When were the Beach Boys considered "cool"? When were they "uncool"?

[Smile4ever]

When were the Beach Boys considered by the general music-listening populace to be "cool"? When were they "uncool"? Some of this may vary based on how each generation perceives the band.

Here's my breakdown:

COOL: 1962-1966, 1971-1976, maybe a slight uptick of coolness every now and then afterwards, like the 2012 reunion.

UNCOOL: 1967-1970, 1980s-present, with a few exceptions.

[Cyncie]

I think, currently, The Beach Boys as a vintage/legacy recording group have a cool status. A lot of indie bands and artists are citing them as influences. When I went to the C50 concert in Cincinnati, the whole row behind me was a group of college aged hipster types who were definitely not there to groove to Kokomo. So, I think The Beach Boys, past tense, are cool. Brian Wilson is cool. The touring band, not so much.

[Lee Marshall]

1963.
1966.
1972-1973.
Brian since 2004.

Every other year?  Varying degrees of a little bit to not at all.

When they were toboganning in short sleeve shirts, shorts and sandals.

[SurferDownUnder]

1963.
1966.
1972-1973.
Brian since 2004.

Every other year?  Varying degrees of a little bit to not at all.

When they were toboganning in short sleeve shirts, shorts and sandals.

I wasn't around in 87' to have an opinion but what was the youth reaction to "Wipeout!" like?

[clack]

They hit the apex of their coolness early summer of 1964, with 'I Get Around'. Uncool? Early summer '65, when the Byrds began doing the TV rounds promoting 'Mr Tambourine Man'. Those striped shirts and fun in the sun lyrics didn't cut it against granny sunglasses and magic swirling ships.

'Pet Sounds' might have made the band cool in the UK, but in the US it merely kept them in the mix. Cooler than Herman's Hermits, less cool than Simon and Garfunkel.

[Lee Marshall]

1963.
1966.
1972-1973.
Brian since 2004.

Every other year?  Varying degrees of a little bit to not at all.

When they were toboganning in short sleeve shirts, shorts and sandals.

I wasn't around in 87' to have an opinion but what was the youth reaction to "Wipeout!" like?

I don't know.  I was way into my 30s...in fact closer to 40 by then.  Certainly years past doin' Top 30 radio by that point.  NEVER played it on the radio.  It charted.  There had to have been some notice paid to it...but not an awful lot.  But then whatever happened to The Fat Boys?  Not exactly mega stars as it turned out.

Maybe they should have done a Christmas song with the Singing Dogs?

Maybe now there are young people who think the Beach Boys stuff is cool.  Why not?  Much of it is.  Quality IS quality.

[SurferDownUnder]

1963.
1966.
1972-1973.
Brian since 2004.

Every other year?  Varying degrees of a little bit to not at all.

When they were toboganning in short sleeve shirts, shorts and sandals.

I wasn't around in 87' to have an opinion but what was the youth reaction to "Wipeout!" like?

I don't know.  I was way into my 30s...in fact closer to 40 by then.  Certainly years past doin' Top 30 radio by that point.  NEVER played it on the radio.  It charted.  There had to have been some notice paid to it...but not an awful lot.  But then whatever happened to The Fat Boys?  Not exactly mega stars as it turned out.

Fair enough, the album that song was on went to #8 in the US and the song itself went #12. Must have gotten some MTV playtime the kids woulda seen

[Lee Marshall]

Really?  Kind of the rap version on the annoying success scale of Barbara Ann.  [at least for many]  F'n music videos!!!  They just KILLED music.  Good looking 'talents' instead of talent period..  Then the talent part of it kind of dwindled.  Then TV kind of stopped playing that 'music for the eyes'.  And radio... ... ...just kept playin' it.  Music intended for TV!!!  Only ... on the radio!!!  Now ain't THAT some kinda dumb?

[SurferDownUnder]

Really?  Kind of the rap version on the annoying success scale of Barbara Ann.  [at least for many]  F'n music videos!!!  They just KILLED music.  Good looking 'talents' instead of talent period..  Then the talent part kind of it dwindled.  Then TV kind of stopped playing that 'music for the eyes'.  And radio... ... ...just kept playin' it.  Music intended for TV!!!  Only ... on the radio!!!  Now ain't THAT some kinda dumb?

Oh, totally agreed there though there have been some good work of art music videos e.g. Sledgehammer etc

[Lee Marshall]

True...but all in all...it kind of just devolved.  Now the 'music' part is SLOWLY started to build up, spread its wings and branch out SOME.  Maybe a couple more years and quality will become a norm again on top 30 radio...and subsequent other choices.  Hope so.

