Menu
Home Explore People Places Arts History Plants & Animals Science Life & Culture Technology
On this page
God Only Knows
1966 song by the Beach Boys

"God Only Knows" is a baroque-style love song by the Beach Boys, from their 1966 album Pet Sounds, written by Brian Wilson and Tony Asher. Known for its harmonic complexity, unusual instrumentation, and lyrical innovation referencing God, it features contrapuntal vocals and shifts between keys of E and A. Produced with about 20 session musicians, the song includes instruments like French horn and tack piano, with lead vocals by Carl Wilson. Though initially a B-side, it achieved international success and acclaim, being listed among the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time by Rolling Stone.

Related Image Collections Add Image
Profiles
1 Image
We don't have any YouTube videos related to God Only Knows yet.
We don't have any PDF documents related to God Only Knows yet.
We don't have any Books related to God Only Knows yet.

Inspiration

"God Only Knows" is among the several songs that Brian Wilson and Tony Asher wrote for the Beach Boys' Pet Sounds album. Asher felt that it was the pair's most effortless collaboration, remembering that Wilson "spent more time tweaking the instrumental part than we did writing the words!"1 Recalling "God Only Knows", Wilson acknowledged that he himself had "not written that kind of song" before and explained, "I think Tony had a musical influence on me somehow. After about ten years, I started thinking about it deeper ... And I remember him talking about [the 1944 standard] 'Stella by Starlight' and he had a certain love for classic songs."2 Asher concurred that he felt he had inspired Wilson to write the song.3

Wilson's 1991 memoir states that the melody for "God Only Knows" was derived from "a John Sebastian song I had been listening to".4 When presented with this information, Asher and Sebastian said they were unaware of such a connection. Biographer Mark Dillon suggested that Wilson's inspiration would likely have been the vocal layering on "You Didn't Have to Be So Nice", a recent hit by Sebastian's band the Lovin' Spoonful.56 In later interviews, Wilson said that he wrote "God Only Knows" as an attempt to match the standard of the Beatles' album Rubber Soul (released in December 1965).789 In his recollection, he was under the influence of marijuana and was "so blown away" with the album that he sat at his piano and began writing the song.10

Asked about Pet Sounds in various interviews, Wilson frequently emphasized the album's spiritual qualities, saying that he had held prayer sessions with his brother Carl and "kind of made [the album] a religious ceremony."11 At the time of the song's writing, he was married to singer Marilyn Rovell. Writing in his book about the album, Jim Fusilli noted a closing phrase Wilson had once written to his wife in 1964: "Yours 'til God wants us apart."12 In a 1976 radio interview, Wilson said that the song was not written for anyone in particular.13 Marilyn, who felt that much of the lyrical content on Pet Sounds was aimed at her, commented of the song, "I'm the only one here, so it must be about me. Then I would think, 'No it wasn't.'"14

Lyrics

At the time the song was written, referencing "God" in a title or lyric was generally considered a taboo for pop music, and there had been at least one recent instance of a record being banned from radio for having words such as "hell" or "damn".15 Asher said that he and Wilson had "lengthy conversations" about the lyric, "because unless you were Kate Smith and you were singing 'God Bless America', no one thought you could say {'God' in a song. ... He said, 'We'll just never get any air play.'"1617 He believed that Wilson agreed to the title after being told by other people that it was "an opportunity to be really far out [because] it would cause some controversy, which he didn't mind."18 Dillon wrote that referring to God may have also been viewed as "a square move" due to the nascent decline of traditional religion in the United States.19

In the lyrics, the narrator anticipates the dissolution of their romantic relationship, and asserts that life without their lover could only be fathomed by God.20 The deceptive opening line, "I may not always love you" was the subject of another argument between the songwriters. According to Asher, "I liked that twist, and fought to start the song that way. Working with Brian, I didn't have a whole lot of fighting to do, but I was certainly willing to fight for the end for that."21 In the next line, the narrator reassures that they will be with their lover "so long as there are stars above you".22 Marilyn interpreted the opening lines as autobiographical from Wilson's point of view: "he knew that I was there and I would never leave him, so he knew that he could abuse me, even though he didn't try to. I was never number one, I was always two or three. But if I would leave in some kind of a way, he would get totally distraught."23

Of the songs on Pet Sounds, "God Only Knows" is the most lyrically ambiguous.24 Commentators have sometimes attributed a suicidal quality to the protagonist.25 In the second verse, the narrator declares that "life would go on ... should you ever leave me", but if that outcome were to occur, then "what good would living do me?"26 The suggested implication is that they would end their life without their lover—an interpretation that Asher said was not intended by himself or Wilson.27 Among other interpretations, writer James Perone, who referred to the song as "one of the more unusual expressions of love in a 1960s' pop song", believed that there is "a hint that part of [the character's] 'love' may be self-serving and part of a cycle of codependency."28 Cash Box described the song as a "slow-shufflin' tender, romantic ode about a guy who is so much in love that he doesn't think that he could go on without his gal."29

Asher stated that the intended expression of the song's lyrics was "'I'll love you til [sic] the sun burns out, then I'm gone,' ergo 'I'm gonna love you forever.'"30 Wilson commented that the song was based around "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."31

Composition

Key ambiguity and motifs

"God Only Knows" contains a weak tonal center that is closest to E major and, in other sections, A major.3233 Adding to this, almost all of the chords are inverted.34 An E major triad with its bass note in the root position is never invoked, and instead, the 64 position is favored.35 Of the tracks on Pet Sounds, it is the only one that lacks a strongly established primary key center (others employ key ambiguity to a lesser degree), and the only one that modulates its key up a fourth interval (others descend by a third).36

In his book about Pet Sounds, Charles Granata writes that some of the musical devices that "God Only Knows" employs are usually "rather ordinary" by themselves.3738 However, in this case, they were executed in a manner that was "far more sophisticated than anything the Beach Boys—or any other modern pop vocal group—had done before."39 According to musicologist James Garratt, the "tonal plasticity" made the song innovative not just in pop music, but also for the Baroque style it is emulating.40 He credits the sense of "expansiveness" evoked by the piece to this quality, emphasized by the disuse of authentic cadences and root-position tonics.41 Lambert states that "a clear sense of key" eludes the listener "for the entire experience—that in fact, the idea of 'key' has itself been challenged and subverted".42

The song contains a recurring melodic motif that is reinforced by the lead vocal and the line played on French horn.43 Musician Andy Gill identified the verse and chorus melodies as variations on the same line, and added that this type of melodic variation was "very" similar to the technique as it is used in classical pieces such as Delibes' Lakmé.44 To Lambert, the song's use of vocal counterpoints evoked the sacred traditions of a cantata by Bach or an oratorio by Handel.45 He likened the use of sustained strings to those employed by Wilson on the Pet Sounds tracks "Don't Talk (Put Your Head on My Shoulder)" and "I'm Waiting for the Day".46

While some commentators have characterized Pet Sounds as a baroque pop album, musicologist John Howland argues that "God Only Knows" is the album's only track that can be described as such. "Baroque pop" was not used in reviews or critical discussions on Pet Sounds until rock critics in the 1990s began adopting the phrase in reference to artists that the album had influenced.47 Howland commented that some "classicistic gestures" are present in the orchestration for "God Only Knows", however, listeners must keep in mind that "orchestral instruments do not always signify baroque/classicistic textures".48

Intro, verse, and refrain

"God Only Knows" starts with an A major chord accompanied by the sounds of accordions, harpsichord, and French horn, which are soon joined by bass, tambourine, and sleigh bells. At this point, the listener may hear the song as being in the key of A, although part of the line played on French horn includes a note (D♯) outside of that key. According to Lambert, "The ear wants to hear the music in the key of A, and is just starting to feel that it's okay to dismiss the horn note [until the proceeding verse section]."49

The verses begin with a D64 chord, weakening the impression of an A key center, and is followed by a B minor6 chord, which does not strongly suggest the dominant (v) chord of E.5051 As the verse develops, it gravitates closer to the key of E on the lines "you never need to doubt it / I'll make you so sure about it" before entering the hook line, "God only knows what I'd be without you", which begins with a return to an A major chord on the "God only" portion.52 The verse and refrain then repeats, this time with the addition of a string ensemble, before entering the next section of the composition.53

Music theorist Daniel Harrison describes the progression as "highly chromatic" and writes, "in the absence of a strong E tonic, A major seems to fill the vacuum at the tonal center, since it is the chord that begins the refrain, and since it receives a strong tonic charge upon the resolution of the chord preceding the refrain. In addition, the opening chords of the verse, while nondiatonic to the nominative E major tonic, are diatonic to A."54 Lambert writes that the end of the refrain "recall[s] the chord progression of the introduction but ... with an even slighter sense of tonal security."55 In a 2011 interview, Wilson commented that the melody of "I may not always love you" resembled the "I hear the sound of music" line from "The Sound of Music".56

Break and coda

Like many of Wilson's compositions, "God Only Knows" subverted the then-standard 32-bar A-A-B-A pop song format.57 Following the second refrain, it segues into an instrumental linking passage, described by Dillon as an "avant-garde and unusually jarring transition for a tender love song"58 Lambert characterizes the passage as "a whirlwind of chord relations ... based on wedging-together instrumental lines".59

The song proceeds to repeat the progression of the verse and refrain, however, transposed up by a fourth and with the addition of new vocals.60 Multiple vocal parts are sung in counterpoint, a technique that is distinguished from the "oos" and "ahhs" style of vocals for which the Beach Boys are known.61 Lambert identifies this section as a "choral fantasy" of wordless voices that "climax[es] on a dramatic diminished chord".62 Music teacher Richard Battista, referring to this climax as a "sigh" from the singers, said that it is "totally unique in pop music. He didn't borrow that from the Four Freshmen, or the Everly Brothers, or the Coasters. That sigh is pure Brian Wilson."63 It concludes once again with the hook line, after which there is a repetition of the second verse.64

According to Harrison, "The competition between E and A for tonic control is made clear during the break between verse 2 and the recapitulation of verse 1 lyrics. ... the allusion to the harmonic structure of the verse is made subtle both by the transposition and by different melodic activity. Only when the music of the now A-major refrain is encountered do the voices return to their familiar words."6566 Garratt writes, "While the idea of presenting the verse harmonies in the subdominant in the bridge was not new, what is striking here is the smoothness with which the song drops back into the original key – a moment rendered even more arresting by the truncated three-measure phrase that precedes it."67 Fusilli remarked that Wilson nearly "wr[ote] himself into a dead end", elaborating that "when the song returns to D Major, it must do so from B minor, which is kind of a static change, particularly when the next chord is a B minor with only a slight variation in the bass."68

