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The Beach Boys
The Beach Boys (1965).png
The Beach Boys (1965)
Background information
Origin Hawthorne, California, USA
Genres Surf rock, Sunshine pop, Psychedelic pop, Psychedelic rock, Baroque pop, Art rock
Years active 1961-present
Labels Capitol, Brother, Reprise, Caribou, X Records, Ariola, Columbia
Members Al Jardine
Bruce Johnston
Mike Love
David Marks
Brian Wilson
Past members Carl Wilson
Dennis Wilson
Ricky Fataar
Blondie Chaplin
Glen Campbell

The Beach Boys are a famous American pop and surf rock band. They started in Hawthorne, California, in 1961. The first members were three brothers: Brian Wilson (who played keyboards and bass guitar), Dennis Wilson (on drums), and Carl Wilson (playing lead guitar). Their cousin, Mike Love, was the main singer. Their close friend, Al Jardine, played rhythm guitar.

Later, David Marks joined the band for a while when Al Jardine went to school. When Al came back, David left. Another musician, Bruce Johnston, also became a regular member. He first filled in for Brian Wilson on tours, then joined their recording sessions. Many of the band's songs were about fun things in southern California. They sang about the beach, girls, cool cars, and surfing. Interestingly, only Dennis Wilson and Bruce Johnston actually surfed!

Why The Beach Boys Are Super Famous

The Beach Boys are one of the most loved and successful bands ever. Many people think they are very important in music history. They were one of the first rock bands to write and play their own songs. They were also one of the few American bands that stayed popular even when British bands became very big in 1964. This time was called the "British Invasion."

Between the 1960s and 2010s, they had more than 80 songs that were popular around the world. Thirty-six of their songs made it into the Top 40 charts in the US. This is the most for any American rock band! Four of their songs even reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

The Beach Boys have sold over 100 million records worldwide. This makes them one of the best-selling bands of all time. Rolling Stone magazine put them at number 12 on their list of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time" in 2004. In 2017, a study showed that many artists said The Beach Boys influenced their music. The main five members – the three Wilson brothers, Mike Love, and Al Jardine – were put into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988.

Their Albums

The Beach Boys released many studio albums. Here are some of their most well-known ones:

  • Surfin' Safari (1962)
  • Surfin' U.S.A. (1963)
  • Surfer Girl (1963)
  • Little Deuce Coupe (1963)
  • Shut Down Volume 2 (1964)
  • All Summer Long (1964)
  • The Beach Boys' Christmas Album (1964)
  • Friends (album)|Friends (1965)
  • The Beach Boys Today! (1965)
  • Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!) (1965)
  • Beach Boys' Party! (1965)
  • Pet Sounds (1966)
  • Smiley Smile (1967)
  • Wild Honey (1967)
  • Friends (album)|Friends (1968)
  • 20/20 (album)|20/20 (1969)
  • Sunflower (album)|Sunflower (1970)
  • Surf's Up (1971)
  • Carl and the Passions - "So Tough" (1972)
  • Holland (album)|Holland (1973)
  • 15 Big Ones (1976)
  • Love You (1977)
  • M.I.U. Album (1978)
  • L.A. (Light Album) (1979)
  • Keepin' the Summer Alive (1980)
  • The Beach Boys (album)|The Beach Boys (1985)
  • Still Cruisin' (1989)
  • Summer in Paradise (1992)
  • Stars and Stripes Vol. 1 (1996)
  • That's Why God Made the Radio (2012)

Images for kids

  • Beach Boys Landmark - Plano general I

    The historical landmark in Hawthorne, California marking where the Wilson family home once stood

  • Beach Boys 1963

    In Pendleton outfits, performing at a local high school in late 1962

  • Sullivan Beach Boys

    Performing "I Get Around" on The Ed Sullivan Show in September 1964

  • The Beach Boys (8794913159)

    During a 1964 photoshoot

  • Brian Wilson I Just Wasn't Made For These Times

    Brian Wilson working at a Pet Sounds session in early 1966

  • God Only Knows - Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (2014-12-30 13.09.36 by Sam Howzit)

    An original "God Only Knows" lyric manuscript exhibited at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio

  • Van Dyke Parks 1967

    Van Dyke Parks, Brian's lyricist and collaborator for the unfinished album Smile

  • Beach Boys Good Vibrations from Central Park 1971

    Performing in Central Park for a 1971 ABC Television special

  • The Beach Boys (Logo)

    15 Big Ones (1976) included a stylized version of the Beach Boys' name by Dean Torrence, which later became their official logo

  • Brian Wilson 1976 crop

    Brian Wilson behind Brother Studios' mixing console in 1976

  • The Beach Boys Konzert Michigan 1978 (cropped)

    Performing a concert in 1978

  • The Beach Boys concierto

    The touring line-up of Mike Love and Bruce Johnston's "The Beach Boys Band", plus guest member David Marks, in 2008

  • The Beach Boys Smile (7300302550)

    Reunited in 2012, performing "Heroes and Villains" in tribute to Smile

  • The Beach Boys by Peter Chiapperino

    Love (far left) and Johnston (far right) performing as the Beach Boys in 2014

  • The Beach Boys TV

    The Beach Boys performing in 1964

  • Manuscript of Lyrics for God Only Knows - Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, Cleveland (by Adam Jones)

    An original handwritten manuscript of the lyrics to "God Only Knows"

  • 1967 Rickenbacker 360-12 12 string electric guitar owned and photographed by Greg Field

    A Rickenbacker 360/12 identical to the 12-string guitar used by Carl Wilson in the early to mid-1960s

  • Little Deuce Coupe

    The 1932 Ford that appeared on the cover to the platinum certified Little Deuce Coupe album

  • Reagans with the Beach Boys

    The Beach Boys with President Ronald Reagan and First Lady Nancy Reagan at the White House, June 12, 1983

  • Beach Boys Walk of Fame

    The Beach Boys' star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, located at 1500 Vine Street

See also

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