My Favorite Beach Boys Albums Ranked Top Favorite to Least Favorite

This week I read a great article by Ultimate Classic Rock’s Senior Editor Michael Gallucci ranking all Beach Boys albums:
As a fan of The Beach Boys since the mid 1960s, and someone who has all their albums, it made me want to do the same. I’m not a professional writer nor a professional music critic. I’m just a Beach Boys fan. I did this not to declare my love for certain albums but to share memories of the group. I did not include greatest hits or live albums. Michael Gallucci included 1996’s Star & Stripes compilation which I did not. I might change my opinions and I will be re-editing this forever but these are my favorites from #1 to #29.
- Pet Sounds (1966). If The Beach Boys had put out a commercial summer-themed album in 1966 as a follow-up to 1965’s Summer Days and 1964’s All Summer Long it would have been a Top 5 album. Pet Sounds was so much more mature for a pop music group that the initial reaction was confused. But as the group had a #1 single with Good Vibrations later that year and the group’s international popularity grew, by the end of 1966 most agreed this was a very special album. It often ranks as #1 or #2 as best albums of all time. More than 50 years later it stands as one of the best pieces of music ever and cemented their legacy.
- The Smile Sessions(2011). By early 1967 the music press was talking about the next Beach Boys’ album called Smile. They were saying it could be the best album in history. That might sound like a bold statement but pop music was a little more than a decade old and most albums weren’t that great. So if Smile was better than Pet Sounds or The Beatles’ Rubber Soul or Revolver, it might get that title. The album wasn’t released in 1967, though songs would start to be released; Cabinessence and Our Prayer on 1969’s 20/20, Cool Cool Water on 1970’s Sunflower, Surf’s Up in 1971, more songs on 1993’s Anthology album and a flood of bootlegs over the years. In 2004 Brian Wilson released it as a solo album and the group finally put it out in 2011. A remarkable album, with different types of songs, incredible sounds and complex harmonies that would have been a very important album in 1967. When it won a Grammy in 2013, I wanted to have a junior high school reunion to tell my class “See! I told you Smile would be a great album!” In other words, better 44 years late, than never.
- Sunflower (1970). In one of many specials TV shows on the group,. Billboard and Crawdaddy editor Timothy White compared Sunflower favorably to Pet Sounds. Nine years into the group’s history, at their commercial nadir, the group put out an optimistic album with all six members contributing songs. This started The Beach Boys’ comeback as a group who was still putting out contemporary music while polishing themselves as one of the best live acts in the world.
- Wild Honey (1967). And speaking of telling the old gang “see, I told you so!” I thought Wild Honey, the single and album were great when it came out in 1967. At the time they were dismissed but over the years its reputation has grown where the title song is now called a fan favorite. Blondie Chaplin sings this at most Brian Wilson shows and both Brian Wilson and Mike Love’s Beach Boys featured this album in their 2017 tours. The late great Carl Wilson does many of the leads. After Pet Sounds and the “Smile era” the group went back to simpler music with an R&B edge. If Steve and Arny had written the liner notes for The Beatles, they would be immortalized by now.
- Summer Days (1965). Not bad when your album features your two recent hits California Girls and Help Me Rhonda. A great collection of pop music and summer songs that stands the test of time. If I can find it online on the third Sunday in June, I post the I’m Bugged at My Ol’ Man video.
- M.I.U. Album (1978). Some Beach Boys fans think little of it and some think it’s excellent. I like it a lot. She’s Got Rhythm is a much better disco song than Here Comes The Night, Winds of Change has lyrics from 1964’s When I Grow Up, Kona Coast brings back memories of their early classic Hawaii and it was a kick seeing the cover of Come Go With Me hit the Top 20 when Beach Boys fans needed something to hold on to in 1981 and Belles of Paris is my theme song when I go to Paris. Brian Wilson and Mike Love bring back memories of singing like they used to.
- All Summer Long (1964). The first time the group really put out a developed album. Yes, there’s an instrumental and spoken word track but the summer and surf and cars songs are still commercial while becoming more mature. One of my favorite moments in a movie is when American Graffiti ended with All Summer Long. Loved that the 2012 reunion tour had Don’t Back Down from this album in it.