The song ends with a final coda69 that features repeating vocal rounds70—a centuries-old technique that was highly unusual for pop music of the era—71 with triplet fills played on a drum kit.72 Wilson's 2016 memoir states, "I liked all those old songs that used rounds, like 'Row, Row, Row Your Boat' ... and 'Frère Jacques' ... I liked rounds because they made it seem like a song was something eternal."73 At its conclusion, Lambert writes, "we hear A major chords that want to provide harmonic stability, but as before, the chords and vocal lines surrounding them make us want to think otherwise."74

Recording

Backing track

Following several months of recording for the Pet Sounds album, instrumental tracking for "God Only Knows" began at 12:30 a.m. on March 10, 1966, at the Studio 3 room of Western Studios, Hollywood, making it one of the last tracks to begin recording.75 The studio space was relatively small for the 20-some musicians that were hired for the session.76 Carl joined them on this occasion, playing 12-string electric guitar.77 As usual, Brian produced the session with engineer Chuck Britz.7879

Among the distinguishing features of the arrangement is an echo-laden "clip-clop" percussion part, sleigh bells played on every beat, and low-range melodic phrases played on flute during the latter sections of the song.80 A strip of masking tape was placed over the strings of a piano while the bottoms of two plastic orange juice bottles were used for percussion.81 Singer Danny Hutton was present at the session, as he recalled, "[Brian] would hear something wrong, and bam 'One more time.' I just sat there and didn't say a word. I had been in sessions where I thought to myself, they should do this and that. Not this time. I just shut up. What could I add?"82 Bruce Johnston, who joined the band a year earlier, later said that he "didn't realize just how great" Pet Sounds was going to be until he witnessed this session.83

A total of 22 takes were attempted for the song.84 The musicians struggled to play the instrumental break to Wilson's satisfaction. To address this issue, pianist Don Randi suggested to Wilson that they play the parts in staccato, rather than in full quarter notes. Wilson enjoyed the effect and incorporated the change.85 A string section was subsequently overdubbed onto take 20, marked as "best".8687 The session ended at 4:30 a.m.88 The three-track recording of the instrumental was bounced to one channel of an eight-track tape to allow room for further overdubs.89

Vocals

The first round of vocal overdubs were recorded later that day at Columbia Studios.9091 Brian sang the lead vocal at this juncture,9293 after which he mixed rough edits of the song on March 13 and 22.94 These early mixes featured a discarded saxophone solo in its bridge and a different, a capella ending.9596 The ending was a fuller arrangement that included the voices of Marilyn, her sister Diane, and Byrds producer Terry Melcher.97 In Carl's recollection, "[E]everybody got in on it. It was like 'Come on out here into the studio.' Brian would make up a little part. That was fun; we listened to it endlessly."98

On April 11, the band returned to Columbia to add further (and ultimately final) vocal overdubs. This time, Carl took on the lead.99 Dillon suggested that Brian may have changed his mind on the lead partly to address concerns over the large percentage of singing roles he was granting himself for the album.100 According to Carl, Brian later told him that "God Only Knows" was written for his voice: "He says it fits my beautiful spirit. I know I shouldn't be embarrassed by a compliment but ..."101 Carl quoted the performance instructions he received from his brother: "Don't do anything with it. Just sing it real straight. No effort. Take a breath. Let it go easy."102 He had rarely sung lead on prior Beach Boys songs.103

The coda was ultimately scaled down to three lines sung by two voices, Brian and Johnston.104 One of Wilson's lines duplicated the part that had been played on French horn.105 Johnston recalled, "at the end of the session, Carl was really fried, and he went home. ... there were just [me and Brian]. So in the fade, he's singing two of the three parts. He sang the top and the bottom part and I sang in the middle."106 Of Wilson's decision to pare down the vocals, "It works because it caused a perfect vocal-to-track balance, and it's not too top-heavy. It's brilliant—a fine example of 'less is more.'"107

The 1996 stereo mix of the song, created by Mark Linett for The Pet Sounds Sessions box set, does not feature the same singers on the fade-out. Linett explained in the liner notes, "Brian's vocal at the start of the fade of 'God Only Knows' is missing on the multi track having been sung by Carl sometime after the mix Brian used on the original record had been created. The part doesn't exist separate from the track so ... it's not available for the stereo mix."108

Release

"God Only Knows" was first released on May 14, 1966, as the opening track of side two on Pet Sounds.109 In its review of the album, Disc & Music Echo referred to the song as "a standard gem with its hymnal feel."110 Norman Jopling of Record Mirror decreed that it had "a rollicking salvationist flavour but isn't going to convert anyone."111 Spencer Davis, frontman of the Spencer Davis Group, praised the song as the album's "most fantastic track" for a contemporaneous survey conducted by Melody Maker.112 At the suggestion of Johnston, Tony Rivers and the Castaways recorded a version of the song, which was issued about a week before the Beach Boys released their version as a single.113

Brian had wanted to issue "God Only Knows" as a solo record by Carl, but according to Carl, "'Good Vibrations', which should have been our next single, didn't turn out the way Brian wanted. We had to have another release and so ['God Only Knows' came out as a Beach Boys single]."114 On July 18, the song was issued as the B-side of the "Wouldn't It Be Nice" single in the US.115 Radio programmers ultimately hesitated to add the song to their playlists due to the word "God".116 Record World reviewed the song as a single, and called it a "very pretty rockaballad with low key chanting by ... the Beach Boys" and "a meaningful love lyric teens will find irresistable."117 On September 24, it peaked in the Billboard charts separately from the A-side, at number 39. It was ultimately their last B-side to chart there.118 Later reports suggest that the song was banned from radio in parts of the southern US, a claim that is likely spurious.119

In other countries, the sides of the single were reversed, with "God Only Knows" as the A-side. On July 22, it was released as the group's third Pet Sounds single in the UK, debuting at number 30 on the Record Retailer chart. It peaked at number 2 on August 27, behind the Beatles' "Yellow Submarine" / "Eleanor Rigby".120 In September, "God Only Knows" reached number 4 in Canada's RPM chart and number 24 on France's Music Media Monthly chart.121 In October, the single peaked at number 11 in the Netherlands and number 6 in Norway.122 In November, coinciding with the band's first tour of the UK, a God Only Knows EP was issued there. It contained the title track, "Here Today", "Sloop John B", and "Wouldn't It Be Nice".123

Responding to the group's growing popularity among the British, a promotional film for the song, directed by band publicist Derek Taylor, was filmed for the UK's Top of the Pops on April 25.124 The film featured the group (minus Johnston) at Lake Arrowhead, flailing around in grotesque horror masks and playing Old Maid.125 The clip originally ran for five minutes and incorporated excerpts of "Wouldn't It Be Nice", "Here Today", and "God Only Knows". Due to concerns from the BBC over the horror masks, the clip was later trimmed and re-cut to feature only "God Only Knows".126 It premiered on BBC-1 on August 4, with a repeat airing on September 1.127

Live performances

The Beach Boys first added the song to their live setlists on July 28, 1966, at a concert in Massachusetts.128 Reviewing their late 1966 European tour, Melody Maker critic Mike Henessey decreed that the live arrangement "sounded a little thin compared with the recorded [version]."129 Ray Coleman of Disc & Music Echo mentioned that performances of the song, however, still drew an "expected huge applause".130

On August 25, 1967, the band (with Brian and minus Johnston) performed "God Only Knows" at a filmed concert in Honolulu. Footage of them playing the song at this show was later included in the 1984 documentary An American Band.131 On September 11, 1967, the band recorded another studio version of the song for a discarded, nominal live album known as Lei'd in Hawaii. The recording was released on the 1998 compilation Endless Harmony Soundtrack.132

During their 50th-anniversary reunion tour, in 2012, the group played along to a pre-recorded vocal track taken from Carl's 1980 performance of the song at Knebworth. Mike Love said of Carl in a contemporary report, "Nobody ever could or will sing ‘God Only Knows’ as beautifully as he did. It's miserable that he's not there with us. Carl was the real stickler for making the band sound as absolutely perfect as could be. That influence is still felt to this day."133 The original performance was released on the 2002 live album Good Timin': Live at Knebworth England 1980.

Recognition and legacy

"God Only Knows" is often praised as one of the greatest songs ever written,134 as the Beach Boys' finest record,135 as Carl's best vocal performance,136 and as Brian's most quintessential work.137 Writing in his book America in the Sixties (2010), historian John Robert Greene identified the song as "one of the most complex—and beautiful—songs in the annals of American popular music" and credited it with remaking "the ideal of the popular love song.138 Granata deemed "God Only Knows" a musically and technically impressive accomplishment that Wilson and the Beach Boys never repeated on their subsequent records.139 In 2012, music journalist Dan Caffrey argued that the descriptor "teenage symphony to God", originally reserved for the band's Smile album, was better suited for "God Only Knows". He wrote that the song "has resonated with generations of music fans simply because of its concept", before concluding, "The entire world will listen to it for years to come."140

Among Wilson's associates, Asher reflected, "This is the one that I thought would be a hit record, because it was so incredibly beautiful ... I guess that in the end, [it] is the song that most people remember, and love the most."141 Carl referred to it as "the classic example [of Brian's writing] that takes it to a new plateau."142 Johnston opined that the song marked Carl's finest vocal performance: "Carl's vocal doubling is excellent—especially when he sings 'O what good would living do me?' He goes up a major third there, and it's just as clean as a whistle."143 The Wilsons' mother Audree commented, "What can you say about it? I still think it's one of his greatest pieces. I love it. So many times, I have thought how incredible it is that it's my son, my sons who did that."144 Don Randi remarked of the song, "That one, they should give to every music class, and say 'Here, do this one. Do it a capella.' Give 'em a key note and see what happens. There'll be a lot of suicides."145

"God Only Knows" has occasionally appeared in other media. It served as a musical cue in the films Boogie Nights (1997) and Love Actually (2003).146 Author Thomas Pynchon paid homage to the song by incorporating it into the closing paragraphs of his Wilson-inspired novel Inherent Vice (2009).147 The 2013 video game BioShock Infinite contains a turn-of-the-century barbershop quartet that sings the song while floating past the player on an airship.148 The song was also used in the opening credits of the HBO series Big Love.149

Other songwriters

Many songwriters, including Paul McCartney and Jimmy Webb, have cited "God Only Knows" as their personal favorite song.150

