The Smiley Smile Message Board

What is your favourite ever Beach Boys album?
We all know that Pet Sounds will probably come out on top but it will be interesting to see the top 10.

OK My list (atm):
View my list at https://rateyourmusic.com/list/bgw8/ranking_the_beach_boys_albums__my_favourites_/

Will do some refining over time.
Post what your favourite is.

Ah jeez.... this is going to be hard. Very, very hard.


Give me a few minutes and I'll think about it....


P.S. Be sure to make a Pet Sounds vs POB thread after  ;)

You answered correctly.



:)

I've also chose to put in the live albums to make it even more challenging lol.

From my least Favourite to my Favourite:

36. Summer In Paradise.
35. 15 Big Ones.
34. Keepin' The Summer Alive.
33. Stars And Stripes Vol. 1.
32. M.I.U. Album.
31. Beach Boys' Party!.
30. Little Deuce Coupe.
29. Live - The 50th Anniversary Tour.
28. Songs From Here And Back.
27. Surfin' USA.
26. All Summer Long.
25. The Beach Boys' Christmas Album.
24. Still Cruisin'.
23. Beach Boys' Concert.
22. Surfin' Safari.
21. Smiley Smile.
20. Friends.
19. That's Why God Made The Radio.
18. Holland.
17. Good Timin' Live At Knebworth 1980.
16. Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!!).
15. Surfer Girl.
14. Live In London.
13. The Beach Boys (1985).
12. The Beach Boys Today!.
11. Wild Honey.
10. Shut Down Vol. 2.
09. L.A. Light Album.
08. Love You.
07. The Beach Boys In Concert.
06. Carl And The Passions - "So Tough!".
05. Sunflower.
04. The SMiLE Sessions.
03. Pet Sounds.
02. 20/20.
01. Surf's Up.

Blue is the albums from 1962 to 1965. Green is the albums from 1966 to 1969. Brown is the albums from 1970 to 1979. Yellow is the albums from 1980 to 2012. Red are the live albums.

1. Friends
2. L.A. Light Album
3. Carl & The Passions - So tough

These 3 have been my top 3 studio albums for quite a while. The rest move around quite a bit.

Next tier (no particular order):
Sunflower
Surf's up
Love You
Wild Honey
20/20
Today
Smiley Smile

Then: (still no particular order):
Pet Sounds
Summer Days and Summer nights
Keepin The Summer Alive
MIU Album
Summer In Paradise
Surfin Safari
That's  why God Made the radio
Surfer Girl
Holland

Then:
All Summer Long
Party
Little deuce coupe
Shut down vol 2
Still Cruisin
Christmas album

Then:
Surfin USA
Beach Boys 85
Stars & Stripes Vol 1
Smile Sessions
15 Big ones

I remember that there was a thread not too long ago where we ask ranked the albums. Does anyone remember what that thread was called? I'd be interested to see how my tastes have changed since then.

it takes guts to put pet sounds in the same place as summer in paradise.

This is hard, and I'm pretty sure I'd give a different answer every day.

1. Love You
2. Today!
3. Holland
4. Pet Sounds
5. Friends
6. That's Why God Made The Radio
7. Surf's Up
8. Carl And The Passions - So Tough
9. 20/20
10. 15 Big Ones/(Wild Honey/Smiley Smile/Sunflower/The Beach Boys/L.A./M.I.U.)

As you can notice, I hardly ever listen to pre-Today records. Not that I wouldn't like them, but 70's stuff is just so much better.

... and I was worried about voting for Smile disc 1 over Pet Sounds!

Joking aside - more power to you Eric. Only a die hard would have such an idiosyncratic list of favourites. I'm inspired by the tiered system.

Mine goes:

1. Smile
2. Pet Sounds

Then tied for 3rd place :

Friends
Wild Honey
Surf's Up
Sunflower
Love You

4th:
Smiley Smile
Today
Holland
Summer Days/Summer Nights
In Concert (72)

5th:
CATP
Party
All Summer Long
20/20


6th:
TWGMTR
Shut Down Vol 2
MIU
LA Light
KTSA
BB85

7th:
The rest.