- 20/20 (1969). On a Friday night in early 1969, I went to Alexander’s Department store, to their record department and happily discovered the group had a new album out! There are advantages to knowing months ahead of time when a CD or book is coming out but I miss the surprise factor of going to the store. The group was not popular at the time yet they were trying so hard with nostalgia (Do It Again) covers (I Can Hear Music) Smile songs (Cabinessence and Our Prayer) a beautiful Bruce Johnston instrumental (The Nearest Faraway Place) Dennis Wilson at his pop music best (All I Want to Do, Be With Me) Carl Wilson as one of the best and most underrated band members of all time (Time to Get Alone), the quirky I Went to Sleep, Al Jardine doing his version of Cotton Fields and more. I go into more detailed about this album because I feel it is still undiscovered as one of their best.
- Friends (1968). My friend told me that, if I ever wanted someone to talk to my folks out of making me cut off my hair, that he would do it. 1968 was one of the most important and tragic years in world history and the group was singing songs like Wake The World and Busy Doin’ Nothing. The songs were simple, sincere, with great harmonies. By the early 1970s the group’s songs were reflective of the times but, for me, Friends and their late 1960s albums stand the test of time better.
- Christmas Album (1964). A great combination of original pop music songs and more serious traditional Christmas songs. Mike Love’s Beach Boys have been incorporating this into their act around the holiday for years and in 2018 Brian Wilson with Al Jardine are doing a Christmas tour. I never get tired of hearing Little Saint Nick.
- The Beach Boys Love You (1977). Quirky songs, funny songs, irrelevant songs, serious songs, lots of Brian Wilson songs.
- The Beach Boys (1985). First new album in five years. Carl Wilson has become the leader of the group but each member contributes solid songs. Produced by Culture Club’s producer Steve Levine. Sounds like the polished mid 1980s album that it is.
- The Beach Boys Today (1965). The Pet Sounds album before Pet Sounds. Many rank this much higher. A little too sentimental for me but the ingredients are there for Brian to perfect this concept a year later.
- Shut Down Volume 2 (1964). There was never a Shut Down Volume 1. Fun Fun Fun, Don’t Worry Baby, The Warmth of The Sun and Keep An Eye on Summer reminds me that this is an excellent album. Still some instrumentals, covers and spoken word filler but getting a lot better.
- Little Deuce Coupe (1963). America’s #1 surfing band is now America’s #1 car band. A mix of serious lyrics (A Young Man Is Gone, Ballad of Ole Betsy) and funny lyrics on No Go Showboat (“I’m even shut down by the ice cream truck). Appealing to landlocked Beach Boys fans.
- Keepin’ The Summer Alive (1980). Speaking of sentimental, this has sentimental value for me. In March 1980 I went to J&R Music at lunch hour and bought this. It was the last time that the group put out an album on somewhat of a regular basis. It’s the last album that Brian, Mike, Carl, Dennis, Al and Bruce were together on. Rolling Stone Magazine pointed out that it was silly for Brian & Mike, in their late 30s to be singing about high school with Some of Your Love. Keepin’ The Summer Alive is not their best summertime song. It’s still The Beach Boys and The Beach Boys sound and one of the last times they toured around their current album.
- Holland (1973). The group’s most commercial period was 1962–1966 but they kept making excellent albums from 1967–1973. California Saga and Sail On Sailor both are as good a song as they have ever done and they still do them in concert.
- Surf’s Up (1971). At the time I loved this album with all my heart and soul. I though Student Demonstration Time was among the all-time best protest songs, Carl’s Feel Flows was perfect, Surf’s Up was beautiful and Disney Girls should have been released as a single and been #1. To me, in retrospect, it’s too much of a solo album by each member. A more commercial album with an obvious single would have been a great follow-up to Sunflower and would have made them even more popular during their revival.
