How big were the Beach Boys in their prime?

[Sammy]

being that i'm only 20, i've missed out on a whole lot of Beach Boy history. though many questions of experience do come to mind, one has been eating at me the most in the past few weeks.

how popular/big were the Beach Boys at the high point(s) of their career? is there any artist/band/celebrity today that seems to be a good example of how popular they were?

also, though this is still one of my first few posts, i am constantly reading the different threads and comments made by all of you. i really appreciate all that i've learned, thus far, from everyone on here! 

[Daniel S.]

Dominic Priore has a book called "Look! Listen! Vibrate! Smile!" and it compiles all of the media coverage of the making of Smile. It gives you an idea how big a group the Beach Boys were in 1966-1967. They were big. I mean just look all of the top ten records and singles they had from 1964 to 1966. And remember Good Vibrations is one of the biggest hit singles of ALL time.

[A Million Units In Jan!]

Dominic Priore has a book called "Look! Listen! Vibrate! Smile!" and it compiles all of the media coverage of the making of Smile. It gives you an idea how big a group the Beach Boys were in 1966-1967. They were big. I mean just look all of the top ten records and singles they had from 1964 to 1966. And remember Good Vibrations is one of the biggest hit singles of ALL time.

It may be big in terms of influence. I don't think it's one of the best selling of all time....

[Andrew G. Doe]

being that i'm only 20, i've missed out on a whole lot of Beach Boy history. though many questions of experience do come to mind, one has been eating at me the most in the past few weeks.

how popular/big were the Beach Boys at the high point(s) of their career? is there any artist/band/celebrity today that seems to be a good example of how popular they were?

Probably going to get stuff thrown at me for this, but I go along with Jon Stebbins' premise that by one definition, the band's height was 1963, if only because back then they had America to themselves. In purely terms of charts, consider:

Surfin' USA/Shut Down - 2/23
Surfer Girl/LDC - 7/15
Be True.../In My Room - 6/23
Little St. Nick/Lord's Prayer - 3/-

Surfin' USA - 2
Surfer Girl - 7
Little Deuce Coupe - 4

..and they had a constant presence in the LP & 45 charts throughout 1963 - every single week !

[Wirestone]

My mother still can't stand the BBs because she says that at one point in her youth (and it was probably '63, because she was 10-11 then, and likely just starting to tune in) you literally could not listen to the radio without the BBs coming on. They were that ubiquitous.

[Jon Stebbins]

Absolutely 1963 through 1964 they were the biggest American rock act, in terms of buzz, radio play, and combined LP and singles sales. During the second half of that window they were behind the Beatles in popularity in America, but still doing fantastic with Fun, Fun, Fun, I Get Around, the All Summer Long LP and the Concert LP which were all selling and charting in Beatle-like fashion. Come '65 they were still big, but they had major domestic competition, and were dropping down the list of the biggest bands because of the continued dominance of the Beatles, and the rise of the Stones, Byrds etc... Remember, in late '64 the BB's were paid double what the Stones were paid to play the TAMI show...by '65 those positions had reversed. So I'd say the peak was from Surfin' USA to Concert...Jan '63 to Dec. '64.

[Dunderhead]

Even after their early 60s record selling peak they still had several hugely successful tours, notably during the period between Sunflower and Surf's Up. I think after the Filmore East show with the Grateful Dead they had a huge surge in popularity. Even later in the 70s when the band was really stagnating they were still drawing huge crowds, Peter Carlin describes Mike as being a sex icon during this era even.

[juggler]

Even later in the 70s when the band was really stagnating they were still drawing huge crowds

Very true.  I think that an argument could be made that, in some ways, the BBs were as big in the '70s as they were in their "golden era" of chart success (i.e., 1963-67). As much as they had faded as a creative force, they were still HUGE in the popular imagination.  I was in elementary school in the '70s, and I can remember little kids (all born after '67) constantly singing "Barbara Ann" and "Surfin Safari" in the schoolyard.

[Fun Is In]

I agree about 63-64....then later.....

Was it 73 or 74 when Rolling Stone magazine named them "Band of the Year"?

RS also had the two part  Tom Nolan cover story associated with the pending or recent release of "Surf's Up".

[slothrop]

I agree about 63-64....then later.....

Was it 73 or 74 when Rolling Stone magazine named them "Band of the Year"?

RS also had the two part  Tom Nolan cover story associated with the pending or recent release of "Surf's Up".

74 is what I've heard. They didn't even have an album! But they were selling out shows like crazy and then Endless Summer really sent it overboard. But their first peak was probably 63-64 as everyone has said. Also, good to see another young BB fan on here!

[Alex]

Did the BBs really almost usurp the #1 rock and roll band spot from the Beatles in '66 in England?

[Mike's Beard]

Even after their early 60s record selling peak they still had several hugely successful tours, notably during the period between Sunflower and Surf's Up. I think after the Filmore East show with the Grateful Dead they had a huge surge in popularity. Even later in the 70s when the band was really stagnating they were still drawing huge crowds, Peter Carlin describes Mike as being a sex icon during this era even.

Please I just ate!!!!

In England for a very short period of time the Boy's WERE bigger than the Beatles sales wise I think. I am talking a month or two in '66. Believe it or not for a microsecond The Kinks were probably the biggest band in England in '66 too. Then alas Sgt Poohead came along and changed it all...

[Andrew G. Doe]

In the NME year end poll they edged The Beatles by about 100 votes - 5,373 to 5,272 - as Top World Group. (According to one of the more entertaining Bloo fantasists in the past, he alone was responsible for this as he spent his pocket money for weeks sending in multiple votes. As. If.)