Tiering is a lot easier than giving each album a set place (which would be way too hard.)

Top tier:
Wild Honey, Friends, Smiley Smile, Smile sessions, Pet Sounds, Sunflower, All Summer Long, Today!

Second Tier:
Surfer Girl, Little Deuce Coupe, Shut Down 2,  Summer Days, 20/20, Surf's Up, Love You

Third Tier:
Party!, Surfin' Safari, Surfin' U.S.A.,  CATP-ST, Holland

Fourth tier:
M.I.U., 15 Big Ones, TWGMTR

Don't like:
L.A., KTSA, BB85

Haven't Heard
SIP, Still Cruisin', Stars and Stripes

I'm going to have to agree with you there. Their pre-Today material isn't half bad at all, but it's absolutely nothing compared to their best stuff between Pet Sounds and Holland! And it shows on my list, which you can see here

"Today I'm going to listen to my 7th fave BB album which unfortunately is not quite as good as my 6th favorite BB album." ;D

And to you sir, I say these three words:

All

Summer

Long.

Stuff and nonsense sir. Stuff, and nonsense.  :old

:lol
(All Summer Long has cool cover art and I Get Around, but that's it  :hat)

1. The Beach Boys in Concert

There's a real rash of denigrators of the early 60's albums on this board at the moment. The only reason I posted in this thread before was to stick up for them.

The idea that "all Beach Boys albums are negligible before Today! (or Pet Sounds)" is the most annoying Beach Boys myth of all for me. Even more so than "Brian stayed in bed 1967-1976"

I might be wrong but I'd wonder if younger fans here are those that prefer the post Today albums and they're just a bit more vocal about it. I actually happen to share this preference but tend to keep it to myself unless it's relevant to the thread.

However I don't feel there's a bias on the board. I see a lot of love for the early albums around here and, if anything, it strikes me the more hardcore the fan, the more s/he digs the early stuff i.e. it's kind of cool to be into the surf & turf stuff whereas crowing about Pet Sounds/Smile is now passé.

OMG though - Pet Sounds and Smile are neck & neck in the lead!!!!  :pirate :rock :happydance :thewilsons :woot :banana :brian

Excellent albums:
1. Sunflower
2. Pet Sounds
3. The Smile Sessions
4. Friends
5. Wild Honey
6. Smiley Smile
7. Today!
8. Surf’s Up
9. That’s Why God Made the Radio
10. Holland
Albums with some really great songs, but qualitatively not consistent enough:
11. 20/20
12. Surfer Girl
13. Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!)
14. All Summer Long
15. Shut Down Volume 2
16. LA (Light Album)
17. Love You
18. Carl and the Passions “So Tough”
Weaker albums:
19. 15 Big Ones
20. Still Cruisin’
21. MIU Album
22. Keepin’ the Summer Alive
23. Christmas Album
24. Little Deuce Coupe
25. Party!
26. Surfin’ USA
27. Surfin’ Safari
Just bad:
28. Stars and Stripes Vol. 1
29. The Beach Boys (1985)
30. Summer in Paradise

The pack of faith in the early albums is disturbing.

10/10:

1. Pet Sounds
2. Sunflower
3. Friends
4. Today!

9/10:

5. Smiley Smile
6. Love You
7. Wild Honey
8. 20/20
9. Surf's Up
10. All Summer Long
11. Carl and the Passions - So Tough
12. Holland
13. Summer Days (and Summer Nights)

8/10:

14. Surfer Girl
15. L.A. (Light Album)
16. That's Why God Made the Radio

7/10:

17. Little Deuce Coupe
18. Party!
19. Shut Down Vol. 2
20. Surfin' U.S.A

6/10:

21. M.I.U. Album
22. 15 Big Ones
23. Surfin' Safari

5/10:

24. Keepin' The Summer Alive

4/10:

25. The Beach Boys 85

3/10:

26. Still Cruisin'

2/10:

27. Summer In Paradise

I'm glad some others have voted for Friends.  Pet Sounds is a monumental album but it's a little too intense for me to listen to unless I'm in the mood, and I go through periods of Pet Sounds fatigue.  Friends I listen to more than any other album.

