The Beach Boys

The Beach Boys are a pop music group formed in Hawthorne, California in 1961, whose popularity has lasted into the 21st century. They have recorded dozens of top-forty hits (including four US #1 singles), many best-selling albums, and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988.

The original group comprised singer-musician-composer Brian Wilson, his brothers Carl and Dennis, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Alan Jardine. Many changes in both musical style and personnel have occurred in their sometimes-stormy career: Brian Wilson's mental illness, drug addiction and eventual withdrawal from the group; the deaths of Dennis Wilson in 1983 and Carl Wilson in 1998; and continuing legal battles among surviving members of the group.

As of 2006, The Beach Boys continue to tour, with only one of the original members (Mike Love).

Early years

The group was formed in 1961 in Hawthorne, California under the leadership of Brian Wilson, and included his brothers Carl and Dennis, their cousin Mike Love and school friend Al Jardine.

The early inspirations of the group were the Wilsons' musician father, Murry, and the close vocal harmonies of groups such as The Four Freshmen. The group performed initially as The Pendletones, after the Pendleton woolen shirts popular then. Although surfing motifs were very prominent in their early songs, Dennis was the sole actual surfer in the group. He suggested to his brothers that they do some songs celebrating his hobby and the lifestyle which had developed around it in Southern California.

At first Murry Wilson, by many accounts a hard-driving man, steered The Beach Boys' career, engineering their signing with Capitol Records. In 1964 Brian Wilson fired his father after a violent confrontation in the studio. Over the next few years they became increasingly estranged; when Murry Wilson died some years later, Brian and Dennis did not attend the funeral.

The Beach Boys' early material focused on the California youth lifestyle (e.g., "All Summer Long", "Fun, Fun, Fun"), cars ("Little Deuce Coupe") and of course surfing ("Surfin' U.S.A.", "Surfin' Safari," and many others). Although their music was bright and accessible, these early works contained remarkably sophisticated musical ideas. During this period, Brian rapidly progressed to become a melodist, arranger, and producer of world-renowned stature. Their early hits made them major pop stars in America and other countries, although their status as America's top pop group was challenged in 1964 by the emergence of The Beatles, who became The Beach Boys' major creative rival.

Like the Beatles, the Beach Boys showed very fast development during the mid-60s, drawing upon the innovations of songwriters and producers such as Burt Bacharach and especially Phil Spector. They produced the enduring classic "California Girls" in 1965, a banner year for popular music which also saw similarly advanced singles by the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, the Byrds, and James Brown. But it was the Beach Boys' role to create a myth of American freedom and dreams of adolescence, and increasingly, to articulate a dread of what lay after adolescence.

Brian's innovations and personal difficulties

During 1964 Brian Wilson began to suffer anxiety attacks, and withdrew from touring to concentrate on song writing and record production. Bruce Johnston subsequently became a full-time member of the band, first replacing Brian on the road, then contributing his talents in the studio.

Brian's growing mastery of the recording studio and his increasingly sophisticated songs and complex arrangements reached an early peak with the acclaimed LP Pet Sounds (1966). Classic singles from that album, "Wouldn't It Be Nice" and "God Only Knows" (which featured Carl for the third time as sole lead vocalist, after "Pom Pom Play Girl" and "Girl Don't Tell Me"), showed Wilson's growing skill as a composer, arranger and producer. "God Only Knows" is said to have been the first pop song ever released in the U.S. to have the word "God" in the title (because of which many a radio station in the U.S. refused to play the song). "Caroline, No," also taken from Pet Sounds, was issued as a Brian Wilson solo single, the only time Brian was credited as a solo artist during the early Capitol years.

The album's meticulously layered harmonies and inventive instrumentation (performed by the cream of Los Angeles session musicians known as The Wrecking Crew) set a new standard for popular music. It remains one of the more evocative releases of the decade, with a distinctive strain of melancholy and nostalgia for youth. The album is still widely regarded as a classic and Paul McCartney has named it one of his favorite albums of all time, often saying that it was a major influence on the Beatles' album, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. Despite the critical praise it received, the album was poorly promoted by Capitol Records and failed to become the major hit Brian had hoped it would be (only reaching #10). Its failure to gain wide recognition hurt him deeply.