  • McCartney described it as "the greatest song ever written".151 His 1976 song "Silly Love Songs" incorporates a build-up of vocal counterpoints in the same style as "God Only Knows".152 The song additionally inspired, in part, the Beatles' "Here, There and Everywhere".153154 Wilson felt uncomfortable with the praise and said in 1976 that if McCartney's "greatest song" assertion was true, "[then] what was there left for me to do?"155156 In 2002, Wilson and McCartney performed the song as a duet at the Adopt-A-Minefield Benefit Gala in Los Angeles. McCartney later said that he was so overwhelmed by Wilson's presence that he "broke down" during the soundcheck rehearsals.157
  • Bono remarked that the string arrangement was "fact and proof of angels".158
  • Barry Gibb said that it "blew the top of my head off ... My first thought was, oh dear, I'm wasting my time, how can I ever compete with that? We've [the Bee Gees] been competing with that ever since."159
  • Margo Guryan said that the song inspired her to pursue a career in pop music instead of jazz piano. She said, "I freaked [when a friend played me the song]. I thought it was just gorgeous. I bought the record and played it a million times, then sat down and wrote 'Think of Rain.'"160
  • John Lennon, according to Rolling Stone co-founder Jann Wenner, "said he really dug [the song] and the world perked up".161
  • Pete Townshend said, "'God Only Knows' is simple and elegant and was stunning when it first appeared; it still sounds perfect".162
  • Webb enjoyed its Baroque influence and felt that it "represents the whole tradition of liturgical music that I feel is a spiritual part of Brian's music. And Carl's singing is pretty much at its pinnacle—as good as it ever got."163

Accolades and polls

  • In 2004, it was ranked number 25 in Rolling Stone's list of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time".164
  • In 2006, it topped Pitchfork's list of the finest songs of the 1960s. Dominique Leone contributed for its entry, "if you need a tie into the legacy of 1960s youth culture, glance no further than the naïve but strained optimism locked inside this song."165
  • In 2008, Popdose staff members ranked it the best single of the previous 50 years, writing, "It is simply one of the most beautifully composed and arranged songs in the history of not just pop music, but Western music. To place 'God Only Knows' in its proper context is to [place it with] 1836 Frédéric Chopin."166
  • In 2011, Paste ranked the song number two on their list of the 20 greatest Beach Boys songs.167
  • In a 2012 reader's poll conducted by Rolling Stone, it was voted the best Beach Boys song; the editors wrote that it had won "by a significant margin" and added that it was "one of the most heart-melting love songs ever penned ... gorgeous in its form and sentiment".168
  • In 2012, it topped Consequence of Sound's list of the "100 Greatest Songs of All Time".169
  • In 2016, it topped Paste's list of "The 100 Best Songs of the 1960s".170
  • In 2021, it was re-ranked number 11 in Rolling Stone's list of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time".171
  • In 2022, The Guardian's Alexis Petridis ranked the song number eight on his list of the 40 greatest Beach Boys songs.172

Cover versions

See also: List of cover versions of Beach Boys songs

"God Only Knows" has been covered by a wide variety of artists that includes Andy Williams, Neil Diamond, Olivia Newton-John, Glen Campbell, David Bowie, Toni Tennille, Joss Stone, Mandy Moore, Michael Stipe, Rivers Cuomo, JR JR, Avenged Sevenfold, Taylor Swift and Wilson Phillips.173 In 2007, Lyle Lovett performed a rendition of the song during Wilson's Kennedy Center Honor commemoration. Wilson later said it was "the best version I ever heard, including the Beach Boys."174 In 2025, English artist Sting performed the song in a Germany concert in tribute to Brian Wilson, only hours after news of his passing.175

BBC Music version

To commemorate the launch of BBC Music, a cover version of the song was simulcast across BBC television and radio channels on October 7, 2014. It featured an assortment of artists (including Wilson himself) that were collectively credited as the Impossible Orchestra. The music video, directed by François Rousselet, showed the artists in lavish, fantastical computer generated settings.176 The track was released the following day as a charity single for Children in Need 2014.177

Wilson said: "All of the artists did such a beautiful job ... I can't thank them enough, I'm just honored that 'God Only Knows' was chosen. 'God Only Knows' is a very special song. An extremely spiritual song and one of the best I've ever written."178 However, the promotion drew much of the same criticisms that were afforded to the BBC's 1997 version of "Perfect Day".179180

Accompanied by the BBC Concert Orchestra, each of the following performers are listed in order of appearance, singing vocals unless otherwise specified:181

Lauren Laverne, Gareth Malone, and Zane Lowe also appear in the video.182

Personnel

Per band archivist Craig Slowinski.183

The Beach Boys

Guest

Session musicians (also known as "the Wrecking Crew")

The Sid Sharp Strings

  • Jesse Erlich – cello
  • Leonard Malarsky – violin
  • Sid Sharp – violin
  • Darrel Terwilliger – viola

Technical staff

  • Chuck Britz – engineer (track)
  • Ralph Valentin – engineer (vocals)
  • "Don T." (uncertain) – second engineer (vocals)

Charts

The Beach Boys version
Chart (1966)Peakposition
Canada RPM Top Singles1844
Finland (Soumen Virallinen)18539
France (Music Media Monthly)18624
Ireland (Irish Singles Chart)1876
Netherlands1884
Norway (VG-lista)1896
UK Melody Maker1902
UK Record Retailer1912
US Billboard Top 4019239
US Cash Box Top 10019338
The Beach Boys version (2025)
Chart (2025)Peakposition
Japan Hot Overseas (Billboard Japan)19413
The Vogues version
Chart (1970)Peakposition
US Billboard Bubbling Under the Hot 100195196101
US Billboard Easy Listening19721
Marilyn Scott version
Chart (1977–78)Peakposition
Canada RPM Adult Contemporary19819
US Billboard Hot 10019961
BBC Music version
Chart (2014)Peakposition
Ireland (IRMA)20077
Israel (Media Forest)20110
Scotland (OCC)20218
UK Singles (OCC)20320

Certifications

The Beach Boys version
RegionCertificationCertified units/sales
New Zealand (RMNZ)204Platinum30,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)205Platinum600,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Notes

Bibliography

Further reading

  • Pop music portal
  • Rock music portal

References

  1. Granata 2003, p. 83. - Granata, Charles L. (2003). Wouldn't it Be Nice: Brian Wilson and the Making of the Beach Boys' Pet Sounds. Chicago Review Press. ISBN 978-1-55652-507-0. ↩

  2. "Interview with Brian Wilson". The Pet Sounds Sessions (Booklet). The Beach Boys. Capitol Records. 1997. Archived from the original on June 8, 2020. Retrieved October 7, 2020.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) http://albumlinernotes.com/Interview_w_Brian_Wilson.html ↩

  3. Kent 2009, p. 16. - Kent, Nick (2009). "The Last Beach Movie Revisited: The Life of Brian Wilson". The Dark Stuff: Selected Writings on Rock Music. Da Capo Press. ISBN 9780786730742. Archived from the original on May 18, 2021. Retrieved October 7, 2020. https://books.google.com/books?id=bPMO0CtuBAsC&pg=PA39 ↩

  4. Wilson & Gold 1991, p. 138. - Wilson, Brian; Gold, Todd (1991). Wouldn't It Be Nice: My Own Story. New York: HarperCollins. ISBN 978-0-06018-313-4. https://archive.org/details/wouldntitbenicem00wils ↩

  5. Dillon 2012, p. 112. - Dillon, Mark (2012). Fifty Sides of the Beach Boys: The Songs That Tell Their Story. ECW Press. ISBN 978-1-77041-071-8. ↩

  6. The Lovin' Spoonful toured with the Beach Boys in March and April 1966.[9] In addition, Wilson saw them perform in December 1965 at The Trip, a club on Los Angeles's Sunset Strip, where they held a multi-week residency.[10] ↩

  7. "How Brian Wilson heard 'Rubber Soul,' got baked and wrote 'God Only Knows'". The Denver Post. July 2, 2015. Archived from the original on October 26, 2021. Retrieved February 5, 2017. http://www.denverpost.com/2015/07/02/how-brian-wilson-heard-rubber-soul-got-baked-and-wrote-god-only-knows/ ↩

  8. Baltin, Steve (September 19, 2012). "Brian Wilson Holds Out Hope for New Beach Boys Music". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on October 26, 2021. Retrieved February 5, 2017. https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/brian-wilson-holds-out-hope-for-new-beach-boys-music-20120919 ↩

  9. Loar, Christel (September 4, 2008). "Live From Abbey Road – Episode 12". PopMatters. Archived from the original on February 6, 2017. Retrieved February 5, 2017. https://www.popmatters.com/post/live-from-abbey-road-episode-12/ ↩

  10. "How Brian Wilson heard 'Rubber Soul,' got baked and wrote 'God Only Knows'". The Denver Post. July 2, 2015. Archived from the original on October 26, 2021. Retrieved February 5, 2017. http://www.denverpost.com/2015/07/02/how-brian-wilson-heard-rubber-soul-got-baked-and-wrote-god-only-knows/ ↩

  11. Lambert 2007, p. 244. - Lambert, Philip (2007). Inside the Music of Brian Wilson: The Songs, Sounds, and Influences of the Beach Boys' Founding Genius. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4411-0748-0. Archived from the original on November 9, 2020. Retrieved October 7, 2020. https://books.google.com/books?id=3sGoAwAAQBAJ ↩

  12. Fusilli 2005, p. 101. - Fusilli, Jim (2005). Beach Boys' Pet Sounds. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4411-1266-8. Archived from the original on January 7, 2016. Retrieved January 12, 2016. https://books.google.com/books?id=xVIx8qes4V8C ↩

  13. Fornatale, Pete (November 3, 1976). "Interview with Brian Wilson" (MP3). NY Radio Archive. WNEW-FM 102.7. Archived from the original on February 6, 2015. Retrieved April 19, 2015. http://www.nyradioarchive.com/audio/WNEWFM_19771103_FornWils_KT.mp3 ↩

  14. The Beach Boys (1997). "The Observers: Marilyn Wilson". The Pet Sounds Sessions (Booklet). Capitol Records. Archived from the original on February 24, 2021. Retrieved October 7, 2020. /wiki/The_Beach_Boys ↩

  15. Leaf 1978, p. 82. - Leaf, David (1978). The Beach Boys and the California Myth. New York: Grosset & Dunlap. ISBN 978-0-448-14626-3. https://archive.org/details/beachboyscalifor00leaf ↩

