Top Ten Best Beach Boys Albums | Vinyl Rewind 

Today! is the Rubber Soul of The Beach Boys. Sunflower is an absolute criminally underrated one.

The ending of Surf's Up, with A Day in the Life of a Tree, Til I Die, and Surf's Up, is maybe my favorite run in their whole discography. It's like descending into Brian's brain, laying there in that bed with him.

Even if it is technically a compilation album, the Smile Sessions is without a doubt my favorite Beach Boys album and probably my favorite pop album period. It's such a travesty that it was scrapped. I always wonder how different pop music would have been if Brian Wilson didn't lose his mind in the process and Smile was released as the follow up to Pet Sounds.

Sunflower is probably the most underrated album of all time. It’s Perfect 👌

This was fantastic. “I’m Bugged At My Ol’ Man” is such an odd track but hey, if Murray Wilson was my dad I’d stick it on the album too.

I personally believe that if Smile would've been completed it would today be considered on of the greatest albums ever released

I’ve been in a knife fight before defending Country Air, and I’ll happily do it again goddamit!

Ive never heard Love You described so perfectly. Its such a touching and funny record that you can tell came from Brian Wilsons heart. Fun fact: Ill Bet He's Nice is the only beach boys song where all 3 Wilson brothers share the lead vocals!

Beach Boys are my favorite group. My favorite album is Surf's Up.

I picked up "Sunflower" during the late 70s when I was trying to complete my collection. I put it on the turntable, and the music blew me away. I couldn't believe it was sitting in a $1.99 bucket. Best $1.99 I ever spent. My Top 10: 1) Sunflower 2) Pet Sounds 3) Today 4) Surf's Up 5) Holland 6) Summer Days And Summer Nights 7) Love You 8) 20/20 0) Friends 10) Wild Honey

I agree 100% about Sunflower. Tears In The Morning, Deirdre, Break On Through, All I Wanna Do, and Cool Cool Water are some of the best songs they ever put out.

Excellent analysis. There really is a lot more to the Beach Boys than just Pet Sounds and a few surfing songs. I wish more people would see that.

For me its Friends. On another note, you're actually the guy who made me consider listening to the beach boys with your pet sounds review. Before that everyone told me that they sucked. Glad I found out the truth.

"I'm Bugged at My Old Man" is FANTASTIC if you take it for what it is!

I’ve only recently started diving into their discography and I’m so glad because they’ve so many great records. My favourites are All Summer Long, Friends, Smiley Smile, Wild Honey, 20/20 (so underrated).

Holland gang rise up!

Here's my list! 10. Summer In Paradise 9. Summer In Paradise 8. Summer In Paradise 7. Summer In Paradise 6. Summer In Paradise 5. Summer In Paradise 4. Summer In Paradise 3. Summer In Paradise 2. Summer In Paradise 1. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

If the beach boys replaced Student Demonstration Time with (Wouldn't it Be Nice To) Live Again (which was planned by dennis to be on the album) it would've been the perfect album for me. People dislike Take a Load of Your Feet, but personally I think it compliments the album well unlike SDT.

Mona on Love You is a truly incredible song. I really wish it were longer than two minutes.

I just listened to Sunflower all the way through for my first time. I’d skimmed through the album and All I Wanna Do is one of my favorite Beach Boys songs of all time, but damn! Sunflower is great and one of the few albums that I can sit all the way through without skipping a track.

Sunflower is my album. I absolutely love it.

my favorite albums (and songs) 1. pet sounds (sloop john b) 2. friends (little bird) 3. surf's up (till' i die) 4. sunflower (all I wanna do) 5. wild honey (country air)

My top ten 1 pet sounds 2 today 3 summer days and summer nights 4 20 20. 5 sunflower 6 shut down volume 2 7 all summer long 8 concert 9 surfer girl 10 surfin safari

That was a coherent and smart list 👍🏻👍🏻 I'd go: 1. Smile 2. Pet Sounds 3. Surf's Up 4. Sunflower 5. Today 6. Love You 7. Friends 8. Wild Honey 9. 20/20 10. In Concert (1973)

I think a more in depth review of Surfs Up would be really cool, like how The Wall was covered. A song by song review, a video about the making of the album and Carl taking leadership of the band, and something else like what was going on with Brian at that point

The beach boys were a band full of potential held back by the american music industry, their manager (their father) and mike love. If Brian Wilson was just left to do what he wanted to do they might have been able to reach the heights and popularity of the beatles. But pet sounds is a perfect album and I am very happy for it being in my life, that album alone makes the beach boys one of the greats for me.

