Another legend has passed. RIP to Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys.

Damn. That's a big one.

Oh wow. Massive.

Brian Wilson, Elvis Pressley, and my father's fondness for each is THE reason I love music today.

Largely responsible Pet Sounds, possibly the greatest album of all time.

Brian Wilson really had an incredible talent when it came to songwriting, that undeniable. But he also gave us this incredible interview answer.

Just perfect, 10/10, no notes, it belongs in a museum.

A genius of putting sounds and lyrics together. I saw the Beach Boys twice in concert in the 90s when he already looked 80 while in his 50s, but was sober and bringing it. While the hits like "Good Vibrations" and "Help Me Rhonda" and the surfing genre are what mad the Beach Boys super popular, their success allowed him to write and put out the likes of:

God Only Knows
The Warmth of the Sun
In My Room

I doubt any of those would have made the radio play if they weren't already "The Beach Boys', but they are all so beautiful and personal.

His passing reminded me of seeing this on TV a million years ago, no idea what it's from. Him, Akyroyd and a quite-thin Belushi together.

My favorite band. Between Brian and his brothers Carl and Dennis they made some unforgettable, underrated music.

Good Vibrations, one of the best songs of all time.

this one hurts

He was one of the true giants in music. Eff dementia. For those who haven't dealt with it in their family, it sucks.

Damn, top 5 musician of all time.

Dies at the start of Summer, very appropriate. Brian and summertime forever intertwined.

Iconic

Wilson's harmonies, his use of reverb and looping to build complicated sounds, creating these soundscapes but in the world of pop music. He took Phil Spector's "Wall of Sound" and made it a Cityscape.

Just go listen to God Only Knows off Pet Sounds from 1966.



From how it starts, the inclusion of horns and orchestra, the layered sounds and voices in the melody, and of course the final minute outro with overlapped looping vocals fading out. You hear this stuff everywhere to this day, but it started on Pet Sounds and with this song and Brian Wilson.

oragator said:

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Yeah, even today his influence on all kinds music is so underrated. Pet Sounds is just inspired genius, did all kinds of things that has never even been tried before.
Huge loss.

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I think that's the problem, honestly, both with The Beatles and The Beach Boys. What they were doing, as transatlantic rivals, pushed so much innovation that it's become ubiquitous to the point that it sounds ordinary because it's everywhere now until you appreciate they they came up with it and pushed each other.

this is awesome

Yeah it's like younger people today watching Star Wars, Citizen Kane or Casablanca, and saying "meh". Without understanding almost every movie they watch today has roots in at least one of those three films and the innovations they brought. Hard to understand how revolutionary they were for three time when all they brought forth is now common place.

The Beach Boys were a big part of the music I listened to as a kid. My dad always listened to them, and I couldn't help but be hooked.

As I got older, my appreciation for their genius, and specifically Brian's, only grew.

Genuinely sad of hearing his passing and it's extremely rare I give two F's about a celebrity.

MW03 said:

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He took Phil Spector's "Wall of Sound" and made it a Cityscape.

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He stated he would listen to Be My Baby, by The Ronettes, 100 times a day.

It is a great, wall of sound immersive, song

MW03 said:

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this is awesome

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Hal Blaine from the Wrecking Crew on drums. In the Wrecking Crew documentary they talk about working with Brian Wilson.

Side note: Blaine played on 6 consecutive Records of the Year.

For anyone that thinks it just over the top praise because he died, read what other musicians said about him while he was alive. This thread is amazing.

Brian Wilson’s peers on him pic.twitter.com/hwtgTW3sor

— Slouching Towards McDonaldland (@FugaziTruther) June 11, 2025

And it wasn't just technical wizardry or bold advances, they were legit talented.
Here is one of their classics with the vocals isolated.

Iso vocals on “John B Sloop”. https://t.co/4tsmrhbH7s pic.twitter.com/LhzepdEF3x

— Boston Radio Watch®️ (@bostonradio) June 11, 2025

Duckhook said:

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MW03 said:

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this is awesome

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Hal Blaine from the Wrecking Crew on drums. In the Wrecking Crew documentary they talk about working with Brian Wilson.

Side note: Blaine played on 6 consecutive Records of the Year.

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The term "musical genius" gets thrown around too easily, but when Hal Blaine and Carol Kaye call Brian Wilson a genius, I'll take their word for it.