Can this gereration love the Beach Boys?

[JohnMill]

The problem with the "Hanson Generation" which is the generation we are speaking of when we speak of the current generation of kids in their teens-early twenties is that unless their parents' musical tastes influenced them, they have no idea what music is prior to the year 2000.  Now there are obvious exceptions to that rule, the members on this forum in that demographic testify to that but there is a generation out there that grew up on industry processed music and that is all they have really been exposed to unless they choose to go deeper into listening to all different types of music and discover bands that weren't necessarily marketed to their generation.

The problem with the "Boomer Generation" which is the generation we are speaking of when we speak of the current generation of adults in their fifties-early sixties is that unless their parents' musical tastes influenced them, they have no idea what music is prior to the year 1960.  Now there are obvious exceptions to that rule, but there is a generation out there that grew up on industry processed music and that is all they have really been exposed to unless they choose to go deeper into listening to all different types of music and discover bands that weren't necessarily marketed to their generation.

Sorry but I wholeheartedly disagree with the points put forth in your posting.

In fact I think your points made by rewording my posting are almost without merit as I feel there are key differences in the two generations we are speaking of but horses for courses I suppose.

Of course all that being said being that to my knowledge anyhow there has never been a study as far as cross generational trends in terms of what music each generation preferred, that any statements by either you or I would be anecdotal at best and therefore prone to subjectivity.  

[Ziggy Stardust]

What does this "generation" means ? we're all bunch of different people, many kids just enjoys dumb radio music and some other just really goes into music and get to know more artistic stuff, and this is nothing new, it has being going on for decades now.

I listen to Tom Waits, Nirvana, The Who, Pixies, Neil Young, The Strokes, David Bowie, Radiohead, Miles Davis, Oasis, Buddy Holly..
well, just many stuff from different generations as long it's quality, and i enjoy the Beach Boys, so yeah, i'm pretty sure there's bunch of other kids like me out there who can love The Beach Boys.

[AndrewHickey]

Sorry but I wholeheartedly disagree with the points put forth in your posting.

In fact I think your points made by rewording my posting are almost without merit but horses for courses.

What percentage of the boomer generation would you say regularly listens to pre-rock popular music? One, two percent? Maybe as much as five percent? How many have even *heard* of, say, Kay Kyser And His Kollege Of Musical Knowledge (the biggest band of the early forties)?

In every generation there is a small number who go back and listen to older music, from the time of their parents, grandparents or whatever. That happened *slightly* more with my generation (I'm from the same generation as Wirestone -- I'm 33) than previous generations because we're a relatively small demographic group coming up after a huge demographic bubble, the boomers, who dominated the culture while we were growing up, but still very few of us went back any further than our parents' generation.

For the people now in their teens, the Beach Boys are the music of their grandparents' generation. Some will listen to them and enjoy them, but they'll be few and far between (just like when I was a kid listening to Tommy Dorsey and Glenn Miller records, no-one else in my school had a clue what I was talking about). There really is no difference between someone in their teens now saying "who is Paul McCartney?" and a teenager in the sixties saying "Who is WC Handy?"

[RubberSoul13]

Okay...my life story in a post time...

I'm 17, and listen to good music. I don't like to say I just listen to Classic Rock or anything, because that isn't true. There IS good music being created today, just not in the abundance it was. Obviously, I'm a Beatles Fan above all. I owe it all to them and Sir Paul, as his own being as well. I've seen him 5 times now, have traveled quite a bit to see him too. Same goes for Elton John, Billy Joel, Chicago etc...oh, and of couse, The Beach Boys!

A lot of people think it is something my parents have enflicted on me, but frankly, I have a better taste in music than they do. One word: Nickelback...

My grandmother helped fuel the fire that was my passion for this music, because she grew up with it, turned me onto vinyl (played Rubber Soul for me for the first time on her turntable), and goes to all these concerts and events with me. Being a musician, and leading several musical groups, all of this influence has done nothing but enhance my own musicianship, and song writing. I'm writing a card for Brian for when I meet him, because I know I can't possible sum up my gratitude simply by saying "Thank You". I even "work" at my church now as Director of Contemporary Worship Music, basically, I run the Praise Band, and choose the music for our Contemporary worship experience. But I wouldn't have that skill and instinct, if it hadn't been for all these guys.