I think That's Why God Made the Radio deserves a spot on this list. All the surviving Beach Boys along with key sidemen made an album that is consistently enjoyable. There are lyrical nods to the early fun in the sun along with more mature subjects of aging, mortality, and loss. It's a beautiful album that I keep returning to and a fitting bookend to an unbelievable career and legacy. Give me a thumbs up and comment if you agree.

Sunflower is phenominally underrated

1) pet sounds 2) smile sessions 3) today 4) Christmas album 5) all summer long

Oh wow, I do NOT regret voting for this in the Patreon poll! I must say, though, I'm surprised you didn't include Holland - but kudos for giving That's Why God Made The Radio an honourable mention, that album was a very pleasant surprise.

I would love to see your 11-20 rankings. Holland to me is another underrated one that deserves a listen

"Till I Die" is enough to push the Surfs Up album to number 2, in my book. That track is such a beautiful insight into Brian's head.

For me the Smile Sessions is not only the best Beach Boys album. Its the best album of all times. And you can choose your own version of it. Cant touch this.

This is so cool, I've been waiting too long for this video to came out, Beach Boys are so great but so hard to find in good shape, thanks for this, love your work !

Glad to see you had Carl & The Passions - So Tough in your honorable mentions, it’s an underrated album for sure, even for relative beach boys fans, i think it’s fantastic, and i might put it in the top 10 myself!

Just when I was getting back into the Beach Boys, here comes Vinyl Rewind to refuel the fire. Synchronicity, baby!

great video I have to check these albums

YES been waiting for another beach boys video

Fantastic video! Love You has been slowly becoming my favorite BB album, it's so unapologetically honest, and those farty late 70s Moog synth tones were an excellent choice for instrumentation on Brian's part

Great list and I would have All Summer Long in my top 10. Nice to see you've discovered the late 60's/early 70's albums when the band wasn't selling as much. Lots of great stuff there.

BB Loves You is a cracked synth pop masterpiece

Sherry She Needs me was recorded in between the 15 Big Ones sessions and the Love You sessions. It was a rerecording of a song from the Summer Days sessions called Sandy. The song Sandy hasn't been officially released and only appears on the Unsurpassed Masters bootleg. Sadly, that version never got a lead vocal, but other then that it's pretty much done. As for Sherry, that was added to the Made in California box set with a new remix that adds the original backing vocals to the fade. Both Sandy and the original mix of Sherry She Needs Me can be found in amazing quality on RU-vid. Remember, Sandy was first, Sherry was second. P.s. Brian later recorded it as She Says She Needs Me for his album Imagination

I was literally searching youtube for a video on the top 10 beach boys albums bc Pet Sounds is my fave album ever but I haven't really checked their other albums out and then one of my favourite music youtubers drops the exact video, THANK YOU!!

Great video, Eric. Thanks for the mention of Sherry, She Needs Me - I wasn't aware of that nugget.

I was scared you weren't gonna put Sunflower in here, but what a great surprise it was to see it so highly ranked!

I can't believe I just found your channel! great stuff man, I love the decor and the vintage vibes. Great list, too - The Beach Boys Today! is such a fantastic album, plus, it contains a historical moment - Please Let Me Wonder, the first song written by Brian under psychedelic influence. It's so remarkable because up until that song, the album is slowly ramping up in harmony until it finally breaks free of the surfing sound in Please Let Me Wonder and a whole new landscape of slower and richer ballades is introduced.