Because of his withdrawal from touring, Brian was able to complete almost all the backing for the album while the Beach Boys were on tour in Japan. They returned to find a substantially complete album, requiring only their vocals to finish it off. There was some resistance from within the band to this new direction. Lead singer Mike Love is reported to have been strongly opposed to it, partly because he feared the band would lose its audience if they changed their successful formula, and partly because he personally disliked the new material, which he famously criticised as "Brian's ego music." At Love's insistence, Brian changed the title of one song from "Hang on to Your Ego" to "I Know There's an Answer." Another likely factor in Love's antipathy to Pet Sounds was that Brian worked extensively on it with outside lyricist Tony Asher rather than with Love, who had written most of the lyrics for their earlier songs and who was the lead vocalist on most of their early hits.

Seeking to expand on the advances made on Pet Sounds, Brian began an even more ambitious project, originally dubbed Dumb Angel. Its first fruit was "Good Vibrations," which Brian described as "a pocket symphony". The song became the Beach Boys' biggest hit to date, and a U.S. and U.K. # 1 single in 1966—many critics consider it to be one of the best rock singles of all time. In 1997 it was named the "Greatest Single of All Time" by Mojo music magazine, in 2000 VH1 placed it at number 8 on their "100 Greatest Rock Songs" list, and in late 2004 Rolling Stone magazine placed it at number 6 on their "500 Best Songs of All Time" list. It was also one of the more complex pop productions ever undertaken, and was reputed to have been the most expensive American single ever recorded, costing a reported $16,000 -- more than most pop albums of that time -- with sessions stretching over several months in at least three major studios.

In contrast to his work on Pet Sounds, Brian adopted a modular approach to "Good Vibrations"--he broke the song into sections and taped multiple versions of each at different studios to take advantage of the different sound of each facility. He then assembled his favorite sections into a master backing track and added vocals. The song's innovative instrumentation included drums, organ, piano, tack piano, two basses, guitars, electro-theremin, harmonica, and cello. The group members recall the "Good Vibrations" vocal sessions as among the most demanding of their career.

Even as his personal life deteriorated, Brian's musical output remained remarkable. The exact nature of his problems was a topic of much speculation. He abused drugs heavily, gained an enormous amount of weight, suffered long bouts of depression, and became paranoid as well. Several biographies have suggested that his father Murry may have had bipolar disorder, and after years of suffering, Brian's own condition was eventually diagnosed as schizophrenia.

The story behind "Smile"

Shortly after completing "Good Vibrations," Brian met session musician and songwriter Van Dyke Parks, and in late 1966 they began an intense collaboration that resulted in a suite of superb new songs for the Beach Boys' next album, which was eventually named Smile. Using the same methods as on "Good Vibrations," recording began in late 1966 and carried on into early 1967. Although the structure of the album and the exact running order of the songs have been subjects of endless speculation, it is apparent that Wilson and Parks intended Smile to be a continuous suite of songs that were linked both thematically and musically, with the main songs being linked together by small vocal pieces and instrumental segments that elaborated the musical themes of the major songs.

But the other Beach Boys -- especially Mike Love -- found the new music too difficult and too far removed from their established style; another serious concern was that the new music was simply not feasible for live performance by the current Beach Boys lineup. Love was bitterly opposed to Smile and was particularly critical of Parks's lyrics; he has also since stated that he was becoming deeply concerned about Brian's escalating drug intake. The problems came to a head during the recording of "Cabinessence," when Love demanded that Parks explain the meaning of the closing refrain of the song, "Over and over the crow cries uncover the cornfield." After a heated argument, Parks walked out and his partnership with Brian came to an abrupt end.

Many factors combined to focus intense pressure on Brian as Smile neared completion, including mental instability, drug use, the pressure to perform against fierce opposition to his new music, the relatively poor response to Pet Sounds, Carl's draft resistance, and a major dispute with Capitol. Matters were complicated by his reliance on both prescription and illegal drugs, particularly marijuana and Amphetamine, which only exacerbated his underlying mental health problems.

Just weeks before The Beatles' Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band was released, Smile was shelved. Over the next thirty years the legends surrounding Smile grew, until it became the most famous unreleased album in the history of popular music. Some of the tracks were salvaged and rerecorded at Brian's new home studio in drastically scaled-down versions. These were released, along with the completed versions of "Good Vibrations" and "Heroes and Villains," on the LP Smiley Smile, which would prove to be a critical and commercial disaster for the group.

