DAILY DIRT: A true genius, the late Brian Wilson and the sounds of the Beach Boys will never be forgotten

Daily Dirt for Thursday, June 12, 2025

Welcome to today’s three thoughts that make up Vol. 1,313 of The Daily Dirt.

1. This has been a difficult week.

For those who grew up in the late 1960s and early 1970s — a.k.a. Boomers — we have lost two of our favorite recording artists in the span of four days. First, the curtain fell on Sly Stone at age 82 on Monday, and on Wednesday we learned that Brian Wilson, the longtime heart and soul of the Beach Boys, had passed, also at age 82.

Wilson had suffered from dementia and a major neurological disorder. Additionally, Wilson had a history of schizoaffective disorder, a condition that combines features of both schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. He also experienced auditory hallucinations and struggled with mild manic depression. In 1964 he suffered a nervous breakdown, all but ending his live touring and leading to his becoming a full-time studio musician.

It was not an easy life for Wilson, but his legacy will not be found in medical books. It will be found in the hearts of all those who grew up listening to the Beach Boys — and continued to do so well into their adult lives. The Beach Boys have remained one of rock’s most popular and enduring groups for more than 60 years. That in itself is amazing.

“I don’t think you’d be out of line comparing him to Beethoven,” the late Tom Petty once said. 

Wilson went on to compose, arrange and produce the legendary “Pet Sounds” album alongside songwriter Tony Asher, with a single goal in mind: to create the “greatest rock album ever made.” It was released May 16, 1966. The 13-track album, which holds the No. 2 spot on Rolling Stone’s 2021 list of the “500 Greatest Albums of All Time,” has become the group’s landmark record. 

Wilson will sorely be missed, but before we bid him a final adieu, let’s revisit the Beach Boys’ best sounds. I have revised and rearranged previous Beach Boys rankings on this site in an effort to compile my following top 10 favorite singles released by the Beach Boys:

1. “Wild Honey” (1967): Unquestionably, my all-time favorite effort from the Beach Boys, due largely to Carl Wilson’s brilliant vocal range, the pounding of the piano and even the incorporation of some bongos. Interestingly, the song never climbed higher than No. 31 on the Billboard Hot 100, but all of these years later is now regarded as one of the group’s true classics. Best line of the song will always be, “Sock it to me, wild honey.”

2. “Help Me Rhonda” (1965): The is credited as the release that indicated Wilson was beginning to break from his “fun in the sun” mold and beginning to delve into more complex themes. The “wall of sound” that separates the song from many others is both classic and reminiscent of that time. If you break down the lyrics, it actually tells the story of a desperate plea to start up a new romance in an effort to get over the sad ending of another.

3. “Good Vibrations” (1966): I’ve told this story before, but this .45 was one of my first four record purchases on a Friday afternoon in the fall of ’66 at an old-fashioned music store in Ashland, Ohio.

4. “Wouldn’t It be Nice” (1966): This is one of those songs that is loved and admired by a wide range of artists, from Paul McCartney to Taylor Swift.

5. “California Girls” (1965):  No, Katy Perry did not have the first song about girls from California. 

6. “I Get Around” (1964): This was the group’s first official No. 1 song.

7. “Sail On, Sailor” (1973): Few realize the lead singer on this song was Blondie Chaplin, who was with the group from 1972-73.

8. “Don’t Worry Baby” (1964): Has always been regarded as one of Wilson’s best vocals.

9. “Fun, Fun, Fun”: (1964): One of the songs that so accurately depicted teenage life in the early ’60s.

10. “God Only Knows” (1966): Surprisingly, this song first appeared on the “B” side of “Wouldn’t It Be Nice”.

2. Did you know (Part 393)

• That the Beach Boys have had 80 songs chart worldwide.
• That four of the group’s songs have reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
• That two of the original Beach Boys are still alive: Mike Love and Al Jardine. Dennis Wilson and Carl Wilson passed away before Brian Wilson.
• That Mike Love sang the most lead vocals for the Beach Boys. 
• That “Kokomo” was the Beach Boys’ last No. 1 hit, back in 1988.

3. Of all the tributes to Brian Wilson I have read since hearing of his death, I liked the following the best.

It is from a friend of Wilson’s, actor John Stamos: “Brian wasn’t just a musical genius, he was a gentle, soulful, funny, complex, beautiful man. He heard things no one else could hear. He felt things deeper than most of us ever will. And somehow, he turned all of that into music that wrapped itself around the world and made us all feel less alone. I grew up worshipping the Beach Boys … Brian gave the world ‘Pet Sounds,’ ‘God Only Knows’ and ‘Wouldn’t It Be Nice’ — songs that just didn’t play in the background of our lives, they shaped who we were.”

Steve Thought O’ The Day — R.I.P. Brian Wilson. Your journey was not an easy one, but you were a magnificent talent.

Steve Eighinger wrote daily for Muddy River News. The Mike Love-led version of The Beach Boys will be appearing Sept. 6 at the Adams County Fairgrounds for the county’s bicentennial celebration.