  16. Granata 2003, pp. 100–101. - Granata, Charles L. (2003). Wouldn't it Be Nice: Brian Wilson and the Making of the Beach Boys' Pet Sounds. Chicago Review Press. ISBN 978-1-55652-507-0. ↩

  17. Although it has been suggested that it was the first pop song to mention "God" in the title,[20] another song with a similar lyrical message called "God Only Knows" was recorded in 1954 by the doo-wop combo the Capris.[14] ↩

  18. Leaf 1978, p. 82. - Leaf, David (1978). The Beach Boys and the California Myth. New York: Grosset & Dunlap. ISBN 978-0-448-14626-3. https://archive.org/details/beachboyscalifor00leaf ↩

  19. Dillon 2012, p. 113. - Dillon, Mark (2012). Fifty Sides of the Beach Boys: The Songs That Tell Their Story. ECW Press. ISBN 978-1-77041-071-8. ↩

  20. Lambert 2007, p. 244. - Lambert, Philip (2007). Inside the Music of Brian Wilson: The Songs, Sounds, and Influences of the Beach Boys' Founding Genius. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4411-0748-0. Archived from the original on November 9, 2020. Retrieved October 7, 2020. https://books.google.com/books?id=3sGoAwAAQBAJ ↩

  21. Granata 2003, p. 101. - Granata, Charles L. (2003). Wouldn't it Be Nice: Brian Wilson and the Making of the Beach Boys' Pet Sounds. Chicago Review Press. ISBN 978-1-55652-507-0. ↩

  22. Lambert 2007, p. 245. - Lambert, Philip (2007). Inside the Music of Brian Wilson: The Songs, Sounds, and Influences of the Beach Boys' Founding Genius. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4411-0748-0. Archived from the original on November 9, 2020. Retrieved October 7, 2020. https://books.google.com/books?id=3sGoAwAAQBAJ ↩

  23. The Beach Boys (1997). "The Observers: Marilyn Wilson". The Pet Sounds Sessions (Booklet). Capitol Records. Archived from the original on February 24, 2021. Retrieved October 7, 2020. /wiki/The_Beach_Boys ↩

  24. Granata 2003, p. 101. - Granata, Charles L. (2003). Wouldn't it Be Nice: Brian Wilson and the Making of the Beach Boys' Pet Sounds. Chicago Review Press. ISBN 978-1-55652-507-0. ↩

  25. Dillon 2012, p. 114. - Dillon, Mark (2012). Fifty Sides of the Beach Boys: The Songs That Tell Their Story. ECW Press. ISBN 978-1-77041-071-8. ↩

  26. Lambert 2007, p. 245. - Lambert, Philip (2007). Inside the Music of Brian Wilson: The Songs, Sounds, and Influences of the Beach Boys' Founding Genius. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4411-0748-0. Archived from the original on November 9, 2020. Retrieved October 7, 2020. https://books.google.com/books?id=3sGoAwAAQBAJ ↩

  27. Dillon 2012, p. 114. - Dillon, Mark (2012). Fifty Sides of the Beach Boys: The Songs That Tell Their Story. ECW Press. ISBN 978-1-77041-071-8. ↩

  28. Perone 2012, p. 79. - Perone, James E. (2012). The Album: A Guide to Pop Music's Most Provocative, Influential, and Important Creations [4 volumes]: A Guide to Pop Music's Most Provocative, Influential, and Important Creations. ABC-CLIO. ISBN 978-0-313-37907-9. Archived from the original on May 13, 2016. Retrieved January 12, 2016. https://books.google.com/books?id=gzl1lBFXKhQC&pg=RA2-PT28 ↩

  29. "CashBox Record Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. July 16, 1966. p. 36. Retrieved January 12, 2022. https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/60s/1966/CB-1966-07-16.pdf ↩

  30. Granata 2003, p. 101. - Granata, Charles L. (2003). Wouldn't it Be Nice: Brian Wilson and the Making of the Beach Boys' Pet Sounds. Chicago Review Press. ISBN 978-1-55652-507-0. ↩

  31. Lambert 2007, p. 244. - Lambert, Philip (2007). Inside the Music of Brian Wilson: The Songs, Sounds, and Influences of the Beach Boys' Founding Genius. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4411-0748-0. Archived from the original on November 9, 2020. Retrieved October 7, 2020. https://books.google.com/books?id=3sGoAwAAQBAJ ↩

  32. Harrison 1997, p. 39. - Harrison, Daniel (1997). "After Sundown: The Beach Boys' Experimental Music" (PDF). In Covach, John; Boone, Graeme M. (eds.). Understanding Rock: Essays in Musical Analysis. Oxford University Press. pp. 33–57. ISBN 978-0-19-988012-6. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 24, 2015. Retrieved October 8, 2014. http://www.lipscomb.umn.edu/rock/docs/Harrison1997_BeachBoys.pdf ↩

  33. Lambert 2008, pp. 115–116. - Lambert, Philip (March 2008). "Brian Wilson's Pet Sounds". Twentieth-Century Music. 5 (1). Cambridge University Press: 109–133. doi:10.1017/S1478572208000625. S2CID 162871617. Archived from the original on October 2, 2021. Retrieved October 7, 2020. https://www.academia.edu/17300178 ↩

  34. Garratt 2014, p. 38. - Garratt, James (2014). "Values and Judgments". In Downes, Stephen (ed.). Aesthetics of Music: Musicological Perspectives. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-136-48691-3. Archived from the original on May 1, 2016. Retrieved January 12, 2016. https://books.google.com/books?id=2tbpAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA37 ↩

  35. Harrison 1997, p. 39. - Harrison, Daniel (1997). "After Sundown: The Beach Boys' Experimental Music" (PDF). In Covach, John; Boone, Graeme M. (eds.). Understanding Rock: Essays in Musical Analysis. Oxford University Press. pp. 33–57. ISBN 978-0-19-988012-6. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 24, 2015. Retrieved October 8, 2014. http://www.lipscomb.umn.edu/rock/docs/Harrison1997_BeachBoys.pdf ↩

  36. Lambert 2008, pp. 115–116. - Lambert, Philip (March 2008). "Brian Wilson's Pet Sounds". Twentieth-Century Music. 5 (1). Cambridge University Press: 109–133. doi:10.1017/S1478572208000625. S2CID 162871617. Archived from the original on October 2, 2021. Retrieved October 7, 2020. https://www.academia.edu/17300178 ↩

  37. Granata 2003, p. 100. - Granata, Charles L. (2003). Wouldn't it Be Nice: Brian Wilson and the Making of the Beach Boys' Pet Sounds. Chicago Review Press. ISBN 978-1-55652-507-0. ↩

  38. Some also appear in Wilson's earlier songs. For example, "California Girls" avoids a root-position tonic and suppresses a cadential drive,[32] while "Kiss Me, Baby" featured complicated vocal layering.[33] /wiki/California_Girls ↩

  39. Granata 2003, p. 100. - Granata, Charles L. (2003). Wouldn't it Be Nice: Brian Wilson and the Making of the Beach Boys' Pet Sounds. Chicago Review Press. ISBN 978-1-55652-507-0. ↩

  40. Garratt 2014, pp. 36–38. - Garratt, James (2014). "Values and Judgments". In Downes, Stephen (ed.). Aesthetics of Music: Musicological Perspectives. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-136-48691-3. Archived from the original on May 1, 2016. Retrieved January 12, 2016. https://books.google.com/books?id=2tbpAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA37 ↩

  41. Garratt 2014, p. 37. - Garratt, James (2014). "Values and Judgments". In Downes, Stephen (ed.). Aesthetics of Music: Musicological Perspectives. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-136-48691-3. Archived from the original on May 1, 2016. Retrieved January 12, 2016. https://books.google.com/books?id=2tbpAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA37 ↩

  42. Lambert 2007, p. 245. - Lambert, Philip (2007). Inside the Music of Brian Wilson: The Songs, Sounds, and Influences of the Beach Boys' Founding Genius. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4411-0748-0. Archived from the original on November 9, 2020. Retrieved October 7, 2020. https://books.google.com/books?id=3sGoAwAAQBAJ ↩

  43. Granata 2003, p. 156. - Granata, Charles L. (2003). Wouldn't it Be Nice: Brian Wilson and the Making of the Beach Boys' Pet Sounds. Chicago Review Press. ISBN 978-1-55652-507-0. ↩

  44. Brennan, Colin; Corcoran, Nina (June 18, 2016). "The Genius of Pet Sounds: Artists Reveal Their Favorite Aspects of The Beach Boys' Classic". Consequence of Sound. Archived from the original on June 19, 2016. Retrieved June 19, 2016. http://consequenceofsound.net/2016/06/the-genius-of-pet-sounds-artists-reveal-their-favorite-aspects-of-the-beach-boys-classic/ ↩

  45. Lambert 2007, p. 246. - Lambert, Philip (2007). Inside the Music of Brian Wilson: The Songs, Sounds, and Influences of the Beach Boys' Founding Genius. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4411-0748-0. Archived from the original on November 9, 2020. Retrieved October 7, 2020. https://books.google.com/books?id=3sGoAwAAQBAJ ↩

  46. Lambert 2007, p. 245. - Lambert, Philip (2007). Inside the Music of Brian Wilson: The Songs, Sounds, and Influences of the Beach Boys' Founding Genius. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4411-0748-0. Archived from the original on November 9, 2020. Retrieved October 7, 2020. https://books.google.com/books?id=3sGoAwAAQBAJ ↩

  47. Howland 2021, pp. 210–217, 358. - Howland, John (2021). Hearing Luxe Pop: Glorification, Glamour, and the Middlebrow in American Popular Music. University of California Press. ISBN 978-0-520-30010-1. Archived from the original on June 28, 2021. Retrieved June 30, 2021. https://books.google.com/books?id=Yu0lEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA217 ↩

  48. Howland 2021, p. 218. - Howland, John (2021). Hearing Luxe Pop: Glorification, Glamour, and the Middlebrow in American Popular Music. University of California Press. ISBN 978-0-520-30010-1. Archived from the original on June 28, 2021. Retrieved June 30, 2021. https://books.google.com/books?id=Yu0lEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA217 ↩

  49. Lambert 2007, p. 245. - Lambert, Philip (2007). Inside the Music of Brian Wilson: The Songs, Sounds, and Influences of the Beach Boys' Founding Genius. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4411-0748-0. Archived from the original on November 9, 2020. Retrieved October 7, 2020. https://books.google.com/books?id=3sGoAwAAQBAJ ↩

