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| | [[The Beatles]]' [[Paul McCartney]] called Brian Wilson's "[[God]] Only Knows," performed by ''The Beach Boys'', the "greatest song ever written."<ref>https://www.aol.com/legendary-60s-singer-called-greatest-013700982.html</ref> Brian Wilson rejected advice to remove "God" from his title; he was told it would reduce airtime on radio stations to use "God" in the title of a pop song that was not explicitly religious. | | [[The Beatles]]' [[Paul McCartney]] called Brian Wilson's "[[God]] Only Knows," performed by ''The Beach Boys'', the "greatest song ever written."<ref>https://www.aol.com/legendary-60s-singer-called-greatest-013700982.html</ref> Brian Wilson rejected advice to remove "God" from his title; he was told it would reduce airtime on radio stations to use "God" in the title of a pop song that was not explicitly religious. |
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| − | The band wore white pants and candy-striped shirts on stage, their early hits focused on the youthful California lifestyle with harmonizing that made them worldwide pop music stars throughout an era when most [[American]] artists gave way to what was known as the British invasion. In June 2025, Brian Wilson passed away at age 82. | + | The Beach Boys wore white pants and candy-striped shirts on stage, their early hits focused on the youthful California lifestyle with harmonizing that made them worldwide pop music stars throughout an era when most [[American]] artists gave way to what was known as the British invasion. In June 2025, Brian Wilson passed away at age 82. |
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| | Their first hit, "Surfin' USA", was responsible for exposing [[surf music]], at the time a local phenomenon originated by Dick Dale, to a much wider national and international audience. | | Their first hit, "Surfin' USA", was responsible for exposing [[surf music]], at the time a local phenomenon originated by Dick Dale, to a much wider national and international audience. |
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| − | The early albums of The Beach Boys are fairly standard rock and roll featuring surf- and drag-themed tunes and various rock and roll standards, played with the typical surf reverb guitar and extensive and surprisingly complex vocal harmonies. With time, Brian, the primary songwriter, became more experimental culminating in the band's acknowledged masterpiece, ''Pet Sounds'', which was ranked #2 among the greatest albums ever by ''[[Rolling Stones]]'' in 2012, second to the [[Beatles]]' ''Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band''.<ref>https://www.aol.com/entertainment/family-beach-boys-mastermind-brian-025252459.html</ref> | + | The early albums of The Beach Boys are fairly standard rock and roll featuring surf- and drag-themed tunes and various rock and roll standards, played with the typical surf reverb guitar and extensive and surprisingly complex vocal harmonies. With time, Brian, the primary songwriter, became more experimental, culminating in the band's acknowledged masterpiece, ''Pet Sounds'', which was ranked #2 among the greatest albums ever by ''[[Rolling Stones]]'' in 2012, second to the [[Beatles]]' ''Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band''.<ref>https://www.aol.com/entertainment/family-beach-boys-mastermind-brian-025252459.html</ref> |
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| | Their songs were by turns poignant, thoughtful, sensitive and funny, but always realistic and kind-hearted. | | Their songs were by turns poignant, thoughtful, sensitive and funny, but always realistic and kind-hearted. |