So for me personally, this isn't just liking The Beach Boys. This is appreciating quality music from any time period, and enhancing my lifestyle with it.

....thanks.

[JohnMill]

Sorry but I wholeheartedly disagree with the points put forth in your posting.

In fact I think your points made by rewording my posting are almost without merit but horses for courses.

What percentage of the boomer generation would you say regularly listens to pre-rock popular music? One, two percent? Maybe as much as five percent? How many have even *heard* of, say, Kay Kyser And His Kollege Of Musical Knowledge (the biggest band of the early forties)?

In every generation there is a small number who go back and listen to older music, from the time of their parents, grandparents or whatever. That happened *slightly* more with my generation (I'm from the same generation as Wirestone -- I'm 33) than previous generations because we're a relatively small demographic group coming up after a huge demographic bubble, the boomers, who dominated the culture while we were growing up, but still very few of us went back any further than our parents' generation.

For the people now in their teens, the Beach Boys are the music of their grandparents' generation. Some will listen to them and enjoy them, but they'll be few and far between (just like when I was a kid listening to Tommy Dorsey and Glenn Miller records, no-one else in my school had a clue what I was talking about). There really is no difference between someone in their teens now saying "who is Paul McCartney?" and a teenager in the sixties saying "Who is WC Handy?"

I think there is.  For example my mother had a wealth of knowledge about artists of the "swing music" scene because of my grandfather who apparently played that type of music throughout the house on a daily basis.  On the other hand she was probably one of the biggest fans of rock and roll that I've ever known.  So as I said a few posts up the chain there is really no way of telling but I think what we'll call the "musical generation gap" was a little bit smaller in the sixties than it is now just because there was less of a disconnect between certain genres of music back then as there is now.  So that being said I stand by what I stated.

[Myk Luhv]

I'm 23 and I post on here so... you know. None of my friends or girlfriend like or even ever listen to The Beach Boys, though I think they realise -- especially my musician friends, even if they're primarily interested in sundry sorts of "electronic music" -- their creative influence and possibly cultural import as well. They're taken for granted, I suppose. Actually, I've had big success turning friends on to "Celebrate the News" recently. That song is genuinely underrated (I think even by fans!) and its paucity of availability on official releases that aren't deleted or rare is sad. It's such a fucking good song, the last minute or so when Brian comes in is incredible. Those drums...

[ontor pertawst]

There really is no difference between someone in their teens now saying "who is Paul McCartney?" and a teenager in the sixties saying "Who is WC Handy?"

There's quite a big difference. Handy was dead in the 60s, McCartney is a mainstream artist always popping up on tv shows and releasing stuff to massive coffee franchises. There's a lot more McCartney music being exposed to teens now than Handy in the 60s, I'd say. Your other points are bang on, tho!

[Austin]

Anyone who wants this generation to send the Beach Boys to #1 needs to recalibrate their expectations. But the idea that they can be embraced by a larger-than-fringe group of listeners is not unrealistic and, in my opinion, probably likely to happen.

For one, it's just much easier to discover older music today than it was 20 or 30 years ago. No doubt that the majority of Millenials are exposed to music from traditional outlets, but a sizable (and growing) subset is discovering music online, where the playing field is much more level to older artists and genres. Truly, it's never been easier to explore music beyond Billboard.

Going off of that: writing music, writing about music, and the distribution channels for both are all steadily democratizing. Look at Gotye's recent #1, or Jack White's chart-topping solo album: the distance between those records and their multi-generational influences is not far. In turn, I think we can expect small-but-decently-sized fandom from this generation for groups like the Beach Boys.

[Ziggy Stardust]

It's really not a great conversation, things has always been this way through all generations, nothing will ever change it.

But of course no matter what, Beach Boys won't be forgotten.

[SG7]

Been a fan around eight years now and I'm 23. Heard the greatest hits all my life, saw both BB movies, saw Brian's A&E biography, and even liked Imagination  but was just a bit young to be into it. What got me was hearing Pet Sounds when I was 15. Hard to believe it's been that long   It has been the trip of a lifetime for sure.