Smile itself, in its original conception, did not surface until Wilson and Parks completed the writing and Brian rerecorded it as a solo project in 2004. However, despite the cancellation of Smile, interest in the work remained high and versions of several major tracks -- including "Our Prayer," "Cabinessence," "Cool, Cool Water," and "Surf's Up" -- were assembled by Carl Wilson over the next few years and included on later albums. The band was expecting to complete and release Smile even until 1972, when it became clear that only Brian would ever be able to make sense out of the endless fragments that were recorded. A substantial number of original tracks and linking fragments were included on the group's 30th anniversary CD boxed set in 1993.

Mid-career brings a change in leadership

As Brian became increasingly withdrawn in the late 1960s and 1970s, Carl gradually took over leadership of the band, and developed into an accomplished songwriter and producer. The 1967 album Wild Honey is regarded by many critics as a classic and features a cover of Stevie Wonder's "I Was Made to Love Her." Wild Honey and its hit single "Darlin'" also marked the end of the Beach Boys as a major commercial entity, with subsequent releases faring far less well than those previous. Their image problems were not helped by the criticism that followed their forced withdrawal from the bill of the 1967 Monterey International Pop Festival as a result of Carl's draft problems, an event which would undoubtedly have been crucial in establishing their new sound had they been able to play and to present their new material.

Despite Brian's deteriorating health, the band continued to work, recording the albums Friends (1968) and 20/20 (1969, featuring lyrics by Charles Manson[1]) before finally breaking with Capitol and signing with Reprise Records. According to the liner notes for the 2004 version, Reprise expected Smile to be completed and released as part of the new contract.

Their first two Reprise LPs were Sunflower (1970) and 1971's Surf's Up. The addition of Ricky Fataar and Blondie Chaplin in 1972 led to the very un-Beach Boys-like Carl and the Passions-"So Tough", a unique, R&B-flavored LP that was a dramatic departure in sound for the band. The slightly more traditional Holland of 1973 received mixed reviews. The album's lead single "Sail on Sailor," a brief return to the collaboration between Parks and Brian, was one of the more emblematic of Beach Boys songs; it hit the charts in both 1973 and 1975. Recent statements by Parks on Brian Wilson's message board, however, suggest that the song was not really worked on by Wilson (That Wilson gave him a few chords with a small melody). Parks claims that part of the reason it was so heavily stressed to be a mostly Wilson composition (indeed, Parks had to sue to gain any credits at all) is because Warner Brothers had demanded Wilson return to writing music and to the front of the band-something Wilson was not willing to do.

In the summer of 1974 Capitol, in consultation with Mike Love, released a double album compilation of the Beach Boys' pre-Pet Sounds hits, entitled Endless Summer. Helped by a sunny, colorful graphic cover, it caught the mood of the country and surged to #1 on the Billboard album chart, becoming their first gold record since "Good Vibrations", and stayed on the album chart for three years. [2] The following year another compilation, Spirit of America, also did well. These sales performances demonstrated that the classic Beach Boys sound was back in fashion.

In 1975, the Beach Boys staged a highly successful joint concert tour with Chicago, with each group performing some of the other's songs, including their previous year's collaboration on Chicago's hit "Wishing You Were Here".

In 1977 the Beach Boys released the LP Love You, a collection of songs that reflected both Brian's continuing retreat from the world ("Johnny Carson," "Solar System") and his continued genius as a musical thinker ("Airplane," "The Night Was So Young"). "If Mars had life on it/I might find my wife on it" from "Solar System" sums up the oddball preoccupations of Love You, which has since gained the status of a classic within the Beach Boys' oeuvre.

The group and its tours remained popular, even as they came to be viewed primarily as a nostalgia act. Many problems affected their later career, none more so than Brian's continuing drug and mental health problems. Although he appeared sporadically with them in concert, he contributed little to their performances or recordings. Despite a much-publicised "Brian's Back" campaign in the late 70s, most critics believed the group was past their prime. Many expected that Brian would one day become the latest in a long line of celebrity drug casualties.

Deaths of Dennis and Carl Wilson

In the late 70s Dennis Wilson also began to suffer increasingly from drug and alcohol abuse, and some of the group's concert appearances were marred by Dennis and other band members being drunk or drugged on stage. The band was forced to publicly apologise after a shambolic performance in Sydney in 1979 during which several members of the group appeared to be drunk. In spite of his own frequent drinking, Dennis managed to release his first solo work Pacific Ocean Blue, and to launch the now famed work-in-progess Bamboo, with friend and musician Carli Muñoz.