  50. Lambert 2007, p. 245. - Lambert, Philip (2007). Inside the Music of Brian Wilson: The Songs, Sounds, and Influences of the Beach Boys' Founding Genius. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4411-0748-0. Archived from the original on November 9, 2020. Retrieved October 7, 2020. https://books.google.com/books?id=3sGoAwAAQBAJ ↩

  51. Harrison 1997, p. 39. - Harrison, Daniel (1997). "After Sundown: The Beach Boys' Experimental Music" (PDF). In Covach, John; Boone, Graeme M. (eds.). Understanding Rock: Essays in Musical Analysis. Oxford University Press. pp. 33–57. ISBN 978-0-19-988012-6. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 24, 2015. Retrieved October 8, 2014. http://www.lipscomb.umn.edu/rock/docs/Harrison1997_BeachBoys.pdf ↩

  52. Lambert 2007, p. 245. - Lambert, Philip (2007). Inside the Music of Brian Wilson: The Songs, Sounds, and Influences of the Beach Boys' Founding Genius. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4411-0748-0. Archived from the original on November 9, 2020. Retrieved October 7, 2020. https://books.google.com/books?id=3sGoAwAAQBAJ ↩

  53. Lambert 2007, p. 245. - Lambert, Philip (2007). Inside the Music of Brian Wilson: The Songs, Sounds, and Influences of the Beach Boys' Founding Genius. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4411-0748-0. Archived from the original on November 9, 2020. Retrieved October 7, 2020. https://books.google.com/books?id=3sGoAwAAQBAJ ↩

  54. Harrison 1997, p. 39. - Harrison, Daniel (1997). "After Sundown: The Beach Boys' Experimental Music" (PDF). In Covach, John; Boone, Graeme M. (eds.). Understanding Rock: Essays in Musical Analysis. Oxford University Press. pp. 33–57. ISBN 978-0-19-988012-6. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 24, 2015. Retrieved October 8, 2014. http://www.lipscomb.umn.edu/rock/docs/Harrison1997_BeachBoys.pdf ↩

  55. Lambert 2007, p. 245. - Lambert, Philip (2007). Inside the Music of Brian Wilson: The Songs, Sounds, and Influences of the Beach Boys' Founding Genius. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4411-0748-0. Archived from the original on November 9, 2020. Retrieved October 7, 2020. https://books.google.com/books?id=3sGoAwAAQBAJ ↩

  56. Prince, Patrick (March 2, 2011). "Brian Wilson gives a brief summary of his hit songs". Goldmine Mag. Archived from the original on September 25, 2020. Retrieved October 10, 2020. https://www.goldminemag.com/articles/brian-wilson-gives-a-brief-summary-of-his-hit-songs ↩

  57. Granata 2003, p. 174. - Granata, Charles L. (2003). Wouldn't it Be Nice: Brian Wilson and the Making of the Beach Boys' Pet Sounds. Chicago Review Press. ISBN 978-1-55652-507-0. ↩

  58. Dillon 2012, p. 115. - Dillon, Mark (2012). Fifty Sides of the Beach Boys: The Songs That Tell Their Story. ECW Press. ISBN 978-1-77041-071-8. ↩

  59. Lambert 2007, p. 245. - Lambert, Philip (2007). Inside the Music of Brian Wilson: The Songs, Sounds, and Influences of the Beach Boys' Founding Genius. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4411-0748-0. Archived from the original on November 9, 2020. Retrieved October 7, 2020. https://books.google.com/books?id=3sGoAwAAQBAJ ↩

  60. Lambert 2007, p. 245. - Lambert, Philip (2007). Inside the Music of Brian Wilson: The Songs, Sounds, and Influences of the Beach Boys' Founding Genius. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4411-0748-0. Archived from the original on November 9, 2020. Retrieved October 7, 2020. https://books.google.com/books?id=3sGoAwAAQBAJ ↩

  61. Granata 2003, p. 174. - Granata, Charles L. (2003). Wouldn't it Be Nice: Brian Wilson and the Making of the Beach Boys' Pet Sounds. Chicago Review Press. ISBN 978-1-55652-507-0. ↩

  62. Lambert 2007, p. 245. - Lambert, Philip (2007). Inside the Music of Brian Wilson: The Songs, Sounds, and Influences of the Beach Boys' Founding Genius. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4411-0748-0. Archived from the original on November 9, 2020. Retrieved October 7, 2020. https://books.google.com/books?id=3sGoAwAAQBAJ ↩

  63. Granata 2003, pp. 175–176. - Granata, Charles L. (2003). Wouldn't it Be Nice: Brian Wilson and the Making of the Beach Boys' Pet Sounds. Chicago Review Press. ISBN 978-1-55652-507-0. ↩

  64. Lambert 2007, p. 245. - Lambert, Philip (2007). Inside the Music of Brian Wilson: The Songs, Sounds, and Influences of the Beach Boys' Founding Genius. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4411-0748-0. Archived from the original on November 9, 2020. Retrieved October 7, 2020. https://books.google.com/books?id=3sGoAwAAQBAJ ↩

  65. Harrison 1997, p. 39. - Harrison, Daniel (1997). "After Sundown: The Beach Boys' Experimental Music" (PDF). In Covach, John; Boone, Graeme M. (eds.). Understanding Rock: Essays in Musical Analysis. Oxford University Press. pp. 33–57. ISBN 978-0-19-988012-6. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 24, 2015. Retrieved October 8, 2014. http://www.lipscomb.umn.edu/rock/docs/Harrison1997_BeachBoys.pdf ↩

  66. He declared, "There is no moment in rock music more harmonically and formally subtle than this transition. It is the apex of Brian Wilson's first period of formal experimentation."[28] ↩

  67. Garratt 2014, p. 37. - Garratt, James (2014). "Values and Judgments". In Downes, Stephen (ed.). Aesthetics of Music: Musicological Perspectives. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-136-48691-3. Archived from the original on May 1, 2016. Retrieved January 12, 2016. https://books.google.com/books?id=2tbpAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA37 ↩

  68. Fusilli 2005, p. 102. - Fusilli, Jim (2005). Beach Boys' Pet Sounds. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4411-1266-8. Archived from the original on January 7, 2016. Retrieved January 12, 2016. https://books.google.com/books?id=xVIx8qes4V8C ↩

  69. Lambert 2007, p. 245. - Lambert, Philip (2007). Inside the Music of Brian Wilson: The Songs, Sounds, and Influences of the Beach Boys' Founding Genius. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4411-0748-0. Archived from the original on November 9, 2020. Retrieved October 7, 2020. https://books.google.com/books?id=3sGoAwAAQBAJ ↩

  70. Granata 2003, p. 100. - Granata, Charles L. (2003). Wouldn't it Be Nice: Brian Wilson and the Making of the Beach Boys' Pet Sounds. Chicago Review Press. ISBN 978-1-55652-507-0. ↩

  71. Viney, Liam (July 12, 2015). "Love & Mercy: what Brian Wilson's story tells us about genius and music". The Conversation. Archived from the original on July 17, 2015. Retrieved July 18, 2015. https://theconversation.com/love-and-mercy-what-brian-wilsons-story-tells-us-about-genius-and-music-44519 ↩

  72. Dillon 2012, p. 115. - Dillon, Mark (2012). Fifty Sides of the Beach Boys: The Songs That Tell Their Story. ECW Press. ISBN 978-1-77041-071-8. ↩

  73. Wilson & Greenman 2016, p. 182. - Wilson, Brian; Greenman, Ben (2016). I Am Brian Wilson: A Memoir. Coronet. ISBN 978-1-444-78133-5. Archived from the original on July 26, 2020. Retrieved October 14, 2016. https://books.google.com/books?id=9CmiBQAAQBAJ ↩

  74. Lambert 2007, p. 245. - Lambert, Philip (2007). Inside the Music of Brian Wilson: The Songs, Sounds, and Influences of the Beach Boys' Founding Genius. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4411-0748-0. Archived from the original on November 9, 2020. Retrieved October 7, 2020. https://books.google.com/books?id=3sGoAwAAQBAJ ↩

  75. Slowinski, Craig. "Pet Sounds LP". beachboysarchives.com. Endless Summer Quarterly. Archived from the original on March 21, 2021. Retrieved September 24, 2018. http://www.beachboysarchives.com/page10 ↩

  76. Dillon 2012, p. 115. - Dillon, Mark (2012). Fifty Sides of the Beach Boys: The Songs That Tell Their Story. ECW Press. ISBN 978-1-77041-071-8. ↩

  77. Slowinski, Craig. "Pet Sounds LP". beachboysarchives.com. Endless Summer Quarterly. Archived from the original on March 21, 2021. Retrieved September 24, 2018. http://www.beachboysarchives.com/page10 ↩

  78. Badman 2004, p. 121. - Badman, Keith (2004). The Beach Boys: The Definitive Diary of America's Greatest Band, on Stage and in the Studio. Backbeat Books. ISBN 978-0-87930-818-6. https://archive.org/details/beachboysdefinit0000badm ↩

  79. Slowinski, Craig. "Pet Sounds LP". beachboysarchives.com. Endless Summer Quarterly. Archived from the original on March 21, 2021. Retrieved September 24, 2018. http://www.beachboysarchives.com/page10 ↩

  80. Perone 2012, p. 79. - Perone, James E. (2012). The Album: A Guide to Pop Music's Most Provocative, Influential, and Important Creations [4 volumes]: A Guide to Pop Music's Most Provocative, Influential, and Important Creations. ABC-CLIO. ISBN 978-0-313-37907-9. Archived from the original on May 13, 2016. Retrieved January 12, 2016. https://books.google.com/books?id=gzl1lBFXKhQC&pg=RA2-PT28 ↩

  81. Leaf, David (1990). Party/Stack-O-Tracks (CD Liner). The Beach Boys. Capitol Records. Archived from the original on September 27, 2015. Retrieved October 20, 2015. /wiki/David_Leaf ↩

  82. "Danny Hutton Comments". The Pet Sounds Sessions (Booklet). The Beach Boys. Capitol Records. 1997. Archived from the original on February 23, 2020. Retrieved October 7, 2020.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) http://www.albumlinernotes.com/Danny_Hutton_Comments.html ↩

  83. Badman 2004, p. 121. - Badman, Keith (2004). The Beach Boys: The Definitive Diary of America's Greatest Band, on Stage and in the Studio. Backbeat Books. ISBN 978-0-87930-818-6. https://archive.org/details/beachboysdefinit0000badm ↩