[Fun Is In]

I agree about 63-64....then later.....

Was it 73 or 74 when Rolling Stone magazine named them "Band of the Year"?

RS also had the two part  Tom Nolan cover story associated with the pending or recent release of "Surf's Up".

74 is what I've heard. They didn't even have an album! But they were selling out shows like crazy and then Endless Summer really sent it overboard. But their first peak was probably 63-64 as everyone has said. Also, good to see another young BB fan on here!

I'd add to my previous post that in the late seventies it was jut about impossble to walk across my univeristy campus and NOT hear either "Endless Summer" or "The Beatles" coming from at least one dorm room....or "Framptom Comes Alive" for that matter (blech)

[Magic Transistor Radio]

How big were the BBs in 88-89 after Kokamo was released?

[oldsurferdude]

Even after their early 60s record selling peak they still had several hugely successful tours, notably during the period between Sunflower and Surf's Up. I think after the Filmore East show with the Grateful Dead they had a huge surge in popularity. Even later in the 70s when the band was really stagnating they were still drawing huge crowds, Peter Carlin describes Mike as being a sex icon during this era even.

Please I just ate!!!!

In England for a very short period of time the Boy's WERE bigger than the Beatles sales wise I think. I am talking a month or two in '66. Believe it or not for a microsecond The Kinks were probably the biggest band in England in '66 too. Then alas Sgt Poohead came along and changed it all...

[Dancing Bear]

In the NME year end poll they edged The Beatles by about 100 votes - 5,373 to 5,272 - as Top World Group. (According to one of the more entertaining Bloo fantasists in the past, he alone was responsible for this as he spent his pocket money for weeks sending in multiple votes. As. If.)

Let's remember that it was a timely combination of Good Vibrations being a huge hit in late '66 and the Beatles having taken the second half of that year to take a deserved rest. The only Beatles release for Christmas was the comp 'A Collection of Beatles Oldies', that only got to #7 in UK.

Of course, facts are facts and good for them if the Beatles decided to take a rest. They could have released, to keep things rolling, an unplugged album of the band performing old favourites from Hamburg and contemporary material in a party ambience. Maybe 'Maggie May' could have been a #1 hit. 

Now, if the Beach Boys had released another Good Vibrations in 1967, things could have been interesting in terms of competition. But it wasn't meant to be.

[WWDWD?]

How big were the Beach Boys in their prime?

Well we know Brian was around 300 pounds at one stage. Carl gott pretty big at different stages... not sure when his prime was though... and umm.... the jokes over. damn.
 

[Alex]

....or "Framptom Comes Alive" for that matter (blech)

A little OT here, but "Do You Feel Like I Feel" was recorded at a concert at my (now former) college.

[Andrew G. Doe]

Even after their early 60s record selling peak they still had several hugely successful tours, notably during the period between Sunflower and Surf's Up. I think after the Filmore East show with the Grateful Dead they had a huge surge in popularity. Even later in the 70s when the band was really stagnating they were still drawing huge crowds, Peter Carlin describes Mike as being a sex icon during this era even.

Please I just ate!!!!

Post of the millennium !

[Mike's Beard]

Glad you guys dug it!! 

[kirt]

When I was in high school ,79-81,  I could have swore I was the only Beach Boys fan alive. Kids said they were gay,sucked etc...   My sister got me tickets for a concert in nearby Fort Wayne Indiana and out of the thousands of fans there and no general admission, you sat in your numbered seat according to your ticket ,who should I sit by?
a couple of classmates ...ha.   I saw a couple kids wearing concert t-shirts to school the following week ,AND saw a classmate in "Musicland" buying a short stack BBs   LPs. 

I can remember the first day of  in 9th grade , the teacher asked us to write a few things about ourselves ,favorite food, band etc... We didn't have to write our names on the paper.  She's reading some of the things out loud to the class, when with a look of shock says "THE BEACH BOYS!" . She looked around the class kinda like ,where's the weirdo.  I guess what I'm saying is in Indiana late 70's they weren't very popular with school kids.

Not at school anyway. At home they were all cranking "I get Around".

[the captain]

Kids said they were gay

Now those kids weren't familiar with the exploits of Dennis and Mike, in particular.

[Steve Mayo]

When I was in high school ,79-81,  I could have swore I was the only Beach Boys fan alive. Kids said they were gay,sucked etc...   My sister got me tickets for a concert in nearby Fort Wayne Indiana and out of the thousands of fans there and no general admission, you sat in your numbered seat according to your ticket ,who should I sit by?
a couple of classmates ...ha.   I saw a couple kids wearing concert t-shirts to school the following week ,AND saw a classmate in "Musicland" buying a short stack BBs   LPs. 

I can remember the first day of  in 9th grade , the teacher asked us to write a few things about ourselves ,favorite food, band etc... We didn't have to write our names on the paper.  She's reading some of the things out loud to the class, when with a look of shock says "THE BEACH BOYS!" . She looked around the class kinda like ,where's the weirdo.  I guess what I'm saying is in Indiana late 70's they weren't very popular with school kids.

Not at school anyway. At home they were all cranking "I get Around".

in 1970 and 1971, late at night, on am radio i could pick up wowo radio from there. they played the heck out of beach boys material back then. also could pick up wls and wcfl from chicago and they would do the same. especially songs from surf's up lp when it was released. loved those late night adventures.... 
lived in ashland, ky at that time.

[Andrew G. Doe]

 My sister got me tickets for a concert in nearby Fort Wayne Indiana

That would be either 2/22/80 or 10/13/81. I knew you wanted to know.