A lot of my friends (even some older) don't get it. My boyfriend hates them. When I first became a fan I felt really alone. When I found social media sites such as MySpace and Tumblr, there is a much younger fan base there. Yeah they may not be posting here, but they are out there. Plenty of young bands are influenced by Brian. I don't think the fandom is dying as it is evolving.

[drbeachboy]

Been a fan around eight years now and I'm 23. Heard the greatest hits all my life, saw both BB movies, saw Brian's A&E biography, and even liked Imagination  but was just a bit young to be into it. What got me was hearing Pet Sounds when I was 15. Hard to believe it's been that long  It has been the trip of a lifetime for sure.

A lot of my friends (even some older) don't get it. My boyfriend hates them. When I first became a fan I felt really alone. When I found social media sites such as MySpace and Tumblr, there is a much younger fan base there. Yeah they may not be posting here, but they are out there. Plenty of young bands are influenced by Brian. I don't think the fandom is dying as it is evolving.

Do you know if your college radio shows that you did had any impact on the population at your school? I've known you for most of your Beach Boys fan years, and you gave me great hope that young people today could be turned on to older rock and roll and especially, The Beach Boys.

[Al Jardine: Pick Up Artist]

I'm 14 and I'm constantly preaching to my friends to listen to Smile.

I'm losing friends.

[drbeachboy]

I'm 14 and I'm constantly preaching to my friends to listen to Smile.

I'm losing friends.

Don't preach. Throw hints and let them listen on their own terms. I tried what you did with my friends and never won any converts. Usually, getting them to attend a concert with me did the trick.

[SG7]

Been a fan around eight years now and I'm 23. Heard the greatest hits all my life, saw both BB movies, saw Brian's A&E biography, and even liked Imagination  but was just a bit young to be into it. What got me was hearing Pet Sounds when I was 15. Hard to believe it's been that long  It has been the trip of a lifetime for sure.

A lot of my friends (even some older) don't get it. My boyfriend hates them. When I first became a fan I felt really alone. When I found social media sites such as MySpace and Tumblr, there is a much younger fan base there. Yeah they may not be posting here, but they are out there. Plenty of young bands are influenced by Brian. I don't think the fandom is dying as it is evolving.

Do you know if your college radio shows that you did had any impact on the population at your school? I've known you for most of your Beach Boys fan years, and you gave me great hope that young people today could be turned on to older rock and roll and especially, The Beach Boys.

Hmm, who knows but I do know a LOT of people listened to those from somewhere. Heck I even saw later someone posted a big link of to a blog. Still proud of those shows. I enjoyed finding all those rare and obscure covers like Mikiko Noda, Louis Philippe, and random Bollywood versions of Help Me Rhonda. I'm glad anyone remembers them. Dude, we need another fan convention so I can hear how the BBs doing the live version of Heroes and Villains is the best

[drbeachboy]

Been a fan around eight years now and I'm 23. Heard the greatest hits all my life, saw both BB movies, saw Brian's A&E biography, and even liked Imagination  but was just a bit young to be into it. What got me was hearing Pet Sounds when I was 15. Hard to believe it's been that long  It has been the trip of a lifetime for sure.

A lot of my friends (even some older) don't get it. My boyfriend hates them. When I first became a fan I felt really alone. When I found social media sites such as MySpace and Tumblr, there is a much younger fan base there. Yeah they may not be posting here, but they are out there. Plenty of young bands are influenced by Brian. I don't think the fandom is dying as it is evolving.

Do you know if your college radio shows that you did had any impact on the population at your school? I've known you for most of your Beach Boys fan years, and you gave me great hope that young people today could be turned on to older rock and roll and especially, The Beach Boys.

Hmm, who knows but I do know a LOT of people listened to those from somewhere. Heck I even saw later someone posted a big link of to a blog. Still proud of those shows. I enjoyed finding all those rare and obscure covers like Mikiko Noda, Louis Philippe, and random Bollywood versions of Help Me Rhonda. I'm glad anyone remembers them. Dude, we need another fan convention so I can hear how the BBs doing the live version of Heroes and Villains is the best

You and Jason did some mighty fine radio shows and I listened to both of you quite often. Grinning about the H&V reference. You were listening!

[Kirk]

When I first became a fan I felt really alone. When I found social media sites such as MySpace and Tumblr, there is a much younger fan base there. Yeah they may not be posting here, but they are out there.

