The 10 Best Beach Boys Songs of All Time

The Beach Boys are often hailed as the greatest American band of all time. A well-deserved title if you dive into the legacy and influence of the group. The band – led by Brian Wilson – initially started as a surf group with beachgoing songs, but they eventually transformed into ground-breaking pop innovators with the release of Pet Sounds and “Good Vibrations”. To celebrate The Beach Boys’ rich repertoire, I’ve hand-picked their 10 ‘best’ songs, based on cultural importance, legacy, and obviously, personal preference!

10. Sloop John B.

For number 10 I’ve picked “Sloop John B.” The Beach Boys included their version of the traditional song on their iconic Pet Sounds album. Brian Wilson started working on the song at the suggestion of guitarist Al Jardine, who loved folk music. Wilson wasn’t a big fan of the song, but eventually transformed “Sloop John B.” into his iconic style after the persistence of Jardine. The song was released as the second single of Pet Sounds and reached number 3 on the US Billboard Hot 100. It certainly isn’t the last Pet Sounds track on this list.

9. In My Room

“In My Room” was released as a B-side single in 1963 to “Be True to Your School”. But in my opinion, the ballad is too beautiful to be dismissed as some B-side filler. Brian Wilson co-wrote the song with Gary Usher in ‘about an hour’. “I had a room, and I thought of it as my kingdom,” Brian Wilson later said. “And I wrote that song, very definitely, that you’re not afraid when you’re in your room.”

8. I Get Around

“I Get Around” isn’t the lyrically strongest song, but its beautiful pure Beach Boys composition makes up for it. The song was released as a single in 1964 and was The Beach Boys’ first chart-topper in the USA. It marked the start of the band’s rivalry with The Beatles. Funnily enough, I consider the B-side of the single more beautiful, which you will find later on this list.

Read more: The 10 Best Beatles Songs of All Time

7. Surfin’ USA

“Surfin’ USA” is a typical early Beach Boys song about – you guessed it – surfing. Surprisingly, Dennis Wilson was the only actual surfer in the group. The song originated when Brian Wilson hummed the melody of Chuck Berry’s “Sweet Little Sixteen”. “I thought to myself, ‘God! What about trying to put surf lyrics to ‘Sweet Little Sixteen’s melody?” Wilson explained. He went to his girlfriend’s brother Jimmy (who was a surfer) and asked him for a list of surfing spots. It resulted in one of California Sound’s most iconic songs.

Read more: The Story Behind “Surfin’ USA” by The Beach Boys

6. California Girls

We continue the Californian Sound with “California Girls”. The Beach Boys released the song on their ninth studio album Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!) and reached number 3 on the US Billboard Hot 100. “California Girls” arguably has The Beach Boys’ finest introduction and remains a personal favorite of Brian Wilson.

5. Surf’s Up

“Surf’s Up” was supposed to be part of the Beach Boys’ twelfth studio album Smile, an album that – according to Brian Wilson – would surpass Pet Sounds. But due to several reasons, the album remained unfinished and became a what-could-have-been legend. In 1971, The Beach Boys finished “Surf’s Up” for the album of the same name. The song would never know commercial success, but is nevertheless considered to be one of The Beach Boys’ finest tracks.

4. Wouldn’t It Be Nice

For number 4 I’ve picked “Wouldn’t It Be Nice”. The innocent love song is arguably the band’s most well-known track. “It expresses the frustrations of youth,” Brian Wilson said in 1996. “What you can’t have, what you really want and you have to wait for it. The need to have the freedom to live with somebody. The idea is, the more we talk about it, the more we want it, but let’s talk about it anyway.”

The song is the opening track of Pet Sounds and was released as the album’s third single in July 1966. It reached number 8 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number 4 on the Canadian charts.

Read more: The Story Behind “Wouldn’t It Be Nice” by The Beach Boys

3. Don’t Worry Baby

Remember my number 8 on this list “I Get Around”? “Don’t Worry Baby” was released as the single’s B-side. But in my opinion, “Don’t Worry Baby” is far superior. The beautiful song was inspired by “Be My Baby” by the Ronettes and Brian Wilson even offered the song to the group. After they declined, The Beach Boys recorded the song themselves. “Don’t Worry Baby” remains a personal favorite of Wilson. “It was a very simple and beautiful song,” He later said. “It’s a really heart and soul song, I really did feel that in my heart.”

2. Good Vibrations

“Good Vibrations” is undoubtedly peak 60s pop. And although pop songs are often simple compositions, “Good Vibrations” is quite the opposite. The ‘pocket symphony’ has a one-of-a-kind structure with 6 distinct sections and uses unique instruments like a jaw harp, electro-theremin, and a cello. Therefore, it’s no surprise “Good Vibrations” was – at the time – the most expensive single ever recorded, with estimated costs running in the tens of thousands. The result is one of the greatest pop records ever made.

Read more: The Story Behind “Good Vibrations” by The Beach Boys

1. God Only Knows

Number 1 on my list is the beautiful “God Only Knows”. Many will argue it’s not only the best Beach Boys song, but also the best song of all time, including Paul McCartney, who called it ‘the greatest song ever written’. Brian Wilson co-wrote the song with songwriter Tony Asher. According to Wilson, “God Only Knows” was the easiest song he had ever written. “(‘God Only Knows’) was a vision that Tony and I had,” Wilson said in an interview. “It’s like being blind but in being blind, you can see more. You close your eyes; you’re able to see a place or something that’s happening.”

Weirdly enough, “God Only Knows” only knew moderate commercial success upon its release. But over the years, the song grew out to be one of the most acclaimed songs of all time. And is, in my opinion, the Beach Boys’ very best song.

Read more: The Story Behind “God Only Knows” by The Beach Boys

So, that wrap’s up this list of the greatest Beach Boys songs. I, without a doubt, forgot to mention songs that could have easily ranked on this list. I’m thinking about “Caroline, No”, “Heroes and Villains”, “Fun, Fun, Fun”, and “Kokomo”, among others.

At the end of the day, this list is not a competition, but a list of appreciation for The Beach Boys. Therefore, I would love to hear your personal Beach Boys favorites. What would your personal top 10 look like? What would you change about my list? Please let me know in the comments below!