The Smiley Smile Message Board

I was wondering, would it be possible for this message board to push a Beach Boys song to number one?

I think in honor of all the great things this year BB related, I think we should try to get a song high in the charts (at least iTunes or something). I know most of us own multiple copies of each song but I wouldn't mind throwing down a few bucks in order to honor Paul Dano, Brian and the gang.

So what's the best way to get this accomplished? Listen to a particular song on repeat on Spotify or what?

Also, let's nominate a song!  I nominate "You Still Believe in Me."  It was nicely showcased in Love & Mercy and I think the Christmas-y sound and relatable lyrics for the holiday blues could win over new listeners.

We should really do something off No Pier Pressure.  Send it all the way to number 1 to silence all the stupid swag haters.

I've always wanted to do this, but it would take a big effort.  I think if we could choose one song and have the album the particular song is on, on repeat on Spotify or something similar, we might be able to make a dent in the album top 200.  If we're lucky the alternative top 40 with the song we would choose.

Maybe if Lady Ga Ga's name was on the product. It would have a chance. :)

And if it was still five years ago

A little research into the genre of 'fan-forums organising themselves to try and create a hit single' reveals it to be an even more futile waste of time than suggesting Robert Maxwell runs for Miss World 2016

Let's try making a NPP song a number one! WE CAN DO IT!!!   8)

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OK... let's look at the practicality of this.
It's simply impossible in the US, because airplay makes up about 40% of what's counted for the US charts, and if the Beach Boys were getting that much airplay they'd be charting *anyway*. So let's look at the UK charts.
Last year's Christmas number one got 214,000 sales in a week to get to number one. Christmas number ones sell unusually well, but no longer sell *spectacularly* well, and we're in December, so that's a reasonable number to look at -- if we got to that many sales, we know we've done it.
One hundred streams count as one sale for chart purposes. So this "all listen to it on Spotify" thing would require 21,400,000 listens in a week.
Assume all 3279 accounts that have ever registered here all took part -- a ludicrous assumption, since many are throwaway troll accounts, people who've died, people who've stopped visiting the board and wouldn't know about this -- that would be 6526.4 listens each, in a week.
Assume everyone has a Spotify Premium account, so no limits on their listening, and no interruptions from commercials. Further assume that everyone's Spotify Premium account is registered with a UK card, and that anyone listening outside the UK is doing so through a VPN. Assume we choose the shortest Beach Boys song ever -- Meant For You, at forty seconds. That would be 1.5 listens each in a minute. Assume everyone listened constantly for the sixteen hours a day they were awake -- that they took the time off work, didn't have breaks for anything, and so on.
Then it would be *just about* possible to do it. It'd take 4.5 days of everyone who's ever been on the board listening to Meant For You on a loop through Spotify and a VPN, for every waking minute, but it could be done.
Try it with No Pier Pressure -- take the shortest track on that album, This Beautiful Day, at 84 seconds, and it would require more than nine days of sixteen hour days of listening by everyone on the board. Even if everyone committed to listening to it twenty-four hours a day, just that one track (and again, all listening through paid-for Spotify or similar, all foreigners listening through a VPN) and it'd take six days.
It's not going to happen.

Stop bringing reality into this!

Lady Ga Ga seems to be moving away from being a pop tart. 

The big name now seems to be Adele. 

You are calling them "pop tarts?"

Female pop stars who tart themselves up to compensate for lack of substance.

I'm not calling Adele a pop tart.  Her music is not my cup of tea, but she's got a very good voice.   

OK. I was going to have to fight over calling Adele a tart.

No, she's pretty much the opposite of a pop tart in that she has actual vocal talent and doesn't have to rely on style over substance. 

I think the fact that such a big deal is made over a woman who can actually sing just shows how sad the pop world is in 2015.   

True. Actual vocal talent is scarce these days, seems to me.

Ding Dang!

I'd love to get a Beach Boys song to number one again but I have to say I don't think I'd want any of Brian's current stuff. I often wonder if a song like Adele's Hello, sung by the Beach Boys would even get near the charts. I guess most of it is about your brand and your 'coolness'.

I reckon if the Beach Boys were to get near the top of the charts again we'd either need a remixed version of something or for a show/film to pick up one of the lesser known songs (Forever, Wild Honey just a couple of ideas) and for people to go 'I actually quite like that, who sang it?'

I don't think people care so much for the surfing songs nowadays, I certainly don't.

It would be lovely for Forever to somehow hit the popular consciousness (through a movie or something). I think of all the non-hits, it's the one that would be most valued by most people if it got to their ears. And it's sad they're missing that.

Yep, it's totally not in the public's view of the Beach Boys. And Dennis was rather cool, so that would help!

I know there's  a lot of hate for him on this board, but John Stamos did sing Forever on Full House at least twice in the early 90s.  Granted, the use of the original would've been better. 

That's true. I'd forgotten, having never seen Full House and not really having BBs on my radar at that time. Did they release it as a single with a video and marketing? If so, how did it do?

Yeah, I'd love to see the original version of Forever featured in a movie soundtrack.

Umm....no. In the scheme of things even in the Beach Boys world only a handful of fans even know about this board. Most people here are diehard, hardcore, super fans. Number one songs appeal to masses not select super fans.

Responding to myself  :/
I just watched/listened to the Stamos version. It's not heinous, but the lite metal ballad treatment doesn't do it any favors.

OK, you've convinced me it's possible. Let's get started!  ;D

I think it could be possible to get Little Saint Nick to #1 on the Holiday 100 chart.  Or at least top 10.  It's currently #41

When I was on the PCT I often had Pop Tarts for breakfast. Not the same though… wash your mind out.

As for getting a BBs track to number 1, the choice if something off NPP is a little over ambitious given that album is now several months old and off the radar for the general population.

It's need to be something currently out there, and perhaps with a proven track record in popularity --what about the new Party! album? Hey, what about Barbara Ann? Everyone loves that track, we'd have the world on our side!

There's a couple of Pop Tarts I wouldn't mind having for breakfast.   Especially cinnamon sugar.  :)

But, much like the breakfast pastry, over exposure to the pop tart of the musical variety is probably bad for your health. 

Back to the topic at hand, maybe we can get Brian to sing a song in a Geico ad.  It gave Europe a #1 song in some chart.  Maybe have him sing I Get Around while driving a car or something.  "When you're Brian Wilson, you get around.  It's what you do." 

This thread has inspired me to post "this is real music, not like Justin Bei Bar and Lady Ga Ga!" on every BB-related youtube video.  Got to fight the real fight.  If No Pier Pressure hasn't gone triple platinum and Joe Thomas isn't next in line for Dictator Of Earth by xmas day, then I'm calling shenanigans.

Honestly, I don't think Lady Ga Ga's music is that bad.  It's her nonsense away from the music (like the meat suit) that gives her the bad reputation imo.

I'm calling "PaulTMA".  You were better on the radio.

Agreed! ;)

I agree with this. I don't think she has a great voice, but her sound can be creative and interesting.

I'm with you both here. It's not to my taste, and she does some outrageous stuff, but I think she's a creative gal, a conscious parody a lot of the time, and having a lot of fun the rest!

Looks like Darlin' is our best shot right now to break into the hot 100, even if it's a very small chance.

Yes Brian's people should push this song during this opportunity ..They had a chance with Love and Mercy during the Walking Dead episode but  the female version was featured more to the masses instead of Brian's version, the same with the movie they could have used that time to reissue it as a single and push it to support the movie since the movie has the same name..I think they should promote Darlin' with a brand new music video..

Yeah, it's currently #141 on Amazon and #181 on iTunes.  Probably being streamed a lot as well.