In 1980 The Beach Boys played a Fourth of July concert on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. before a vast crowd. This tradition continued for the next two years, but in 1983 Secretary of the Interior James Watt banned the group from playing on the Mall, saying that rock concerts drew "an undesirable element". [3] This drew howls of outrage from the many of the Beach Boys' American fans, who stated that the Beach Boys sound was a very desirable part of the American cultural fabric. First Lady Nancy Reagan apologized, and in 1985 the group appeared on the Mall again. The group most recently appeared on the Mall in 2005 for the Fourth of July concert.

Dennis Wilson's problems had escalated in the early 1980s and he accidentally drowned in late 1983 while diving from his boat as he drunkenly tried to recover items he had previously thrown overboard.

Despite Dennis's tragic death, The Beach Boys soldiered on, and they enjoyed a resurgence of interest later in the 1980s, assisted by tributes such as the David Lee Roth version of "California Girls"; they scored their first #1 in twenty-two years with the 1988 song "Kokomo," which was featured on the soundtrack of the hit Tom Cruise movie Cocktail and which became their biggest-selling hit ever. In 1996 they guested with Status Quo on a re-recording of Fun Fun Fun, which was a British Top 30 hit.

Members of the band appeared on sitcoms such as Full House (starring sometime drummer John Stamos) and Home Improvement in the 1990s, as well as touring occasionally, but their declining career contrasted dramatically with the massive public interest and rabid critical praise that followed Brian's gradual return to touring in the 1990s. The critically acclaimed documentary I Just Wasn't Made For These Times, important in restoring Brian's reputation, saw him performing for the first time with his now grown-up daughters, Wendy and Carnie, and included glowing tributes to Brian's talents from a host of major music stars of the '60s, '70s, and '80s.

Tragedy struck the Wilson family again in 1998 when Carl Wilson died of lung cancer. Although Mike Love and Bruce Johnston continue to tour as "The Beach Boys", no other original members accompany them.

Personnel changes through the years

From the start, The Beach Boys have undergone many variations in composition, being represented by fill-ins as often as not. Wilson neighbor David Marks appeared on their first four albums and was a member from 1962 to 1963 as a temporary replacement for Jardine, who had left the group to pursue a career in dentistry. Marks rejoined the band in 1997, during Carl Wilson's last illness, and remained with them for two years.

Glen Campbell toured for several months with the group in 1965, as a touring replacement for Brian, who had played bass in concert. Campbell was subsequently replaced by Bruce Johnston, who later became a permanent member. During the mid-1970s drummer Ricky Fataar and guitarist Blondie Chaplin joined the band.

Though not official members, The Beach Boys' supporting band has featured many notable musicians over the years. Keyboard player Daryl Dragon, later famous as half of the pop duo Captain & Tennille, toured with the band, along with his future wife Toni Tennille. Carli Muñoz, who had been playing percussion with the band since 1970, in 1971 replaced Daryl Dragon as keyboard player until 1981. Jeff Foskett joined the touring band in 1981 as a guitarist and vocalist and remained with the group until 1990. Billy Hinsche, of Dino, Desi & Billy fame, was also a longtime member of the supporting band throughout the '70s, '80s, and '90s.

Some of the changes in The Beach Boys' organization were less formal. They enjoyed a casual collaboration with fellow Southern Californians Jan and Dean. Much to the consternation of other band members, Brian composed "Surf City" and gave the song, without compensation, to Dean Torrence. Jan and Dean, at the time not nearly as popular as The Beach Boys, recorded the song and scored their first number one single, long before the Beach Boys reached the same milestone. Years later, Torrence happened upon the studio where the Beach Boys were recording their "Beach Boys' Party!" album. He joined in the singing, and can be heard singing harmony in the "Barbara Ann" cut from that album.

Despite the deaths of two original Beach Boys, the band continues to this very day, one of the busiest bands on the circuits. Love and Johnston have often hinted at a new Beach Boys studio album, but as of this writing at the end of 2005, nothing has yet appeared.

To the surprise and delight of fans around the world, Brian Wilson has mounted several major tours under his own name with a band containing members of The Wondermints and led by former Beach Boys guitarist Jeff Foskett plus other supporting musicians. Their note-perfect live performances of the entire Pet Sounds album earned some of the most glowing concert reviews of Brian's career, with some commentators calling the shows "the concert of a lifetime". In 2003 and 2004, Brian and Van Dyke Parks reunited to complete the unfinished sections of Smile, and in 2004 Brian and his band toured the world performing a live concert version of the album. They then recorded a new studio version of Smile using vintage recording equipment and including sessions at the fabled Sunset Sound Studios in Hollywood, where some of the original recordings were made.