- 15 Big Ones (1976). I will say I was excited when it was released! After a 3 1/2 year break of new material and, a revival of interest, the “Brian’s Back” campaign was in full swing. It made the Top 10 and Rock & Roll Music made the Top 5. A combination of new songs and oldies. It started the period where I no longer considered every Beach Boys song on every Beach Boys album to be perfect.
- Beach Boys Party (1965). At the time the party concept seemed like fluff. But there has never been anything else like it and its reputation has gotten better over the years. Never thought there would even be a Pet Sounds-like reissue with lots of alternate versions and unreleased tracks but there has been. So you can hear The Beach Boys singing The Rolling Stones’ Satisfaction in 1965 just like the rest of us were singing it then.
- Smiley Smile (1967). When I first played this in 1967, I laughed. Was this my favorite group? Some Smile songs (Wind Chimes, Vegetables, Heroes & Villains) and other songs that seem simple but are really more complex. It wasn’t long before Wild Honey album was rushed as a follow-up. This album’s reputation has grown over the years. An interesting piece of music.
- That’s Why God Made The Radio (2012). If this is their last album, it’s a good way to go. The title song sounds like a Beach Boys song and is not their best or worst. Isn’t It Time is a good group effort of Brian, Mike and Al sharing leads. Most of it suffers from sounding like a Brian song or a Mike song but not a group effort. Summer’s Gone is a Brian song.
- Carl & the Passions-So Tough (1972). During the 2012 reunion tour the group often sang Marcella and All This Is That from this album. Nobody has sang You Need a Mess of Help To Stand Alone since 1972. Why that song was released as the first single in 1972 was, as Rolling Stone Magazine wrote at the time “known only to some loon in Burbank.” Very uneven album. The group was trying to be more contemporary in 1972 though this didn’t hurt their image. Blondie Chaplin and Ricky Fataar join the group for this and Holland. Bruce Johnston departs from 1972–1978 and then rejoins forever in 1979.
- Still Cruisin’ (1989). After the surprise (!!) success of Kokomo becoming #1 in 1988, a follow-up single like Still Cruisin’ could have been a big hit. But it came out a year after Kokomo’s release. Not even able to fill an album of new material, they added some of their oldies. The songs by themselves are OK but nothing that you feel, gee if they had released this, it should have been #1.
- L.A. (Light Album) (1979). The group was becoming less commercially successful again but they had established their legacy and nobody was going to say you weren’t cool if you liked them. Good Timin’ got a lot of hype and is a good song, Lady Lynda was popular at the time, Shortenin’ Bread is a fun song while the disco version of Here Comes The Night, a good song on Wild Honey, is a disaster as a long album song that was dropped from concerts after a few shows. Commenting of Sumahama, rock critic David Marsh said, “With the release of The Beach Boys’ L.A. (Light Album) Mike Love has now sung more low notes than any singer in music history (no mean feat).”
- Summer In Paradise (1992). Brian Wilson wasn’t going to record a Beach Boys album in 1992 so Mike, Carl, Al and Bruce decided to put one out their own. Not the disaster that many say it is. Hot Fun In the Summertime is a good cover and made a great video and Under the Broadway is a good cover with a last great Carl Wilson vocal before his death in 1998. Lahaina Aloha is a nice Kokoko-type song. A much better live version of the title song was released in 1993. Yes, a lot does not work such as an update of their first song Surfin’ and you need some contribution from Brian to be a credible Beach Boys album. It was the last album with Carl Wilson.
27–29. Surfin’ Safari (1962), Surfin’ USA (1963), Surfer Girl (1963) . Yes, I am tired but that’s not why I am grouping these albums together. Early albums by the group, and other artists at the time, were their hits, instrumentals, covers and didn’t seem that substantial. On Surfin’ USA there’s a song called Farmer’s Daughter, that showed the group had more talent than seemed apparent at the time but has never really sang much in concert. Surfer’s Rule put the good-natured Beach Boys vs. 4 Seasons, West Coast vs East Coast rivalry out in the open. Not much I can add to this.
So now I have done it and ranked all The Beach Boys albums. I reserve the right to change my mind and to edit my typos.
Now it’s your turn to put together this list!