[SurferDownUnder]

Oh for sure, as a 20 year old myself, the dark days of modern music where definitely 2009-2013 and I mean DARKEST days, just absolute sh*te on the radio and in top 40. Definitely some more talent based rather then image artists coming through think Lorde, Sam Smith etc

[Lee Marshall]

For sure.  It's getting better.  Although I think the DARK DAYS were around from more like 1995 til 2013.  SOME radio people are now using thier EARS instead of their eyes to select music for their unique playlists [ie: reading bought and paid for 'charts']  It just got so stagnant.  And while THAT was going on...the music industry as we knew it just kind of shrivelled up and died.

[CenturyDeprived]

1963.
1966.
1972-1973.
Brian since 2004.

Every other year?  Varying degrees of a little bit to not at all.

When they were toboganning in short sleeve shirts, shorts and sandals.

I wasn't around in 87' to have an opinion but what was the youth reaction to "Wipeout!" like?

 But then whatever happened to The Fat Boys?  Not exactly mega stars as it turned out.

Hey... The Fat Boys were bona fide movie stars! Disorderlies, starring cinema legend Ralph "born in 1904" Bellamy, The Fat Boys, and in a precursor to their future alliance, Mike & Bruce (plus Brian awkwardly and conspicuously in only one of two of the Beach Boys' brief scenes at the end)! I wonder if Landy put the kabosh to Brian being in the second shot for some odd reason. It makes for an awful continuity problem! I actually love that film as a guilty pleasure.

[Lee Marshall]

No problem.  Enjoy.  As bad as it is...like Barbara Ann...it does have something which allows it to work...at least to a degree.  Even the LONG version of the Here Comes the Night disco thing has some good bits to it...although I 100% prefer the Wild Honey original version.

Glad they didn't do a whole album with the Fat Boys though.  That might have been TOO MUCH of a good thing.

[CenturyDeprived]

No problem.  Enjoy.  As bad as it is...like Barbara Ann...it does have something which allows it to work...at least to a degree.  Even the LONG version of the Here Comes the Night disco thing has some good bits to it...although I 100% prefer the Wild Honey original version.

Glad they didn't do a whole album with the Fat Boys though.  That might have been TOO MUCH of a good thing.

I do think we dodged a bomb with that album, though the poo shrapnel of what might have been wafted for a few years in Summer of Love and Smart Girls. Wonder if the joint album would have been called The Fat Beach Boys?  

[SurferDownUnder]

1963.
1966.
1972-1973.
Brian since 2004.

Every other year?  Varying degrees of a little bit to not at all.

When they were toboganning in short sleeve shirts, shorts and sandals.

I wasn't around in 87' to have an opinion but what was the youth reaction to "Wipeout!" like?

 But then whatever happened to The Fat Boys?  Not exactly mega stars as it turned out.

Hey... The Fat Boys were bona fide movie stars! Disorderlies, starring cinema legend Ralph "born in 1904" Bellamy, The Fat Boys, and in a precursor to their future alliance, Mike & Bruce (plus Brian awkwardly and conspicuously in only one of two of the Beach Boys' brief scenes at the end)! I wonder if Landy put the kabosh to Brian being in the second shot for some odd reason. It makes for an awful continuity problem! I actually love that film as a guilty pleasure.

A bit like when I watch Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park, always makes my sides split. Those guys had no right being on a movie screen I think they accidentally created one of the greatest comedies of all time....

[CenturyDeprived]

1963.
1966.
1972-1973.
Brian since 2004.

Every other year?  Varying degrees of a little bit to not at all.

When they were toboganning in short sleeve shirts, shorts and sandals.

I wasn't around in 87' to have an opinion but what was the youth reaction to "Wipeout!" like?

 But then whatever happened to The Fat Boys?  Not exactly mega stars as it turned out.

Hey... The Fat Boys were bona fide movie stars! Disorderlies, starring cinema legend Ralph "born in 1904" Bellamy, The Fat Boys, and in a precursor to their future alliance, Mike & Bruce (plus Brian awkwardly and conspicuously in only one of two of the Beach Boys' brief scenes at the end)! I wonder if Landy put the kabosh to Brian being in the second shot for some odd reason. It makes for an awful continuity problem! I actually love that film as a guilty pleasure.

A bit like when I watch Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park, always makes my sides split. Those guys had no right being on a movie screen I think they accidentally created one of the greatest comedies of all time....

We should have been so "lucky" for the BBs to star in their very own Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park-esque motion picture in the 1980s. I guess Full House was the next "best" thing!

[CenturyDeprived]

Speaking of, I wonder if Denny would ever have remotely participated in a single nugget of the extreme 80s/90s cheese that the band got involved with, coincidentally not long after his passing.

Even if he cleaned up, I would think that he'd have consistently pulled a bunch of Carl in the Fat Boys music video-style no-shows out of protest. I think no BB was sickened more than Denny by the direction the band was going in at the time.