I really enjoy searching the BB/Bw hashtags and seeing just how many younger people respond. I read one the other day by a girl who was going to her first concert and said something like "I can't help myself---I'm such a fangirl..." I find the ability to express that excitement both reassuring and poignant, because when I first got into them in the late 70s as a junior high schooler I felt VERY isolated in my adoration. I remember getting laughed at for wearing T-shirts and (yes) having a pic in my locker with the "Sail On, Sailor" lyrics. I mean, in 8th grade in 1978-79 you needed Rush and Yes T-shirts to be cool. The BBFUN newsletter was a nice thing to have, but it wasn't interactive. On the plus side, I think experiencing the music so privately made me experience it more intensely. On the down side, it was a rude awakening to discover I am only the 99,999,999 introverted white guy to identify with Brian Wilson. But I love it that younger people have ways of connecting to a community that some of us middle-agers didn't in the olden days.

[Amazing Larry]

When I was 12 I became obsessed with The Boys, and people thought I was crazy. The good thing is I was able to convert some of those people into hardcore Beach Boys fans.

[Ron]

The trick to introducing them to your friends is to not apologize for them.  You have nothing to apologize for!  There's absolutely no reason people should feel ashamed because they like a song or whatever.  If the lyrics are 'corny' or silly, who cares?  It's only our perception of what others will think of us that keeps us from fully embracing stuff like that. 

Ultimately, as well, it makes no difference if your friends enjoy it or appreciate it or not.  It's their loss if they can't see what's so great about the beach Boys. 

[SBonilla]

I'm 14 and I'm constantly preaching to my friends to listen to Smile.

I'm losing friends.

Keep the Beach Boys to yourself. Be a tortured teenager. I'm not kidding.

[Zach95]

I've told this story a million times, and here it goes again:

Second grade.  Our school had a "sixties" night, it was sort of this dance where everyone dressed up like it was the sixties and they played sixties music and all that jazz.  Well, my mother dressed me up in a leather jacket, a white t-shirt, and jeans, and gelled my hair.  I guess she was making me look more like a greaser than a hippie, but whatever.  In any event, at the dance, there was a dance contest.  Whoever won got this super cool backpack.  Well, I remember the "DJ" yelling out, "And now, the Beach Boys! Surfin' USA!" I freakin' loved it, and I danced my butt off to the song.  I won the backpack.

That was the first time I remember hearing about the Beach Boys, a fantasy sixties group that loved surfing.  I loved the sound of Surfin' USA, I'll never forget that.  It was really the first pop music I remember hearing, in truth.

Fast forward. When I was around ten, eleven years old, my family and I went to New York for the Thanksgiving Day Parade.  Well, for whatever reason, the Beach Boys (I'm thinking probably just Mike and Bruce, I really have no recollection) were on one of the floats.  I knew my dad really liked them, and I held them in legendary regard in my own mind following my Surfin' USA dance experience.  I remember being very surprised any of them were alive, you have to remember, I had no real sense of age and time.  The "sixties" meant nothing to me, other than that was a real long time ago.  So I remember seeing them on the float and my dad going, "That's the Beach Boys!" He was so excited.

So we got home following the New York trip and I opened up an iPod shuffle my dad had lying around (he had won it somehow, I don't recall how).  And I went to my dad's music collection under our TV, looking for some stuff.  Well, I find this box set, right?  I had no idea, but it was the 30th Anniversary Box Set.  So I look at the back of the four CD's, and I spot Surfin' USA on one of them! So of course I pop that CD in my computer, upload most of the songs on the CD (I remember going through each one and only picking out the fast car and surf songs.  Girls and slow songs were of no interest to me at the time).  We were going on a Florida vacation soonish and so I decided I would be super cool and bring my awesome shuffle.  So I brought the shuffle down to Florida and listened to 409, Shut Down, Surfin' USA, Surfin' Safari, and all the early stuff endlessly.  I remember going home and trying to convince my brother to listen to Surfin' Safari, I thought it was so friggin' brilliant. 

