Brian Wilson - Ten Songs That Made Me Love...

  by Lisa Torem

published: 8 / 7 / 2025

With Brian Wilson gone, fans, fellow musicians, friends and family the world over feel a deep sense of loss. For multiple generations, the Hawthorne, California-raised musician was deservedly revered as a muse, an undisputed genius, an astute vocal arranger, bassist, pianist and producer. In fact, Wilson set a precedence as an artist who became his band’s producer at a time when most record labels hired outside help. Remarkably, Wilson was only in his early 20’s when given this important role. Beyond those skills, Wilson developed substantially as a songwriter and co-writer over the course of his career. He largely worked with Gary Usher and Mike Love during the sun, surf and hot rod days, but began to co-write with other lyricists during and after the ‘Pet Sounds’ era (Tony Asher, Stephen Kalinich, Van Dyke Parks, etc.) Wilson retained an open mind from album to album, whether working with The Beach Boys or on his solo career. He employed the art of experimentation even when critics and record labels persuaded him to stay on a predictable course. Narrowing my favorite Brian Wilson written/co-written songs down to a mere ten was a challenge best explained through the phrase, “an embarrassment of riches.” There were an overwhelming number of songs to leaf through, but ultimately, I decided to leave out a number of my all-time favorites to keep the list balanced in terms of a timeline. Believe me, I could have listed dozens more… ‘In My Room’ (1963) Who doesn’t crave a sanctuary; a haven from the cacophony of the outside world? Brian Wilson shared his own room with his two younger brothers, Dennis and Carl. There, they had the opportunity to create lush and subtle harmonies in their own sacred space. On the album, ‘Surfer Girl,’ The oldest Wilson brother and lyricist Gary Usher created a sense of calm and serenity which pulses throughout every phrase of this wistful ballad. The lyrics match the air-tight progression because they are heartfelt, straight-to-the point and believable. The amazing thing about Brian Wilson’s catalogue is how it touches artists from all genres. Unpredictably, country singer Tammy Wynette jumped on the bandwagon in 1998 when she recorded a duet with Brian Wilson for her final album, ‘Tammy Wynette Remembered.’ ‘Don’t Worry Baby’ (1964) Brian Wilson was consumed by American producer Phil Spector’s “wall-of-sound” recording technique, which involved an extreme layering of instrumental textures. According to Wilson’s first wife, Marilyn Wilson, her husband listened to Spector’s music religiously and was a big fan of the solid material Spector arranged for his clients. Wilson hoped that Spector would have the Ronettes record the Roger Christian co-write, but when his hopes were dashed by Spector’s swift rejection, Wilson gave the song to The Beach Boys with successful results. Audiences loved the soulful pop number which hinges the minor-tinged chord progression with a healing, hopeful message.. ‘Help Me Rhonda’ (1965) It’s impossible to sit still when this shuffle beat explodes from a speaker. But the song had a rough start. Al Jardine was initially reluctant to take on the task of singing lead vocals; he had been accustomed to singing backup. And even after he agreed, Jardine quibbled with Brian Wilson about the timing and tempo. Eventually, Wilson and Jardine reached terms and Jardine nailed the sound that this complex narrative deserved. It’s about a guy who faces heartbreak after his fiancé breaks off their engagement. He seeks solace with his then-platonic friend Rhonda, but mid-song, we discover that he is getting smitten with Rhonda and hopes she feels the same way. I love this song. The lyrics are snappy, the mood is expressively vibrant and the harmonies roll off the tongue. Al Jardine gets a five-star rating for perseverance under pressure. ‘Girl Don’t Tell Me’ (1965) With a deep dive into emotional terrain, Wilson writes from the viewpoint of a teenager whose budding, summer relationship dies on the vine. This time around, Wilson offered the lead vocals to Carl, who never failed to bring a sense of warmth and originality to every studio project. In contrast to so many other Beach Boys’ songs, Carl was left without the benefit of backing vocals, but the production is clear and the message so concise that it’s hardly noticeable. ‘Good Vibrations’ (1966) Brian Wilson poured a ton of money into this magnum opus. He was excited about implementing a unique modular system of writing, similar to the William Burroughs’ “cut-and-paste” technique that David Bowie used and admired. The song ushered in the Beach Boys’ own style of psychedelia. Wilson liberally used synthesizer effects and lyricist Mike Love came up with a newly minted word that William Shakespeare may have sneered at: “excitations,” but which worked well within the expansive pop format. ‘God Only Knows’ (1966) Paul McCartney is still prone to tears when he hears this touching ‘Pet Sounds’ ballad. The gracefully moving bass line, the one-off, chordal voicings and advertising executive Tony Asher’s poignant lyrics conflate to form a song considered perfect by many fans and critics. Carl Wilson’s lead vocal conveys warmth, innocence, and unconditional love. Unfortunately, the radio censors gave the band a hard time for name checking “God,” even though Wilson’s intention had been to write a positive song about spirituality. Despite that setback, the song became an international hit. I confess, I tear up, too, when I hear those sincere, honest phrases and Baroque underpinnings. ‘Darlin’’ (1967) The focus of the ‘Wild Honey’ album was to embrace stripped-down, lo-fi material, leaving intricate orchestral arrangements in the dust. ‘Darlin’’ would become known as a shining star in the days to come, but it wasn’t written for the band. This Mike Love/Brian Wilson collaboration was originally targeted for Redwood, the group that became Three Dog Night, but it was reclaimed as a R & B vehicle for Carl Wilson’s versatile voice. It’s a joyous, up-tempo exclamation of everlasting love, rife with steadfast horns and striking percussion. ‘Darlin’ garnered a new audience when the character Sheldon from the American television show, Big Bang Theory, hummed the song in an episode. ‘All I Wanna Do’ (1970) This underrated ‘Sunflower’ album track by Mike Love and Brian Wilson boasts an undulating melody and dreamy, but well-placed harmonies contributed by all of the band members. Mike Love’s double-tracked vocal sounds astonishingly like the nasal, unpretentious voice of the late John Lennon. In fact, the song has a laid-back charm that truly recalls The Beatles’ experimental, psychedelic cannon. That said, the healthy rivalry that existed between the two bands helped promote each one’s legacy. ‘Surf’s Up’ (1971) Although Wilson’s long-awaited, ‘Pet Sounds’ follow-up project, ‘Smile,’ got shelved about a year after its formation, much of its contents resurfaced to see the light of day. In fact, ‘Surf’s Up,’ co-written with arranger/songwriter Van Dyke Parks, became the title track to an album of the same name five years after it was penned. The literary Parks zeroed in on horror writer Edgar Allan Poe as an inspiration and the backing vocals included the clear voice of Marilyn Wilson, Brian Wilson’s first wife. Wilson’s favored instrument, the Moog synthesizer, added strength and structure to this austere masterpiece that had nothing at all to do with the band’s early surf music. ‘Goin’ On’ (1980) From the ‘Keepin’ the Summer Alive’ album, this Bruce Johnston produced epic rekindles the carefree, youthful spirit that The Beach Boys’ banked on in their early years. It’s a hybrid of styles, including doo-wop and pop. The hermetically tight harmonies jut in and out with abandon and are reminiscent of the rock band Queen’s bold choral inserts. The unrelenting vocal energy is matched by Steve Douglas’ soprano sax solo, which, although succinct, is blissfully wild and non-formulaic.

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