Brian Wilson was the brain behind much of The Beach Boys’ music, and even his solo efforts through the years have had a touch of magic to them that few songwriters could even dream of. He was a legendary pop songwriter who has since been described as a “genius,” and it’s hard to argue that when you consider how influential the following 1966 songs, written by Brian Wilson, really are. Let’s take a look at a few Pet Sounds tracks that still influence songwriters today.
“Wouldn’t It Be Nice” from ‘Pet Sounds’
When one thinks of the mid-1960s, one often thinks of this pop hit. It’s a simple love song that manages to sound sophisticated and ridiculously catchy. And there’s no guessing why “Wouldn’t It Be Nice” became such a huge hit in 1966. This is one of many examples of how The Beach Boys used vocal layering to create a dreamy effect in this music, which would become the go-to for many a music producer throughout the rest of the 60s.
Co-written by Tony Asher and Mike Love, “Wouldn’t It Be Nice” peaked at No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
“God Only Knows” from ‘Pet Sounds’
I’m biased. I adore this Beach Boys song. It’s my favorite out of everything in their discography. Those dreamy, layered, swaying vocal harmonies and arrangement are unlike anything I’ve ever heard before. And even with that bias in mind, “God Only Knows” deserves to be on our list of Brian Wilson songs from 1966 that changed songwriting forever. Plenty of Wilson’s contemporaries have called “God Only Knows” the greatest pop song ever written. Even Paul McCartney said it was his favorite song of all time. Clearly, it was influential.
A co-written effort with Tony Asher, “God Only Knows” was a shockingly modest hit. It peaked at only No. 39 on the Hot 100 chart.
“I Just Wasn’t Made For These Times” from ‘Pet Sounds’
This introspective song from Pet Sounds showed many songwriters that they could get pretty deep and still come out with a catchy, marketable pop tune. And anyone who has ever felt alienated or like they didn’t belong likely felt seen when they first heard “I Just Wasn’t Made For These Times”.
“I Just Wasn’t Made For These Times” was not released as a single and thus didn’t chart. However, it remains a fan favorite after all these years.
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