Then, I sort of forget what happened.  There was this long lull where I really wasn't interested in music anymore, so I stopped listening to the Beach Boys.  A few years later, fifth or sixth grade, my best friend started obsessing over the Beatles.  Of course, I obsessed right along with him for a year or so, and then I decided to go back to my Beach Boys roots.  So I pulled out the box set again, brought the CD's over to his house, and showed him the box set.  Now, he was a little more knowledgeable in music, he knew about Pet Sounds at the time based on it influencing Pepper and all that, when I had no idea what the heck Pet Sounds was.  Anyway, he listened to that third CD, the one with the orange(?) on it, and immediately dug the Wild Honey stuff, of all things.  So then he started obsessing over the Beach Boys, and the more and more we listened the more and more we discovered.  I remember hearing Pet Sounds for the first time. It was just incredible, an incredible experience.  Time went on, we found out about Smile eventually, my friend found the Purple Chick boot and I remember him texting me saying, "I found the boot! I found the bootleg of Smile!"  You know, THE boot. Anyway, I remember hearing THAT for the first time as well and I was just blown away.  Even more so than Pet Sounds.  I became more obsessed, found this board, and now my friend and I discuss the Beach Boys all the time.  Our luck with other friends hasn't been so great.

So, that's my Beach Boy fandom story, in a nutshell.  I was exposed at a young age, I "converted" my friend, and the two of us sort of grew up with the Beatles and the Beach Boys.  I'm only 17, so it really is possible for this generation to love the Beach Boys.

[Zach95]

Sorry but I wholeheartedly disagree with the points put forth in your posting.

In fact I think your points made by rewording my posting are almost without merit but horses for courses.

What percentage of the boomer generation would you say regularly listens to pre-rock popular music? One, two percent? Maybe as much as five percent? How many have even *heard* of, say, Kay Kyser And His Kollege Of Musical Knowledge (the biggest band of the early forties)?

In every generation there is a small number who go back and listen to older music, from the time of their parents, grandparents or whatever. That happened *slightly* more with my generation (I'm from the same generation as Wirestone -- I'm 33) than previous generations because we're a relatively small demographic group coming up after a huge demographic bubble, the boomers, who dominated the culture while we were growing up, but still very few of us went back any further than our parents' generation.

For the people now in their teens, the Beach Boys are the music of their grandparents' generation. Some will listen to them and enjoy them, but they'll be few and far between (just like when I was a kid listening to Tommy Dorsey and Glenn Miller records, no-one else in my school had a clue what I was talking about). There really is no difference between someone in their teens now saying "who is Paul McCartney?" and a teenager in the sixties saying "Who is WC Handy?"

That's  not entirely true.  I'm in my teens, and Endless Summer influenced my friends' parents and my parents a great deal.  That's really what turned on so many their age to the Beach Boys.  In fact, until recently, one of my friends' mother thought the songs released on Endless Summer were the first time the Beach Boys released those songs.

[Ron]

Good story Zach.  The Beach Boys have a way of creeping up on you!  I'm twice your age, but have a similar story I've told 100 times, probably in this thread.  Google that sh*t. 

[Al Jardine: Pick Up Artist]

I'm 14, and I've always liked Rhonda, Surfin' USA, pretty much all the uptempo ones on Endless Summer/whatever found its way on to Christmas compilations.

Then, a little over a year ago, I listened to GV for the first time after reading about theremins.

It blew my mind.

Now, I own as many BB albums as I can afford, all the SOT releases, a couple random boots, the PSS, and TSS.

More than 50% of the +3000 songs in my iTunes library are BB songs (most of them being boots).

And I lurve 90 percent of it.

[shelter]

If this generation can love The Beatles, it can also love The Beach Boys.

[CarlTheVoice]

I am 27 and am the only one in my group of peers to consider the Beach Boys as a GREAT band. Most of the people I speak to think of 'Surfin USA' etc when I say I like them and I have to explain that actually some of their best stuff is largely unknown.

I grew up listening to the Beach Boys, from a very early age. My siblings and I would sing along in the car to every album my parents put on. I loved it then but didn't appreciate it like I do now. I didn't listen to them for years then got back into their music in my late teens. Since then the less famous stuff has become my preferred music and the Beach Boys are definitely my number one band. So my family are fans but I don't really know anyone else who likes them as much. I wish I could make them see what they are missing!

I just think that my generation had parents who grew up with the BBs or knew about them when they were young. With each generation there are going to be fewer fans passing their love on.