Al Jardine toured for a while with the Beach Boys Family & Friends (which for legal reasons quickly became Alan Jardine Family & Friends Beach Band), featuring his sons Matt and Adam, Brian's daughters Carnie and Wendy, and Carl's brother-in-law Billy Hinsche, among others. Jardine now tours with the Endless Summer Band which includes his two sons, Hinsche, and several other performers.

The Beach Boys in the courts

Many legal problems arose from Brian's psychological issues. In the mid 1970s the band hired controversial therapist Eugene Landy in an attempt to help Brian. Landy did achieve some significant improvements in Brian's overall condition; from Brian's own admissions about his massive drug intake, it's highly likely that Brian would have died if Landy had not intervened. He successfully treated Brian's drug dependence, and by 1987 Brian had recovered sufficiently to record his first solo album. But Landy became increasingly possessive of his star patient and was fired after it became apparent that he was using his control over Brian for his own benefit.

In addition to the challenges over the use of the band's name and over the best way to care for Brian, there were three significant legal cases involving the Beach Boys in recent years. The first was Brian's suit to reclaim the rights to his songs and the group's publishing company, Sea Of Tunes, which he had signed away to his father in 1967. Brian successfully argued that he had not been mentally fit to make an informed decision and ownership of the catalog reverted to him.

The second lawsuit stemmed from Brian's reclamation of his publishing rights. Soon after Brian won his case, Mike Love sued him to gain credit for his co-authorship of a number of important Beach Boys songs, including "Catch A Wave," "I Get Around," "When I Grow Up," "Be True To Your School," "Help Me Rhonda," "I Know There's An Answer," and numerous others. In interviews, Mike revealed that on some songs he wrote most of the lyrics, on others only a line or two.

In November 2005, Mike Love filed another lawsuit against Brian Wilson. Love alleges that the UK publication The Mail on Sunday and Brian Wilson’s representatives gave the false impression to the readers of The Mail on Sunday that their joint promotional giveaway of nearly three million copies of the CD called "Good Vibrations" was authorized by Mike Love and The Beach Boys. This free CD, Love alleges, includes five of Mike Love and Brian Wilson’s co-authored hit Beach Boys songs, and was done to promote Brian Wilson's solo CD, Smile. ' Love also says that the Smile CD and "Good Vibrations" were marketed using The Beach Boys’ names and images without permission. He is seeking several million dollars in damages, and also a million dollars to cover costs of advertising to correct the perceived damage to the band's reputation.

Mike has stated: “Once again the people around Brian, my cousin and collaborator on many hits, who I love and care about, have used him for their own financial gain without regard to his rights, or my rights, or even the rights of the estates of his deceased brothers, Carl and Dennis, and their children... Unfortunately, history repeats itself. Because of Brian’s mental issues he has always been vulnerable to manipulation. I simply want to stop the infringers and stop the deception!”[4]

There has been speculation that Love's lawsuit is an attempt to pressure Wilson into agreeing to let Love continue to use the profitable Beach Boys name for his and Johnstone's touring efforts [5].

Brian Wilson’s website listed the following statement in response: “The lawsuit against Brian is meritless. While he will vigorously defend himself he is deeply saddened that his cousin Mike Love has sunk to these depths for his own financial gain.”

Awards and designations

The group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988 (see here) and into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 1998 (see here).

Members

Core members

• Brian Wilson (1961–present) -- still officially a member though not a touring member
• Carl Wilson (1961–1998)
• Dennis Wilson (1961–1983)
• Mike Love (1961–present)
• Alan Jardine (1961–62, 1963–present) -- still officially a member though not a touring member
• Bruce Johnston (1965–72, 1978–present)

Past Members

• David Marks (1962–63, 1997–99)
• Ricky Fataar (1972–1974)
• Blondie Chaplin (1972–1973)
• Glen Campbell (1965) -- touring member only

Supporting Band Members

("The Beach Boys Band") -- members of the current touring band along with Love and Johnston