Hahahahah I really liked your early April fools joke you did where you didn’t put summer in paradise at number 1

Man I was really hoping you’d include the smile sessions as an album in and of itself. But I understand why you didn’t, great list I, glad someone finally shed some light on their brilliant post pet sounds/SMiLE era albums.

got this notifications as i was finishing surf’s up. good timing

You did an enormous amount of excellent work here, obviously hundreds of hours. I used to race home from 8th Grade, immediately put on 'I Get Around,' and play it over and over Every fall I listen to 'We've Been Having Fun All Summer Long,' and I still really dig the tunes you mentioned, like 'Disney Girls,' 'Heroes and Villains,' and 'Surf's Up,' and others like 'When I Grow Up,' 'In My Room,' and the drag strip classics 'Shut Down,' and 'Little Deuce Coupe.' For a while in the 70s I lived in Hawthorne, a few blocks from the Beach Boys childhood home, and "Rhonda" was etched in the sidewalk near my place, so I've always had a feeling about that tune. For the last few years I'd have to say my favorite Beach Boys song has become 'Darlin'.' Thanks so much for doing this one--I've seen a number of your posts, but until now I'd missed this one, and it's a doozey..

Great video!

Wild Honey, Sunflower, Surf's Up, and Holland are all excellent albums that are too often forgotten. I think 20/20 and Friends are pretty damn good as well, though more uneven.

Beach Boys Love You wasn’t even close to being Dennis’ last hurrah. LA Album (1979) would be considered that since Dennis’ songs from the Bamboo sessions were put on here since he pretty much gave up on that solo album for a variety of reasons. And that’s the last batch of songs Dennis would release before his death. Love You was mostly a Brian Wilson solo effort.

Very nice roundup of your top 10 beach boys albums

Your videos are so relaxing dude, good vibrations

Great list! Today and Sunflower are a must on any list👍❤️👍

I love this band and I think that 'their non hits are overlooked. The sad thing with albums like Surfs up and Sunflower are many of the songs left off due to "Beach Boys politics"! The two Dennis Wilson tracks not on Surfs up is a crime! They were always a band that could shoot itself in the foot at the drop of a hat!

You got my listening to The Beach Boys, and it takes a lot to sway me. Surfs up is my favorite so far

You are spot-on about Sunflower. It really is THAT good.

Your characterization of Beach Boys Love You was spot on, love that album.

Lovely Top Ten! (Love the Friends Album!)

Learned a lot. Now I'll have to pick up Sunflower and Friends. They sound like my cup o'tea! Btw, I'd love to see you do the same discography review thing for one of favorite 60's bands, The Monkees.

I was just writing something about 1964 and was thinking about this. Get out of my head. Keep up the good work.

Epic as always

so glad you discovered all those great beach boys albums! the albums from wild honey to love you are all great (except 15 big ones), and almost completely forgotten compared to their early career. you know what also doesn't get the attention it deserves? the big 7 moody blues albums, from days of future passed to seventh sojourn are all bangers.

Good list, and thanks for giving Sun Flower the credit it deserves.

Excellent video - I knew you had taste! 😉

I have to say I love "Student Demonstration Time" a great rework of a classic song "Riot in Cellblock number 9"

I’m trying to get into Beach Boys and this video helped me a lot!

Cool video! Holland would have made my list for sure, probably top 5

Thank you I just started listening the Beach Boys, and I didn't know what album listen to first. Sunflower it is!

YES! meant for you is such a gem.

I can’t explain why, but The Beach Boys Love You is just my favorite album ever made. It is just so strange but also pure and sweet and completely sincere in a way that only Brian can be

Great Sounds

10: Summer Days (And Summer Nights) 9: Beach Boys Today! 8: Friends 7: Smiley Smile 6: Wild Honey 5: Surfs Up 4: 20/20 3: Sunflower 2: Pet Sounds 1: SMiLE

To me, 'Love You' is the true sequel to Pet Sounds.

So glad I’m getting more beach boys content

All summer long is one of my favorites, surprised that didn’t come on the list, but other than that great list!

Thanks for this video. I won a nice collection of Vinyl from a Beach Boys Facebook contest a number of years ago and found Smiley Smile, Wild Honey, MIA, La Album, and Carl and The Passions all at the same thrift store. I’m still needing Holland and now Sunflowers! I was really touched by Love You. We still sing “pat, pat, pat her on the butt” to our kids sometimes. I do have a soft spot for I’m Bugged at My Old Man but can’t stand Student Demonstration. I have the Good Vibrations best of The Beach Boys which is a great mixture of Pet Sounds onward. It might be my go to Beach Boys record. I have three pressings of Pet Sounds and my favorite is from a two in one Carl and the Passions combo record.