  84. Granata 2003, p. 117. - Granata, Charles L. (2003). Wouldn't it Be Nice: Brian Wilson and the Making of the Beach Boys' Pet Sounds. Chicago Review Press. ISBN 978-1-55652-507-0. ↩

  85. Dillon 2012, p. 115. - Dillon, Mark (2012). Fifty Sides of the Beach Boys: The Songs That Tell Their Story. ECW Press. ISBN 978-1-77041-071-8. ↩

  86. Badman 2004, p. 121. - Badman, Keith (2004). The Beach Boys: The Definitive Diary of America's Greatest Band, on Stage and in the Studio. Backbeat Books. ISBN 978-0-87930-818-6. https://archive.org/details/beachboysdefinit0000badm ↩

  87. Slowinski, Craig. "Pet Sounds LP". beachboysarchives.com. Endless Summer Quarterly. Archived from the original on March 21, 2021. Retrieved September 24, 2018. http://www.beachboysarchives.com/page10 ↩

  88. Slowinski, Craig. "Pet Sounds LP". beachboysarchives.com. Endless Summer Quarterly. Archived from the original on March 21, 2021. Retrieved September 24, 2018. http://www.beachboysarchives.com/page10 ↩

  89. Granata 2003, p. 219. - Granata, Charles L. (2003). Wouldn't it Be Nice: Brian Wilson and the Making of the Beach Boys' Pet Sounds. Chicago Review Press. ISBN 978-1-55652-507-0. ↩

  90. Badman 2004, p. 121. - Badman, Keith (2004). The Beach Boys: The Definitive Diary of America's Greatest Band, on Stage and in the Studio. Backbeat Books. ISBN 978-0-87930-818-6. https://archive.org/details/beachboysdefinit0000badm ↩

  91. A session in which the band also worked on "I'm Waiting for the Day", "Wouldn't It Be Nice", and "I Just Wasn't Made for These Times".[20] /wiki/I%27m_Waiting_for_the_Day ↩

  92. Badman 2004, p. 122. - Badman, Keith (2004). The Beach Boys: The Definitive Diary of America's Greatest Band, on Stage and in the Studio. Backbeat Books. ISBN 978-0-87930-818-6. https://archive.org/details/beachboysdefinit0000badm ↩

  93. Dillon 2012, p. 115. - Dillon, Mark (2012). Fifty Sides of the Beach Boys: The Songs That Tell Their Story. ECW Press. ISBN 978-1-77041-071-8. ↩

  94. Badman 2004, p. 122. - Badman, Keith (2004). The Beach Boys: The Definitive Diary of America's Greatest Band, on Stage and in the Studio. Backbeat Books. ISBN 978-0-87930-818-6. https://archive.org/details/beachboysdefinit0000badm ↩

  95. Badman 2004, p. 122. - Badman, Keith (2004). The Beach Boys: The Definitive Diary of America's Greatest Band, on Stage and in the Studio. Backbeat Books. ISBN 978-0-87930-818-6. https://archive.org/details/beachboysdefinit0000badm ↩

  96. Granata surmised that the solo was based on the Four Seasons' music.[53] /wiki/The_Four_Seasons_(band) ↩

  97. Dillon 2012, p. 116. - Dillon, Mark (2012). Fifty Sides of the Beach Boys: The Songs That Tell Their Story. ECW Press. ISBN 978-1-77041-071-8. ↩

  98. "Comments by Carl Wilson". The Pet Sounds Sessions (Booklet). The Beach Boys. Capitol Records. 1997. Archived from the original on May 9, 2015. Retrieved May 11, 2015.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) http://albumlinernotes.com/Comments_by_Carl_Wilson.html ↩

  99. Badman 2004, p. 126. - Badman, Keith (2004). The Beach Boys: The Definitive Diary of America's Greatest Band, on Stage and in the Studio. Backbeat Books. ISBN 978-0-87930-818-6. https://archive.org/details/beachboysdefinit0000badm ↩

  100. Dillon 2012, p. 115. - Dillon, Mark (2012). Fifty Sides of the Beach Boys: The Songs That Tell Their Story. ECW Press. ISBN 978-1-77041-071-8. ↩

  101. Badman 2004, p. 126. - Badman, Keith (2004). The Beach Boys: The Definitive Diary of America's Greatest Band, on Stage and in the Studio. Backbeat Books. ISBN 978-0-87930-818-6. https://archive.org/details/beachboysdefinit0000badm ↩

  102. Granata 2003, p. 174. - Granata, Charles L. (2003). Wouldn't it Be Nice: Brian Wilson and the Making of the Beach Boys' Pet Sounds. Chicago Review Press. ISBN 978-1-55652-507-0. ↩

  103. King, Dominic (2005). "Sold on Song Top 100 – God Only Knows". BBC. Archived from the original on June 26, 2016. Retrieved December 20, 2019. /w/index.php?title=Dominic_King_(broadcaster)&action=edit&redlink=1 ↩

  104. Granata 2003, p. 176. - Granata, Charles L. (2003). Wouldn't it Be Nice: Brian Wilson and the Making of the Beach Boys' Pet Sounds. Chicago Review Press. ISBN 978-1-55652-507-0. ↩

  105. Dillon 2012, p. 116. - Dillon, Mark (2012). Fifty Sides of the Beach Boys: The Songs That Tell Their Story. ECW Press. ISBN 978-1-77041-071-8. ↩

  106. Granata 2003, p. 176. - Granata, Charles L. (2003). Wouldn't it Be Nice: Brian Wilson and the Making of the Beach Boys' Pet Sounds. Chicago Review Press. ISBN 978-1-55652-507-0. ↩

  107. Granata 2003, p. 176. - Granata, Charles L. (2003). Wouldn't it Be Nice: Brian Wilson and the Making of the Beach Boys' Pet Sounds. Chicago Review Press. ISBN 978-1-55652-507-0. ↩

  108. Linett, Mark (1997). "Notes on Recording and Mixing". The Pet Sounds Sessions (Booklet). The Beach Boys. Capitol Records. Archived from the original on February 24, 2021. Retrieved October 7, 2020. /wiki/Mark_Linett ↩

  109. Badman 2004, p. 134. - Badman, Keith (2004). The Beach Boys: The Definitive Diary of America's Greatest Band, on Stage and in the Studio. Backbeat Books. ISBN 978-0-87930-818-6. https://archive.org/details/beachboysdefinit0000badm ↩

  110. Badman 2004, p. 139. - Badman, Keith (2004). The Beach Boys: The Definitive Diary of America's Greatest Band, on Stage and in the Studio. Backbeat Books. ISBN 978-0-87930-818-6. https://archive.org/details/beachboysdefinit0000badm ↩

  111. Jopling, Norman (July 2, 1966). "The Beach Boys: Pet Sounds (Capitol)". Record Mirror. Archived from the original on March 1, 2021. Retrieved October 8, 2020. http://www.rocksbackpages.com/Library/Article/the-beach-boys-pet-sounds-capitol ↩

  112. Badman 2004, p. 139. - Badman, Keith (2004). The Beach Boys: The Definitive Diary of America's Greatest Band, on Stage and in the Studio. Backbeat Books. ISBN 978-0-87930-818-6. https://archive.org/details/beachboysdefinit0000badm ↩

  113. Badman 2004, p. 135. - Badman, Keith (2004). The Beach Boys: The Definitive Diary of America's Greatest Band, on Stage and in the Studio. Backbeat Books. ISBN 978-0-87930-818-6. https://archive.org/details/beachboysdefinit0000badm ↩

  114. Badman 2004, p. 142. - Badman, Keith (2004). The Beach Boys: The Definitive Diary of America's Greatest Band, on Stage and in the Studio. Backbeat Books. ISBN 978-0-87930-818-6. https://archive.org/details/beachboysdefinit0000badm ↩

  115. Badman 2004, p. 142. - Badman, Keith (2004). The Beach Boys: The Definitive Diary of America's Greatest Band, on Stage and in the Studio. Backbeat Books. ISBN 978-0-87930-818-6. https://archive.org/details/beachboysdefinit0000badm ↩

  116. Granata 2003, p. 188. - Granata, Charles L. (2003). Wouldn't it Be Nice: Brian Wilson and the Making of the Beach Boys' Pet Sounds. Chicago Review Press. ISBN 978-1-55652-507-0. ↩

  117. "Single Picks of the Week" (PDF). Record World. July 23, 1966. p. 1. Retrieved July 15, 2023. https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Record-World/60s/66/RW-1966-07-23.pdf ↩

  118. Badman 2004, p. 142. - Badman, Keith (2004). The Beach Boys: The Definitive Diary of America's Greatest Band, on Stage and in the Studio. Backbeat Books. ISBN 978-0-87930-818-6. https://archive.org/details/beachboysdefinit0000badm ↩

  119. Turner, Steve (2018). Turn, Turn, Turn: Popular Songs Inspired by the Bible. Worthy. p. 66. ISBN 978-1-945470-86-8. Archived from the original on September 30, 2021. Retrieved October 7, 2020. 978-1-945470-86-8 ↩

  120. Badman 2004, p. 142. - Badman, Keith (2004). The Beach Boys: The Definitive Diary of America's Greatest Band, on Stage and in the Studio. Backbeat Books. ISBN 978-0-87930-818-6. https://archive.org/details/beachboysdefinit0000badm ↩

  121. Badman 2004, p. 145. - Badman, Keith (2004). The Beach Boys: The Definitive Diary of America's Greatest Band, on Stage and in the Studio. Backbeat Books. ISBN 978-0-87930-818-6. https://archive.org/details/beachboysdefinit0000badm ↩

  122. Badman 2004, p. 148. - Badman, Keith (2004). The Beach Boys: The Definitive Diary of America's Greatest Band, on Stage and in the Studio. Backbeat Books. ISBN 978-0-87930-818-6. https://archive.org/details/beachboysdefinit0000badm ↩

  123. Badman 2004, p. 156. - Badman, Keith (2004). The Beach Boys: The Definitive Diary of America's Greatest Band, on Stage and in the Studio. Backbeat Books. ISBN 978-0-87930-818-6. https://archive.org/details/beachboysdefinit0000badm ↩

  124. Badman 2004, p. 130. - Badman, Keith (2004). The Beach Boys: The Definitive Diary of America's Greatest Band, on Stage and in the Studio. Backbeat Books. ISBN 978-0-87930-818-6. https://archive.org/details/beachboysdefinit0000badm ↩