• Mike Kowalski (1968–present) - drums/percussion
• Chris Farmer (1995–present) - bass, baritone/tenor vocals
• Tim Bonhomme (1996–present) - keyboards, bass/baritone vocals, Dennis Wilson's vocal parts
• John Cowsill (2000–present) - keyboards, tenor/falsetto vocals, Carl Wilson's and Al Jardine's vocal parts
• Scott Totten (2000–present) - lead guitar, tenor/falsetto vocals, Carl Wilson's vocal parts
• Randell Kirsch (2004–present) - guitar, falsetto vocals, Brian and Carl Wilson's vocal parts

Discography

Studio albums

• Surfin' Safari (1962) #32 US
• Surfin' USA (1963) #2 US, #17 UK
• Surfer Girl (1963) #7 US, #13 UK
• Little Deuce Coupe (1963) #4 US
• Shut Down Volume 2 (1964) #13 US
• All Summer Long (1964) #4 US
• The Beach Boys' Christmas Album (1964) #6 US X-mas
• The Beach Boys Today! (1965) #4 US, #6 UK
• Summer Days (and Summer Nights!!) (1965) #2 US, #4 UK
• Beach Boys' Party! (1965) #6 US, #3 UK
• Pet Sounds (1966) #10 US, #2 UK
• Smiley Smile (1967) #41 US, #9 UK
• Wild Honey (1967) #24 US, #7 UK
• Friends (1968) #126 US, #13 UK
• 20/20 (1969) #68 US, #3 UK
• Sunflower (1970) #151 US, #29 UK
• Surf's Up (1971) #29 US, #15 UK
• Carl and the Passions - "So Tough" (1972) #50 US, #25 UK
• Holland (1973) #36 US, #20 UK
• 15 Big Ones (1976) #8 US, #31 UK
• Love You (1977) #53 US, #28 UK
• M.I.U. Album (1978) #151 US
• L.A. (Light Album) (1979) #100 US, #32 UK
• Keepin' the Summer Alive (1980) #75 US, #54 UK
• The Beach Boys (1985) #52 US, #60 UK
• Still Cruisin' (1989) #46 US
• Summer in Paradise (1992)
• Stars and Stripes Vol. 1 (1996) #101 US

Live albums

• Beach Boys Concert (1964) #1 US
• Live in London (1970) (released in America in 1976) #75 US
• The Beach Boys in Concert (1973) #25 US
• Good Timin': Live at Knebworth England 1980 (2002)

Compilations

• Best of The Beach Boys (1966) #8 US; #2 UK
• Best of The Beach Boys Vol. 2 (1967) #50 US; #3 UK
• Best of The Beach Boys Vol. 3 (1968) #153 US; #9 UK
• Endless Summer (1974 - unofficial) #1 US
• Spirit of America (1975 - unofficial) #8 US
• Good Vibrations - Best of The Beach Boys (1975) #25 US
• Ten Years of Harmony (1981) US #156
• Made in U.S.A. (1986) US #96
• Ultimate Christmas (1998)
• The Greatest Hits - Volume 1: 20 Good Vibrations (1999) #95 US
• The Greatest Hits - Volume 2: 20 More Good Vibrations (1999) #192 US
• Greatest Hits Volume Three: Best of the Brother Years 1970-1986 (2000)
• Classics selected by Brian Wilson (2002) #159 US
• Sounds of Summer: The Very Best of The Beach Boys (2003) #16 US

Anthologies

• Endless Harmony Soundtrack (1998, reissued 2000)
• Hawthorne, CA (2001)

Boxed sets

• Good Vibrations: Thirty Years of The Beach Boys (1993)
• The Pet Sounds Sessions (1997)