Today, Sunflower, and Love You are are probably my next three.

Summer In Paradise - 2 (7.4%)

We can do this you guys!

Think of those lush harmonies on Hot Fun In The Summertime. The remake of Surfin' is one of the true highlights on this album: gone is Brian Wilson's pathetic finger-tapping snare drum rhythm - in it's place are computer programmed drum lines that would make Keith Moon jealous. SIP version of 'Forever' is THE definitive version. And I heard that even Rush Limbaugh shed a tear when he read the lyrics to the title song.

Seriously, Pet Sounds? Bunch of sentimental mush. Smile? A tricycle trip across America that never leaves the driveway. Summer In Paradise? The pinnacle of all The Beach Boys set out to achieve. God bless you Mike Love.

All Summer Long...without a doubt the quintessential Beach Boys LP. Anything else they either weren't there yet...or they were trying to get away from themselves. ASL was the exact moment when they were The Beach Boys, on top, and owning it.

Jon, I love ASL too (and it holds a steady place in my top 5 BB pantheon, which doesn't vary much), but WH is always gonna be the album that owns my heart. Nice to see other WH voters here too!

Here's my top 12 this week:
1. Wild Honey
2. Sunflower
3. Surf’s Up
4. All Summer Long
5. Today!
6. Little Deuce Coupe
7. Shut Down Volume 2
8. Keepin’ the Summer Alive
9. The Smile Sessions
10. Holland
11. Surfer Girl
12. Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!)

The middle batch (with lotsa great-to-worthwhile stuff on 'em), in no ranking other than alphabetical:
15 Big Ones
20/20
Carl and the Passions “So Tough”
Endless Harmony
LA (Light Album)
MIU Album
Party!
Pet Sounds
Smiley Smile
Stars and Stripes Vol. 1
Still Cruisin’
Surfin’ USA
Surfin’ Safari
That’s Why God Made the Radio
The Beach Boys (1985)

And the ones I rarely listen to:
Christmas Album*
Friends
Summer in Paradise
Love You

*Note: Ultimate Christmas would have gone into the middle batch, because it has more options that offset those cheesy orchestra-based Christmas classics.

Well, I don't know who you're referring to, but I haven't ever said that all albums before Today! are negligible. I'm one of the rare people that actually enjoys and likes every Beach Boy album on some level, even Summer In Paradise. Surfin' Safari is one of the best BB songs IMO. BUT I feel like the late 60's-70's albums don't get the recognition and praise they should have. Even inside the BB fanbase they are underappriciated on some level. On the contrary the early records are very well appreciated here and in music world in general, so I don't feel that much any kind of need to praise those. Same applies with Pet Sounds.

I love everything from 1963 - 1973. Every album has something magical and special to recommend it.

I was tempted to vote for Shut Down Vol 2 because I just freakin' LOVE it!!

However, my vote went to Surf's Up.

1.) Wild Honey
2.) Pet Sounds
3.) The Beach Boys Love You
4.) Friends
5.) The Beach Boys Today!
6.) Summer Days (and Summer Nights!!)
7.) All Summer Long
8.) Sunflower
9.) Smiley Smile
10.) 20/20

Runners Up: Surfer Girl, Shut Down Vol. 2

I'm not really sure where to rank The Smile Sessions since I don't think of it as an album in the same way that I think of the others.  Perhaps because it's not really a completed album.

My fave is Love You, followed by Pet Sounds

3 votes for Summer In Paradise?!  :o

I'm not sure if Pet Sounds is my favourite, but I voted for it anyway because it's clearly excellent.  For now let's go with this...