  125. Badman 2004, pp. 130–131. - Badman, Keith (2004). The Beach Boys: The Definitive Diary of America's Greatest Band, on Stage and in the Studio. Backbeat Books. ISBN 978-0-87930-818-6. https://archive.org/details/beachboysdefinit0000badm ↩

  126. Badman 2004, p. 131. - Badman, Keith (2004). The Beach Boys: The Definitive Diary of America's Greatest Band, on Stage and in the Studio. Backbeat Books. ISBN 978-0-87930-818-6. https://archive.org/details/beachboysdefinit0000badm ↩

  127. Badman 2004, p. 130. - Badman, Keith (2004). The Beach Boys: The Definitive Diary of America's Greatest Band, on Stage and in the Studio. Backbeat Books. ISBN 978-0-87930-818-6. https://archive.org/details/beachboysdefinit0000badm ↩

  128. Kirkey 2019, p. 46. - Kirkey, Christopher (2019). "Good Authentic Vibrations: The Beach Boys, California, and Pet Sounds". In Lovell, Jane; Hitchmough, Sam (eds.). Authenticity in North America: Place, Tourism, Heritage, Culture and the Popular Imagination. Taylor & Francis. pp. 41–60. ISBN 978-0-429-80234-8. Archived from the original on December 2, 2020. Retrieved November 20, 2020. https://books.google.com/books?id=rhTADwAAQBAJ&pg=PT94 ↩

  129. Badman 2004, p. 155. - Badman, Keith (2004). The Beach Boys: The Definitive Diary of America's Greatest Band, on Stage and in the Studio. Backbeat Books. ISBN 978-0-87930-818-6. https://archive.org/details/beachboysdefinit0000badm ↩

  130. Badman 2004, p. 160. - Badman, Keith (2004). The Beach Boys: The Definitive Diary of America's Greatest Band, on Stage and in the Studio. Backbeat Books. ISBN 978-0-87930-818-6. https://archive.org/details/beachboysdefinit0000badm ↩

  131. Badman 2004, p. 198. - Badman, Keith (2004). The Beach Boys: The Definitive Diary of America's Greatest Band, on Stage and in the Studio. Backbeat Books. ISBN 978-0-87930-818-6. https://archive.org/details/beachboysdefinit0000badm ↩

  132. Badman 2004, p. 200. - Badman, Keith (2004). The Beach Boys: The Definitive Diary of America's Greatest Band, on Stage and in the Studio. Backbeat Books. ISBN 978-0-87930-818-6. https://archive.org/details/beachboysdefinit0000badm ↩

  133. Dillon, Mark (June 15, 2012). "The Beach Boys at 50". The Star. Archived from the original on October 8, 2020. Retrieved October 7, 2020. https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/2012/06/15/the_beach_boys_at_50.html ↩

  134. Garratt 2014, pp. 36–38. - Garratt, James (2014). "Values and Judgments". In Downes, Stephen (ed.). Aesthetics of Music: Musicological Perspectives. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-136-48691-3. Archived from the original on May 1, 2016. Retrieved January 12, 2016. https://books.google.com/books?id=2tbpAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA37 ↩

  135. Granata 2003, p. 99. - Granata, Charles L. (2003). Wouldn't it Be Nice: Brian Wilson and the Making of the Beach Boys' Pet Sounds. Chicago Review Press. ISBN 978-1-55652-507-0. ↩

  136. Black, Johnny (2008). Classic Tracks Back to Back: Singles and Albums. Thunder Bay Press. p. 80. ISBN 978-1592238729. 978-1592238729 ↩

  137. Lambert 2007, p. 244. - Lambert, Philip (2007). Inside the Music of Brian Wilson: The Songs, Sounds, and Influences of the Beach Boys' Founding Genius. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4411-0748-0. Archived from the original on November 9, 2020. Retrieved October 7, 2020. https://books.google.com/books?id=3sGoAwAAQBAJ ↩

  138. Greene 2010, p. 155. - Greene, John Robert (2010). America in the Sixties. Syracuse University Press. ISBN 978-0-8156-5133-8. Archived from the original on May 13, 2016. Retrieved January 12, 2016. https://books.google.com/books?id=RY5JKjL7VBEC ↩

  139. Granata 2003, p. 99. - Granata, Charles L. (2003). Wouldn't it Be Nice: Brian Wilson and the Making of the Beach Boys' Pet Sounds. Chicago Review Press. ISBN 978-1-55652-507-0. ↩

  140. Caffrey, Dan (September 21, 2012). "100 Greatest Songs of All Time: 01. THE BEACH BOYS – "GOD ONLY KNOWS"". Consequence of Sound. Archived from the original on October 11, 2020. Retrieved October 7, 2020. https://consequenceofsound.net/2012/09/top-100-songs-ever-50-1/15/ ↩

  141. Granata 2003, p. 101. - Granata, Charles L. (2003). Wouldn't it Be Nice: Brian Wilson and the Making of the Beach Boys' Pet Sounds. Chicago Review Press. ISBN 978-1-55652-507-0. ↩

  142. Granata 2003, p. 156. - Granata, Charles L. (2003). Wouldn't it Be Nice: Brian Wilson and the Making of the Beach Boys' Pet Sounds. Chicago Review Press. ISBN 978-1-55652-507-0. ↩

  143. Granata 2003, p. 174. - Granata, Charles L. (2003). Wouldn't it Be Nice: Brian Wilson and the Making of the Beach Boys' Pet Sounds. Chicago Review Press. ISBN 978-1-55652-507-0. ↩

  144. "Audree Wilson Comments". The Pet Sounds Sessions (Booklet). The Beach Boys. Capitol Records. 1997.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) http://www.albumlinernotes.com/Audree_Wilson_Comments.htmll ↩

  145. "Don Randi". The Pet Sounds Sessions (Booklet). The Beach Boys. Capitol Records. 1997. Archived from the original on October 15, 2020. Retrieved October 7, 2020.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) http://albumlinernotes.com/Don_Randi.html ↩

  146. Dillon 2012, p. 117. - Dillon, Mark (2012). Fifty Sides of the Beach Boys: The Songs That Tell Their Story. ECW Press. ISBN 978-1-77041-071-8. ↩

  147. Ortolano, Scott (2017). Popular Modernism and Its Legacies: From Pop Literature to Video Games. Bloomsbury Academic. p. 124. ISBN 978-1-5013-2511-3. Archived from the original on October 2, 2021. Retrieved October 7, 2020. 978-1-5013-2511-3 ↩

  148. Kohler, Chris (December 8, 2012). "If You Leave Me, I'll Die: 9 Popular Songs That Unlock BioShock Infinite's Mysteries". Wired. Archived from the original on October 11, 2015. Retrieved October 13, 2015. https://www.wired.com/2012/12/bioshock-infinite-music/ ↩

  149. "Why Did 'Big Love' Change Its Credits? God Only Knows". The New York Times. Arts Beat. January 11, 2010. Archived from the original on May 26, 2012. Retrieved December 22, 2017. https://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/11/why-did-big-love-change-its-credits-god-only-knows/ ↩

  150. Granata 2003, p. 99. - Granata, Charles L. (2003). Wouldn't it Be Nice: Brian Wilson and the Making of the Beach Boys' Pet Sounds. Chicago Review Press. ISBN 978-1-55652-507-0. ↩

  151. Granata 2003, p. 227. - Granata, Charles L. (2003). Wouldn't it Be Nice: Brian Wilson and the Making of the Beach Boys' Pet Sounds. Chicago Review Press. ISBN 978-1-55652-507-0. ↩

  152. Nobile, Drew (2020). Form as Harmony in Rock Music. Oxford University Press. pp. 232–234. ISBN 978-0-19-094838-2. Archived from the original on October 1, 2021. Retrieved October 7, 2020. 978-0-19-094838-2 ↩

  153. Rodriguez 2012, p. 78. - Rodriguez, Robert (2012). Revolver: How the Beatles Re-Imagined Rock 'n' Roll. Montclair: Backbeat Books. ISBN 978-1-61713-009-0. https://archive.org/details/revolverhowbeatl0000rodr ↩

  154. Everett 1999, p. 60. - Everett, Walter (1999). The Beatles as Musicians: Revolver through the Anthology. New York City: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-512941-0. https://books.google.com/books?id=K-8OhZhmoyQC ↩

  155. Leaf 1978, p. 89. - Leaf, David (1978). The Beach Boys and the California Myth. New York: Grosset & Dunlap. ISBN 978-0-448-14626-3. https://archive.org/details/beachboyscalifor00leaf ↩

  156. Journalist Nick Kent quoted Wilson, "Like, if 'God Only Knows' is the greatest song ever written, then I'll never write anything as good again! And if I never write anything as good, then I'm finished. I'm a has-been and a wash-up, just like everyone keeps saying."[97] /wiki/Nick_Kent ↩

  157. Burnside, Heather (September 17, 2020). "WATCH: Paul McCartney, Brian Wilson Perform 'God Only Knows'". Far Out. Archived from the original on October 8, 2020. Retrieved October 7, 2020. https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/paul-mccartney-beach-boys-brian-wilson-duet-god-only-knows/ ↩

  158. "Musicians On Brian Wilson". brianwilson.com. Archived from the original on November 11, 2020. Retrieved October 6, 2020. https://www.brianwilson.com/quotes ↩

  159. "Musicians On Brian Wilson". brianwilson.com. Archived from the original on November 11, 2020. Retrieved October 6, 2020. https://www.brianwilson.com/quotes ↩

  160. Broome, Eric (September 2001). "Margo Guryan". Mean Street magazine. Archived from the original on November 1, 2011. Retrieved July 26, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20111101090603/http://home.earthlink.net/~elbroome/articles/guryan.html ↩

  161. Badman 2004, p. 207. - Badman, Keith (2004). The Beach Boys: The Definitive Diary of America's Greatest Band, on Stage and in the Studio. Backbeat Books. ISBN 978-0-87930-818-6. https://archive.org/details/beachboysdefinit0000badm ↩

  162. "Musicians On Brian Wilson". brianwilson.com. Archived from the original on November 11, 2020. Retrieved October 6, 2020. https://www.brianwilson.com/quotes ↩

  163. Granata 2003, p. 99. - Granata, Charles L. (2003). Wouldn't it Be Nice: Brian Wilson and the Making of the Beach Boys' Pet Sounds. Chicago Review Press. ISBN 978-1-55652-507-0. ↩

