 76th Emmy Awards Ceremony will air live on Sunday, September 15, and you can stream the documentary on Disney . @thebeachboys @disneyplus @televisionacad
Today in 1968, The Best of The Beach Boys Vol. 3 was released by Capitol Records. The album was primarily assembled to compensate for the low sales of the group’s Friends album, release in June. #1968 @thebeachboys #bestof
Today in 1968, The Best of The Beach Boys Vol. 3 was released by Capitol Records. The album was primarily assembled to compensate for the low sales of the group’s Friends album, release in June. #1968 @thebeachboys #bestof
Today in 1968, The Best of The Beach Boys Vol. 3 was released by Capitol Records. The album was primarily assembled to compensate for the low sales of the group’s Friends album, release in June. #1968 @thebeachboys #bestof