Oi! Don't you be dissing (honk honk) "Hockin' Down the Highway" Great track :) Interesting fact: in the Endless Harmony documentary series Brian claims Love You to be his favourite Beach Boys album. EDIT: What a great summing up of an under appreciated LP.

Hey! I've watched this particular video before but I've only just noticed the curved corners. I'll have to watch some of your other videos again to see if they are always there. Very retro.

I still don't understand how this channel doesn't have more subs despite having such quality uploads

Hey there mate another great video, I'm enjoying what you do a lot. Apart from Pet Sounds and Surfs Up which I bought on CD sometime in the 90s, I never owned another Beach Boys album until fairly recently. I now have the Mexican version of Summer Days and Summer Nights which is actually called California Girls, and I love this record! So when you said a couple of clunkers, I'm thinking what the hell is he talking about!...however, I see the tracklisting on your bonafide US version has some songs I do not recognize on my version....no clunkers on mine at all, just 10 songs I think, all of them great. I also now have Holland, its ok I guess, and only last weekend Pet Sounds arrived in the mail, first time I've owned on vinyl and its been quite a thrill to lower the needle on that one these past days....and yesterday, 15 Big Ones arrived, its a reissue, but havent had a chance to listen to it yet. Im slightly disappointed its a) not in your top 10, and b) not even an honorable mention! Oh well. I'm especially looking forward to hearing Still of the Night. What did you think of 15 Big Ones? I have a definite tendency to become slightly obsessed with my favorite bands, but its always only temporary before I move onto the next one, and right now it is the BBs, so this list really will be useful for me to keep adding to my collection. Oh and I absolutely love Brian Wilson's first solo album as well. Cheers!

Although extremely underrated, Holland should make the top 5 of any BB list.

I've always dismissed most of their stuff, but after this I'll give a good listen to at least a few of their albums. Thanks for the recommendation.

Love this list! I would have definitely put All Summer Long somewhere on it. That album rules!

Beach Boys In Concert double album is also underrated

HOW HAVE YOU NOT GOT 1 MILLION SUBSCRIBERS!

I've never noticed student demonstration time being out of place. Me and my mates love it. It also helped me in my gcse exam because of the historical context

Hi, there Vinyl cool guy, Long time no see. Ah the Beach Boys. No band even comes close to those harmonies. There is not and there will never be another. A class all their own. This being said... I am hearing some songs making the internet for the forthcoming Feel Flows box set (comprising of Sunflower and Surf's Up plus sessions etc).... and oh my Lord.... I cannot wait to get it. I hope you will be acquiring it too and do an unboxing. I love the Beach Boys and I find their music comes to save my uneasy spirit in these uneasy times. Thank God for the Beach Boys and music. That's why God made the Beach Boys. Enjoy and agree with your list. Tino

Thanks for making this video. I LOVE the Beach Boys and some of these lesser known albums (especially Sunflower) definitely don't get enough recognition. Solid list but if it were me, Love You would make the top half. Oh, and like someone else on here said, Country Air is a JAM.

I think Brian Wilson’s “Smile” is addictive listening. The album is like a musical puzzle you can get lost in and the melodies stick in your head forever!

Thank you!

AGAIN- (chronologically):: surfin safari, surfer girl, all summer long, today, summer days, pet sounds, smiley smile, wild honey, sunflower, surfs up, holland, love you. The dozen timeless classics.

Sunflower is AMAZING!!!

Good list!!! I agree with your top 3. I would put Wild Honey higher and probably put All Summer Long in my BB top 10

This was a nearly perfect video! I gotta say what keeps this from being a perfect video, in my opinion, is the ads. $$$$$

HELLO FELLOW MUSIC LOVERS

Your confessed technique of listening to some of the albums only recently for the prep of this video doesn't give them enough perspective. You need to hear each one several times and also have the perspective of time to come to a "stable" long-term, rooted opinion of each one. I need to, anyway. For any album I listen to just once or twice and just in one day, I'm going to have a different opinion of it a couple years later after having heard it more times and many other albums in between. On the other hand, this task got you to listen to them all which is certainly cool, and you've got to start from where ever you are! Thank you for this video which brings the Beach Boys catalog to deeper consideration in all your viewers' minds. 😀

I absolutely love the beach boys. Favourite band!!