Singles

1. Surfin’/Luau (X-301/8 December 1961) US: 75
2. 409/Surfin’ Safari (Capitol 4777/4 June 1962) US: 14
3. Ten Little Indians/County Fair (Capitol 4880/19 November 1962) US: 49
4. Surfin’ U.S.A./Shut Down (Capitol 4932/4 March 1963) US: 3; UK: 34
5. Surfer Girl/Little Deuce Coupe (Capitol 5009/22 July 1963) US: 7
6. Be True To Your School/In My Room (Capitol 5069/14 October 1963) US: 6
7. Little Saint Nick/The Lord’s Prayer (Capitol 5096/2 December 1963) US: 3 (x-mas)
8. Fun, Fun, Fun/Why Do Fools Fall In Love (Capitol 5118/3 February 1964) US: 5
9. I Get Around/Don’t Worry Baby (Capitol 5174/11 May 1964) US: 1; UK: 7
10. When I Grow Up/She Knows Me Too Well (Capitol 5245/17 August 1964) US: 9; UK: 27
11. Dance, Dance, Dance/The Warmth Of The Sun (Capitol 5306/26 October 1964) US: 8; UK: 24
12. The Man With All The Toys/Blue Christmas (Capitol 5312/16 November 1964) US: 3 (x-mas)
13. Do You Wanna Dance/Please Let Me Wonder (Capitol 5372/8 February 1965) US: 12
14. Help Me, Rhonda/Kiss Me, Baby (Capitol 5395/5 April 1965) US: 1; UK: 27
15. California Girls/Let Him Run Wild (Capitol 5464/12 July 1965) US: 3; UK: 26
16. The Little Girl I Once Knew/There’s No Other (Like My Baby) (Capitol 5540/8 November 1965) US: 20
17. Barbara Ann/Girl Don’t Tell Me (Capitol 5561/20 December 1965) US: 2;UK: 3
18. Caroline, No/Summer Means New Love (Capitol 5610/7 March 1966) US: 32 credited to Brian Wilson
19. Sloop John B/You’re So Good To Me (Capitol 5602/21 March 1966) US: 3; UK: 2
20. Wouldn’t It Be Nice/God Only Knows (Capitol 5706/11 July 1966) US: 8; UK: 2
21. Good Vibrations/Let’s Go Away For Awhile (Capitol 5676/10 October 1966) US: 1; UK: 1
22. Then I Kissed Her (written by Phil Spector/E. Greenwich/J. Barry) (Capitol HF 298/ May1967) UK: 5
23. Heroes and Villains/You’re Welcome (Brother 1001/24 July 1967) US: 12; UK: 8
24. Gettin’ Hungry/Devoted To You (Brother 1002/28 August 1967) credited to Brian and Mike
25. Wild Honey/Wind Chimes (Capitol 2028/23 October 1967) US: 31; UK: 29
26. Darlin’/Here Today (Capitol 2068/11 December 1967) US: 19; UK: 11
27. Friends/Little Bird (Capitol 2160/8 April 1968) US: 47; UK: 25
28. Do It Again/Wake The World (Capitol 2239/15 July 1968) US: 20; UK: 1
29. Bluebirds Over The Mountain/Never Learn Not To Love (Capitol 2360/2 December 1968) US: 61; UK: 33
30. I Can Hear Music/All I Want To Do (Capitol 2432/24 February 1969) US: 24; UK: 10
31. Break Away/Celebrate The News (Capitol 2560/23 June 1969) US: 63; UK: 6
32. Add Some Music To Your Day/Susie Cincinnati (Brother 0894/23 February 1970) US: 64
33. Cottonfields/The Nearest Faraway Place (Capitol 2765/20 April 1970) US: 103; UK: 5
34. Slip On Through/This Whole World (Brother 0929/29 June 1970)
35. Tears In The Morning/It’s About Time (Brother 0957/November 1970)
36. Cool, Cool Water/Forever (Brother 0998/February 1971)
37. Wouldn't It Be Nice (Live from The Big Sur Folk Festival) b/w "The Times They Are A-Changin'" (B-side by Merry Clayton) (Ode 66016 /April 1971)
38. Long Promised Road/Deidre (Brother 1015/24 May 1971)
39. Long Promised Road/Til I Die (Brother 1047/11 October 1971) US: 89
40. Surf’s Up/Don’t Go Near The Water (Brother 1058/8 November 1971)
41. You Need A Mess Of Help To Stand Alone/Cuddle Up (Brother 1091/15 May 1972)
42. Marcella/Hold On Dear Brother (Brother 1101/26 June 1972) US: 110
43. Sail On, Sailor/Only With You (Brother 1138/29 January 1973) US: 79
44. California Saga (On My Way To Sunny Californ-i-a)/Funky Pretty (Brother 1156/16 April 1973) US: 84; UK: 37
45. Child Of Winter (Christmas Song)/Susie Cincinnati (Brother 1321/23 December 1974)
46. Sail On, Sailor/Only With You (Brother 1325/10 March 1975) US: 49
47. Rock And Roll Music/The TM Song (Brother 1354/24 May 1976) US: 5; UK: 36
48. It’s O.K./Had To Phone Ya (Brother 1368/9 August 1976) US: 29
49. Everyone’s In Love With You/Susie Cincinnati (Brother 1375/1 November 1976)
50. Honkin’ Down The Highway/Solar System (Brother 1389/30 May 1977)
51. Peggy Sue/Hey Little Tomboy (Brother 1394/28 August 1978) US: 59
52. Here Comes The Night/Baby Blue (Caribou ZS9 9026/19 February 1979) US: 44; UK: 37
53. Good Timin’/Love Surrounds Me (Caribou ZS9 9029/16 April 1979) US: 40
54. Lady Lynda/Full Sail (Caribou ZS9 9030/June 1979) UK: 7
55. It’s A Beautiful Day/Sumahama (Caribou ZS9 9031/September 1979) UK: 45
56. Goin’ On/Endless Harmony (Caribou ZS9 9032/11 March 1980) US: 83
57. Livin’ With A Heartache/Santa Ana Winds (Caribou ZS9 9033/20 May 1980)
58. Beach Boys Medley (October 1981) US: 12
59. Come Go With Me/Don’t Go Near The Water (Caribou ZS4 02633/2 November 1981) US: 18
60. Chasin' The Sky (1984)
61. Getcha Back/Male Ego (Caribou ZS4 04913/8 May 1985) US: 26
62. It’s Gettin’ Late/It’s O.K. (Caribou ZS4 05433/17 July 1985) US: 82
63. She Believes In Love Again/It’s Just A Matter Of Time (Caribou ZS4 05624/2 October 1985)
64. Rock’n’Roll To The Rescue/Good Vibrations (Live In London) (Capitol 5595/9 June 1986) US: 68
65. California Dreamin’/Lady Liberty (Capitol 5630/1 September 1986) US: 57
66. Happy Endings (with Little Richard)/California Girls (Critique 99392/November 1987) -
67. Kokomo/Tutti Frutti (Little Richard) (Elektra 69385/18 July 1988) US: 1; UK: 25
68. Still Cruisin’/Kokomo (Capitol 44445/7 August 1989) US: 93
69. Somewhere Near Japan/Kokomo (Capitol 44475/January 1990)
70. Problem Child/Tutti Frutti (Little Richard) (RCA 2646/July 1990)
71. Crocodile Rock (1991)
72. Hot Fun In The Summertime/Summer Of Love (Brother 5247/July 1992)
73. Under The Boardwalk (1994 - Promo Only)
74. Summer Of Love/I'm Always Here (other artist) (1995)
75. Little Deuce Coupe (with James House) (1996) US Country Chart: 69
76. I Can Hear Music (with Kathy Troccoli) (River North 3011/August 1996) US Country Chart: 73
77. Long Tall Texan (with Doug Supernaw) (1996-Promo only) US Country Chart: 69
78. Fun, Fun, Fun (with Status Quo) (1997)

