Music fans love to argue, and especially compare who is the coolest musician - the anchors "The Beatles" and "The Rolling Stones" are of course classics, but in the early to mid-60s, the biggest creative group in the Fab Four were the Beach Boys.
The fresh-faced quintet sang about California, where the waves were beautiful, the girls were cute, the cars were fun, and the sun always shone. Tunes like "Surfin' USA," "California Girls," "I Get Around," and "Fun, Fun, Fun" filled the pop charts with ease, inspired by '50s vocal groups and surf rock.
However, in the '60s, the Beach Boys - like the Beatles - evolved into a group that stood for a different type of excellence, based on complex pop symphonies with complex, unorthodox orchestrations.
Create a group
The group formed in 1961 in Hawthorne, California around Brian Wilson and his two younger brothers, Carl and Dennis, as well as Mike Love and classmate Al Jardine.
The elder Wilson was the band's musical inspiration, through his vision for arranging, composing and producing. The band members traded vocals, with Love helping with songwriting from time to time.
However, thanks to the family atmosphere, the music of the Beach Boys felt like an endless summer.
The group's first single, "Surfin", signed to Capitol Records, and it was with them that the Beach Boys created over 20 Top 40 songs from 1962 to 1966.
Departure of the main performer
In the midst of the race's glory, Brian Wilson decided to stop touring with the band. His results are focused on the legendary, great sounds of 1966.
Vaguely psychedelic, the album featured unusual instrumentation for a pop album - two empty Coca-Cola cans as percussion and a theremin, among other things. In fact, Pet Sounds had a profound influence on the Beatles when they were making their first tracks in 1967.
The Beach Boys maintained a kaleidoscopic pop vibe, most notably on the singles "Good Vibrations" and "Heroes & Villains" when Brian Wilson was working on a pop album with Van Dyke Parks that was to be called Smile.
Due to a variety of factors - drug experimentation, creative pressure, and his own inner turmoil - the record never came out, and Brian Wilson retreated almost entirely from the spotlight.
The group continued to move forward, though their albums reflected a broader sonic palette. This resulted in the occasional chart hit – such as 1968's country rock "Do It Again," 1969's "I Hear Music," and 1973's more contemporary "Sail On, Sailor" – though the Beach Boys' earliest music remained lighter.
In fact, in 1974, the new Capitol Records compilation Endless Summer became a No. 1 hit, which sparked a new wave of nostalgia for the band.
Return of Brian Wilson
The band began to expand its audience even further when Brian Wilson finally returned to the ranks for the 1976 studio album 15 Big Ones.
However, the reunion was short-lived: the synth-heavy, offbeat track Love You from 1977 became a popular cult classic, but it was not a commercial success at the time, and he disappeared from the band again.
In the early 80s, the Beach Boys suffered a major setback in 1983 with the death of co-founder Dennis Wilson.
However, the group sold out, and in 1988 it reached a whole new audience of fans thanks to the surprise No. 1 hit "Kokomo" and an association with the comedy show Full House.
In the end, it didn't end well
The following decades were also not easy for the group.
Co-founder Carl Wilson died in 1998 of lung cancer, while the rest of the band often quarreled over the Beach Boys' name and other business matters.
In 2004, Brian released Gettin' over My Head featuring McCartney, Eric Clapton and Elton John.
However, the landmark work of this period in Brian's career was Smile (2004), which was finally offered to the world as a completed solo album after Brian had spent nearly four decades refining his sound.
After being awarded the Kennedy Center Honor in 2007, Brian released That Lucky Old Sun (2008), a nostalgic tribute to Southern California, co-produced with Scott Bennett and Parks.
In 2012, a year after the 50th anniversary of the Beach Boys' formation, the core members reunited for a holiday tour. The concerts coincided with the release of That's Why God Made The Radio, the band's first album in two decades of original material.
In 2013, the two-disc live album The Beach Boys Live: 50th Anniversary Tour was released.
Yet despite the commotion, the Beach Boys are still touring today, as is Brian Wilson.
And in 2012, the members put aside their differences to reunite for their 50th anniversary celebration. Wilson, Love, Jardine and other long-term touring and recording artists Bruce Johnston and David Marks came together to make a new track and warmly received the new studio album, That's Why God Made The Radio.
