When in their career, if ever, do you stop listening to the beach boys?

[Newguy562]

who's your top groups?

The Beach Boys and Beatles are still at the top, but I have been listening to a lot more since I was in high school (back in the 90's).  I'm also big on the following: Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, Chicago (their early horn-rock stuff), Led Zeppelin, Eric Clapton, Bill Champlin, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, U2, Old & In The Way, CSN+Y, Pink Floyd, EWF, John Fogerty (CCR and solo), the Eagles, and many many others. 

you have great taste in music like many of us on here
but what's your top 5?
1. the beatles 2. the beach boys 3. the rolling stones 4. pink floyd 5. the kinks (this is just as of now it usually changes every week) but the other groups i listen to frequently are radiohead,the smiths,the zombies,the doors,led zeppelin.

[Awesoman]

who's your top groups?

The Beach Boys and Beatles are still at the top, but I have been listening to a lot more since I was in high school (back in the 90's).  I'm also big on the following: Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, Chicago (their early horn-rock stuff), Led Zeppelin, Eric Clapton, Bill Champlin, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, U2, Old & In The Way, CSN+Y, Pink Floyd, EWF, John Fogerty (CCR and solo), the Eagles, and many many others. 

you have great taste in music like many of us on here
but what's your top 5?
1. the beatles 2. the beach boys 3. the rolling stones 4. pink floyd 5. the kinks (this is just as of now it usually changes every week) but the other groups i listen to frequently are radiohead,the smiths,the zombies,the doors,led zeppelin.

Oh man, I don't know.  :-) I don't really have a top 5.  Last couple years I've found myself really into Paul Simon.  My tastes change quite a bit. 

[Julia]

Hey Little Tomboy & Shortenin' Bread are the last good Beach Boy songs, after that it was all downhill.

Ill even go as far as say I think if you purged all the post LY albums sans TWGMTR (and if you'll indulge me, perhaps a completed Paley though that's irrelevant for my larger point here) then the band's reputation would be far stronger. I may ruffle some feathers but I dont think there's even a single song from MIU through Stars and Stripes worth saving--a few "yeah it's ok" types maybe but nothing I couldn't live without. Even 15BO has "Had to Phone Ya" which is unironically a great little song.

[doinnothin]

Hey Little Tomboy & Shortenin' Bread are the last good Beach Boy songs, after that it was all downhill.

Ill even go as far as say I think if you purged all the post LY albums sans TWGMTR (and if you'll indulge me, perhaps a completed Paley though that's irrelevant for my larger point here) then the band's reputation would be far stronger. I may ruffle some feathers but I dont think there's even a single song from MIU through Stars and Stripes worth saving--a few "yeah it's ok" types maybe but nothing I couldn't live without. Even 15BO has "Had to Phone Ya" which is unironically a great little song.

This is a good point because even my favorite songs from MIU and LA are from older sessions ("My Diane" and "Good Timin'"), so they wouldn't necessarily be lost, but more likely be archival release gems.

[BJL]

Hey Little Tomboy & Shortenin' Bread are the last good Beach Boy songs, after that it was all downhill.

Ill even go as far as say I think if you purged all the post LY albums sans TWGMTR (and if you'll indulge me, perhaps a completed Paley though that's irrelevant for my larger point here) then the band's reputation would be far stronger. I may ruffle some feathers but I dont think there's even a single song from MIU through Stars and Stripes worth saving--a few "yeah it's ok" types maybe but nothing I couldn't live without. Even 15BO has "Had to Phone Ya" which is unironically a great little song.

I disagree with your first point but totally agree with your second point. I like a lot of songs on LA Light Album (and think the two Dennis songs are amazing, though in a world where the album hadn't come out, they would still exist as part of Dennis's solo career). I also secretly like Sumahama (sacrilege, I know). I also listen to and enjoy the Beach Boys 85 record now and again, and have a particularly soft spot for Brian's songs and Carl's songs, especially It's Gettin Late which is weirdly excellent on its own terms. I also like Kokomo and Somewhere Near Japan. But I 100% completely totally and without reservation agree that if they had simply broken up and stopped releasing albums in 1977 their reputation would be far stronger. Absolutely. As individual songs some of these are fine, and I enjoy listening to pieces of this part of the catalogue now and again. As directions for a legendary band to be moving in, they're a complete and total disaster in every way.