EPs

1. Four By the Beach Boys (Capitol R 5267/21 September 1964) US: 44

• A: Little Honda; Wendy
• B: Don’t Back Down; Hushabye

Album availability

• With the exception of Pet Sounds, The Beach Boys' Christmas Album, and the three albums since 1989, all the Beach Boys albums are available in a two-LP-on-one-CD format. The rereleases of the 1960s albums also include bonus tracks.
• Pet Sounds is available on both CD and DVD-Audio. A four-disc box set including numerous outtakes and alternate versions is also available. One CD release has both the stereo and mono mixes of the classic album as well as an alternate session outtake entitled Hang Onto Your Ego
• The Beach Boys' Christmas Album is available both on its own and as part of the Ultimate Christmas album, which includes tracks from an aborted 1977 Christmas album.
• Still Cruisin', Summer in Paradise, and Stars and Stripes Vol. 1 are currently out of print, but can be found used on CD.
• The 1993 box set Good Vibrations: Thirty Years of The Beach Boys presents a comprehensive review of the group's career plus a number of rare tracks, including some from the legendary Smile sessions.

Three albums have been released since the group's split.

• Endless Harmony Soundtrack is a compilation of otherwise unreleased tracks together with remixes of better-known tracks; a good introduction to the band, containing no duplications of earlier releases except the title track.
• Hawthorne, CA is a less successful, two-CD set along the same lines.
• Good Timin': Live at Knebworth England 1980 is a studio-enhanced concert recording.

References

Whitburn, Joel, The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits, 1992
Wilson, Brian (with Todd Gold), Wouldn't It Be Nice, My Own Story, 1991