  164. Dillon 2012, p. 117. - Dillon, Mark (2012). Fifty Sides of the Beach Boys: The Songs That Tell Their Story. ECW Press. ISBN 978-1-77041-071-8. ↩

  165. "The 200 Best Songs of the 1960s". Pitchfork. August 18, 2006. Archived from the original on September 20, 2020. Retrieved October 5, 2020. https://pitchfork.com/features/lists-and-guides/6405-the-200-greatest-songs-of-the-1960s/?page=10 ↩

  166. "The Popdose 100: Our Favorite Singles of the Last 50 Years". Popdose. November 24, 2008. Archived from the original on January 1, 2016. Retrieved December 30, 2015. http://popdose.com/the-popdose-100-our-favorite-singles-of-the-last-50-years/ ↩

  167. Blau, Max (May 16, 2011). "The 20 Best Beach Boys Songs". Paste. Archived from the original on March 3, 2022. Retrieved March 18, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220303004828/https://www.pastemagazine.com/music/the-20-best-beach-boys-songs/ ↩

  168. "Readers' Poll: The Best Beach Boys Songs of All Time". Rolling Stone. June 6, 2012. Archived from the original on October 8, 2020. Retrieved October 5, 2020. https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/readers-poll-the-best-beach-boys-songs-of-all-time-15656/1-god-only-knows-234468/ ↩

  169. Caffrey, Dan (September 21, 2012). "100 Greatest Songs of All Time: 01. THE BEACH BOYS – "GOD ONLY KNOWS"". Consequence of Sound. Archived from the original on October 11, 2020. Retrieved October 7, 2020. https://consequenceofsound.net/2012/09/top-100-songs-ever-50-1/15/ ↩

  170. Saunders, Hilary (July 29, 2016). "The 100 Best Songs of the 1960s". Paste. Archived from the original on November 8, 2020. Retrieved October 7, 2020. https://www.pastemagazine.com/music/the-100-best-songs-of-the-1960s/ ↩

  171. "God Only Knows ranked #11 on Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Songs List". Rolling Stone. September 15, 2021. Archived from the original on September 16, 2021. Retrieved September 16, 2021. https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-songs-of-all-time-1224767/the-beach-boys-god-only-knows-2-1225327/ ↩

  172. Petridis, Alexis (January 27, 2022). "The Beach Boys' 40 greatest songs – ranked!". The Guardian. Retrieved March 18, 2022. /wiki/Alexis_Petridis ↩

  173. Dillon 2012, p. 117. - Dillon, Mark (2012). Fifty Sides of the Beach Boys: The Songs That Tell Their Story. ECW Press. ISBN 978-1-77041-071-8. ↩

  174. Dillon 2012, pp. 117–118. - Dillon, Mark (2012). Fifty Sides of the Beach Boys: The Songs That Tell Their Story. ECW Press. ISBN 978-1-77041-071-8. ↩

  175. Mier, Tomás (June 12, 2025). "See Sting Honor Brian Wilson With Cover of Beach Boys' 'God Only Knows'". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on June 12, 2025. Retrieved June 13, 2025. https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/sting-honors-brian-wilson-cover-beach-boys-god-only-knows-1235363031/ ↩

  176. "God only knows how the BBC made this video". The Telegraph. October 9, 2014. Archived from the original on August 1, 2018. Retrieved April 4, 2018. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/bbc/11148959/God-only-knows-how-the-BBC-made-this-video.html ↩

  177. "BBC Music's God Only Knows in aid of BBC Children in Need". BBC. October 7, 2014. Archived from the original on March 27, 2019. Retrieved December 20, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190327104351/https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3sN8FVLQFVcyh2t4MrmnS6r/bbc-music-s-god-only-knows-in-aid-of-bbc-children-in-need ↩

  178. "BBC unveil all-star version of God Only Knows, 17 years after Perfect Day". The Guardian. October 7, 2014. Archived from the original on November 22, 2016. Retrieved December 11, 2016. https://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/oct/07/bbc-god-only-knows-pharrell-stevie-wonder-chris-martin-lorde ↩

  179. "God only knows how the BBC made this video". The Telegraph. October 9, 2014. Archived from the original on August 1, 2018. Retrieved April 4, 2018. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/bbc/11148959/God-only-knows-how-the-BBC-made-this-video.html ↩

  180. Adam Sherwin wrote in The Independent: "With its message, that the BBC 'owns' the entire musical waterfront and licence-fee payers would do well to remember that, it is the kind of propaganda film an autocratic regime sensing that its legitimacy is crumbling might produce."[114] Writing for The Guardian, Alex Petridis observed "There's clearly something a little self-aggrandising about the BBC getting a raft of stars to sing an unambiguous song of undying devotion apparently to the corporation itself. ... perhaps we should forgive them three minutes of self-congratulation, particularly when it's raising money for charity."[115] /wiki/The_Independent ↩

  181. "Launches with God Only Knows, a star-studded film featuring 'The Impossible Orchestra'". BBC Music. October 7, 2014. Archived from the original on November 24, 2017. Retrieved December 20, 2019. https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/mediapacks/lovebbcmusic/god-only-knows ↩

  182. "Who's in the Impossible Orchestra?". BBC Music. October 7, 2014. Archived from the original on November 22, 2019. Retrieved December 20, 2019. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/16Pkb2PwbHJxjVhJmYwQBw6/whos-in-the-impossible-orchestra ↩

  183. Slowinski, Craig. "Pet Sounds LP". beachboysarchives.com. Endless Summer Quarterly. Archived from the original on March 21, 2021. Retrieved September 24, 2018. http://www.beachboysarchives.com/page10 ↩

  184. Badman 2004, p. 145. - Badman, Keith (2004). The Beach Boys: The Definitive Diary of America's Greatest Band, on Stage and in the Studio. Backbeat Books. ISBN 978-0-87930-818-6. https://archive.org/details/beachboysdefinit0000badm ↩

  185. Nyman, Jake (2005). Suomi soi 4: Suuri suomalainen listakirja (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Tammi. p. 96. ISBN 951-31-2503-3. 951-31-2503-3 ↩

  186. Badman 2004, p. 145. - Badman, Keith (2004). The Beach Boys: The Definitive Diary of America's Greatest Band, on Stage and in the Studio. Backbeat Books. ISBN 978-0-87930-818-6. https://archive.org/details/beachboysdefinit0000badm ↩

  187. Badman 2004, p. 148. - Badman, Keith (2004). The Beach Boys: The Definitive Diary of America's Greatest Band, on Stage and in the Studio. Backbeat Books. ISBN 978-0-87930-818-6. https://archive.org/details/beachboysdefinit0000badm ↩

  188. Badman 2004, p. 148. - Badman, Keith (2004). The Beach Boys: The Definitive Diary of America's Greatest Band, on Stage and in the Studio. Backbeat Books. ISBN 978-0-87930-818-6. https://archive.org/details/beachboysdefinit0000badm ↩

  189. Badman 2004, p. 148. - Badman, Keith (2004). The Beach Boys: The Definitive Diary of America's Greatest Band, on Stage and in the Studio. Backbeat Books. ISBN 978-0-87930-818-6. https://archive.org/details/beachboysdefinit0000badm ↩

  190. Anon. (August 27, 1966). "Melody Maker Pop 50". Melody Maker. p. 2. /wiki/Melody_Maker ↩

  191. Badman 2004, p. 142. - Badman, Keith (2004). The Beach Boys: The Definitive Diary of America's Greatest Band, on Stage and in the Studio. Backbeat Books. ISBN 978-0-87930-818-6. https://archive.org/details/beachboysdefinit0000badm ↩

  192. Badman 2004, p. 142. - Badman, Keith (2004). The Beach Boys: The Definitive Diary of America's Greatest Band, on Stage and in the Studio. Backbeat Books. ISBN 978-0-87930-818-6. https://archive.org/details/beachboysdefinit0000badm ↩

  193. "Cash Box Top 100 Singles". September 3, 1966. Archived from the original on January 12, 2021. Retrieved January 10, 2021. http://cashboxmagazine.com/archives/60s_files/19660903.html ↩

  194. "Billboard Japan Hot Overseas – Week of June 18, 2025". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved June 18, 2025. https://www.billboard-japan.com/charts/detail?a=d_and_a_overseas&year=2025&month=06&day=23 ↩

  195. Joel Whitburn's Bubbling Under the Billboard Hot 100 1959-2004[full citation needed] /wiki/Wikipedia:Citing_sources#What_information_to_include ↩

  196. "Billboard Hot 100" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 82, no. 5. January 31, 1970. p. 78. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 7, 2021. Retrieved April 4, 2021. https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/70s/1970/BB-1970-01-31-i.pdf ↩

  197. "Billboard Top 40 Easy Listening" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 82, no. 7. February 14, 1970. p. 52. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 7, 2021. Retrieved April 4, 2021. https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/70s/1970/Billboard%201970-02-14.pdf ↩

  198. "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. February 21, 1970. Archived from the original on August 1, 2020. Retrieved August 26, 2019. https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/image.aspx?Image=nlc008388.3757&URLjpg=http%3a%2f%2fwww.collectionscanada.gc.ca%2fobj%2f028020%2ff4%2fnlc008388.3757.gif&Ecopy=nlc008388.3757 ↩

  199. Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955–1990 - ISBN 0-89820-089-X /wiki/ISBN_(identifier) ↩

  200. "Chart Track: Week 42, 2014". Irish Singles Chart. https://web.archive.org/web/20180101010101/https://www.chart-track.co.uk/index.jsp?c=p%2Fmusicvideo%2Fmusic%2Farchive%2Findex_test.jsp&ct=240001&arch=t&lyr=2014&year=2014&week=42 ↩

  201. "Media Forest Week 43, 2014". Israeli Airplay Chart. Media Forest. Retrieved October 23, 2014. http://www.mediaforest.biz/WeeklyCharts/HistoryWeeklyCharts.aspx?year=2014&week=43 ↩

  202. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 12, 2014. https://www.officialcharts.com/charts/scottish-singles-chart/20141018/41/ ↩

  203. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 12, 2014. https://www.officialcharts.com/charts/singles-chart/20141018/7501/ ↩

  204. "New Zealand single certifications – The Beach Boys – God Only Knows". Radioscope. Retrieved June 13, 2025. Type God Only Knows in the "Search:" field. https://www.radioscope.co.nz/2024/00/00/single-cert-search/ ↩

  205. "British single certifications – Beach Boys – God Only Knows". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved August 12, 2022. https://www.bpi.co.uk/award/14255-1917-1 ↩