1. Pet Sounds (1966)
2. The Beach Boys Today! (1965)
3. The Smile Sessions (1967/2011)
4. Sunflower (1970)
5. Friends (1968)
6. Love You (1977)
7. Surf's Up (1971)
8. Holland (1973)
9. The Beach Boys In Concert (1973)
10. 20/20 (1969)
11. Wild Honey (1967)
12. Surfer Girl (1963)
13. Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!) (1965)
14. All Summer Long (1964)
15. Smiley Smile (1967)
16. Carl and the Passions - "So Tough" (1972)
17. Shut Down Vol. 2 (1964)
18. Live in London (1970)
17. That's Why God Made the Radio (2012)
18. The Beach Boys' Christmas Album (1964)
19. Good Timin': Live at Knebworth 1980 (2003)
20. Surfin' USA (1963)
21. Beach Boys' Party (1965)
22. The Beach Boys (1985)
23. 15 Big Ones (1976)
24. The Beach Boys' Concert (1964)
25. Songs from Here & Back (2006)
26. Little Deuce Coupe
27. M.I.U. Album (1978)
28. L.A. (Light Album) (1979)
29. Still Cruisin' (1989)
30. Live - The 50th Anniversary Tour (2013)
31. Keepin' the Summer Alive (1980)
32. Stars and Stripes Vol. 1 (1996)
33. Surfin' Safari (1962)
34. Summer in Paradise (1992)

1. Pet Sounds
2. The Beach Boys Today
3. Wild Honey
4. The Smile Sessions
5. Smiley Smile
6. All Summer Long
7. Sunflower
8. Friends
9. Summer Days And Summer Nights
10. Love You

I will not confess!  :lol

It hard for me to putem in any order but chronilogically- surfin usa surfer girl lil deuce coupe shut down vol2 all summer long today summer days pet sounds smiley smile wild honey 20/20 sunflower surfs up holland and love you.                                   ALL phenomenal, all strong. Their weaker albums were surfin safari friends so tough and anythingpost-77.                                                                                               

I chose Pet Sounds, but in reality, it could be Today, Summer Days, Smile or Sunflower.

:) Mark

As we can see from the poll these are the rankings so far

1. Pet Sounds (19)
2. The SMiLE Sessions (7)
3. Friends (5)
4. Wild Honey (4)
    Sunflower
    Surf's Up
5. Today! (3)
    Really?
6. All Summer Long (2)
    Love You

‍

Wow...this is tough!  My list outside the top 5 or 6 will probably vary based on my moods, but I dare say it will be unique.

1. The Smile Sessions
2. Today!
3. Pet Sounds
4. Sunflower
5. The Beach Boys '85
6. That's Why God Made The Radio
7. Surf's Up
8. All Summer Long
9. In Concert
10. Still Cruisin'

I chose The Smile Sessions on the basis of Surf's Up, Cabinessence and Heroes and Villains alone.  But another time I might have chosen Pet Sounds.

Surf's Up!, with Pet Sounds a close second.

Love You is the only post-Sunflower album thats integral as far as Im concerned/ Holland with Sailor and California, Surfs Up with Til I Die... every album from Surfer Girl thru Wild Honey are essential for sure , not counting the xmas album, concert and party,,,

Love You, MIU, SIP, S&S, and 15 BO

In order by yr: primary:: surfer girl, all summer long, today, summer days, pet sounds, smiley smile, wild honey, and sunflower/ secondary:: surfin usa, lil deuce coupe, shut down vol2, 20/20, surfs, up and holland; love you is bw solo with the bb name.

I've posted an updated list on ratemymusic.com .

https://rateyourmusic.com/list/bgw8/ranking_the_beach_boys_albums__my_favourites_/

You probably mean every 80's mainstream song, and even that would be a false generalization.

my top 5 is: Pet Sounds followed by Smile Sessions then Today, Wild Honey and Holland.

Pet Sounds, Today and Sunflower as the big three, followed by Summer Days, Wild Honey, Holland and Love You. Somewhere in there is the Smile music.