The Forth Bridge, designed by Sir Benjamin Baker and Sir John Fowler, opened in 1890, and now owned by Network Rail, is designated as a Category A listed building by Historic Scotland.

A listed building in the United Kingdom is a building that has been placed on the Statutory List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest. It is a widely used status, applied to around half a million buildings.

A listed building may not be demolished, extended or altered without special permission from the local planning authority (which typically consults the relevant central government agency, particularly for significant alterations to the more notable listed buildings). Exemption from secular listed building control is provided for some buildings in current use for worship but only in cases where the relevant religious organisation operates its own equivalent permissions procedure. Owners of listed buildings are, in some circumstances, compelled to repair and maintain them and can face criminal prosecution if they fail to do so or if they perform unauthorised alterations.

The listing procedure allows for buildings to be removed from the list if the listing is shown to be in error.^[1]

Although most structures appearing on the lists are buildings, other structures such as bridges, monuments, sculptures, war memorials, and even milestones and mileposts and the Beatles' Abbey Road pedestrian crossing^[2] are also listed. Ancient, military and uninhabited structures (such as Stonehenge) are sometimes instead classified as Scheduled Ancient Monuments and protected by much older legislation whilst cultural landscapes such as parks and gardens are currently "listed" on a non-statutory basis. Slightly different systems operate in each area of the United Kingdom, though the basic principles of listing are the same.

Background[link]

Although a limited number of 'ancient monuments' were given protection under the Ancient Monuments Protection Act 1882,^[3] there was reluctance to restrict the owners of occupied buildings in what they could do to their property. It was the damage to buildings caused by German bombing during World War II that prompted the first listing of buildings that were deemed to be of particular architectural merit.^[4] 300 members of the Royal Institute of British Architects and the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings were dispatched to prepare the list under the supervision of the Inspectorate of Ancient Monuments, with funding from the Treasury.^[5] The listings were used as a means of determining whether a particular building should be rebuilt if it was damaged by bombing,^[4] with varying degrees of success.^[5]

The basis of the current more comprehensive listing process was developed from the wartime system and was enacted by a provision in the Town and Country Planning Act 1947 covering England and Wales, and the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1947 covering Scotland. Listing was first introduced into Northern Ireland under the Planning (Northern Ireland) Order 1972. The listing process has since developed slightly differently in each part of the UK.

Heritage protection[link]

In the UK, the process of protecting the built historic environment (i.e. getting a heritage asset legally protected) is called ‘designation’. To complicate things, several different terms are used because the processes use separate legislation: buildings are ‘listed’; ancient monuments are ‘scheduled’, wrecks are ‘protected’, and battlefields, gardens and parks are ‘registered’. A heritage asset is a part of the historic environment that is valued because of its historic, archaeological, architectural or artistic interest.^[6] Only some of these are judged to be important enough to have extra legal protection through designation. However, buildings that are not formally listed, but still judged as being of heritage interest are still regarded as being a material consideration in the planning process.^[7]

As a very rough guide, listed buildings generally have substantial remains that are visible above the ground whereas ancient monuments are (mostly) below the ground and/or unoccupied.^[8]

What can be listed[link]

Almost anything can be listed – it does not have to be a building. Buildings and structures of special historic interest come in a wide variety of forms and types, ranging from telephone boxes and road signs, to castles. English Heritage has created twenty broad categories of structures, and published selection guides for each one to aid with assessing buildings and structures. These include historical overviews and describe the special considerations for listing each category.^[9][10] Neither Historic Scotland nor Cadw appear to have published comparable guidelines for particular categories (as of June 2011) although both organisations produce guidance for owners.

Procedure for listing or delisting[link]

In England, to have a building considered for listing or de-listing, the process is to submit an application form online to English Heritage. The applicant does not need to be the owner of the building in order to apply for it to be listed.^[10] Full information including application form guidance notes are on the English Heritage website. English Heritage assesses buildings put forward for listing or de-listing and provides advice to the Secretary of State on the architectural and historic interest. The Secretary of State, who may seek additional advice from others, then decides whether or not to list or de-list the building.

In Wales, applications are made using a form obtained from the relevant local authority.^[11] There is no provision for consent to be granted in outline. When a local authority is disposed to grant listed building consent, it must first notify the National Assembly (i.e. Cadw) of the application. If the planning authority decides to refuse consent, it may do so without any reference to Cadw.

In Scotland, applications are made using a form obtained from Historic Scotland. After consultation with the local planning authority, the owner, where possible, and an independent third party, Historic Scotland will then make a recommendation on behalf of the Scottish Ministers.^[12]

England and Wales[link]

The legislation relevant to listing[link]

In England and Wales the authority for listing is granted to the Secretary of State by the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990. Listed buildings in danger of decay are listed on the English Heritage 'Heritage at Risk' Register.

In 1980 there was public outcry at the sudden destruction of the art deco Firestone Factory (Wallis, Gilbert and Partners, 1928–29), which was demolished over the August bank holiday weekend by its owners Trafalgar House who had been told that it was likely to be 'spot-listed' a few days later,^[13] and the Government undertook to review arrangements for listing buildings.^[14] After the Firestone demolition, the Secretary of State for the Environment Michael Heseltine also initiated a complete re-survey of buildings to ensure there was nothing which merited preservation and had been missed off the lists.^[15]

In England, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) works with English Heritage (an agency of the DCMS), and other government departments, e.g. Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) and the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) to deliver the government policy on the protection to historic buildings and other heritage assets. The decision about whether or not to list a building is made by the Secretary of State, although the process is administered in England by English Heritage.^[16] In Wales (where it is a devolved issue) it is administered by Cadw on behalf of the National Assembly for Wales^[17] and in Scotland it is administered by Historic Scotland on behalf of the Scottish Ministers.^[18]

Heritage protection reform legislation in England[link]

There have been several attempts to simplify the heritage planning process for listed buildings in England, which has still (at the time of writing in May 2011) to reach a conclusion.^[19]

The review process was started in 2000 by Alan Howarth, then minister at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). The outcome was the paper ‘The Power of Place’ in 2000^[20] followed by the subsequent policy document ‘The Historic Environment: A Force for Our Future’ published by the DCMS and the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions (DTLR) in December 2001.^[21] The launch of the Government’s Heritage Protection Reform (HPR) report in July 2003 by the DCMS entitled: ‘Protecting our historic environment: Making the system work better,’^[22] asked questions about how the current designation systems could be improved. The HPR decision report ‘Review of Heritage Protection: The Way Forward’ green paper published in June 2004 by the DCMS committed the UK government and English Heritage to a process of reform including a review of the criteria used for listing buildings.

The Government also began a process of consultation on changes to Planning Policy Guidance 15 (PPG 15) relating to the principles of selection for listing buildings in England. After several years of consultation with heritage groups, charities, planning authorities and English Heritage, this eventually resulted in the publication of Planning Publication Statement 5 ‘Planning for the Historic Environment’ in March 2010 by the DCLG. This replaced PPG15 and sets out the government’s national policies on the conservation of the historic environment for the England.^[7] PPS5 is supported by a Practice Guide, endorsed by the DCLG, the DCMS, and English Heritage^[7] which describes how to apply the policies stated in PPS5.

The government’s White Paper ‘Heritage Protection for the 21st Century’ published on 8 March 2007 offered a commitment to sharing the understanding of the historic environment and more openness in the process of designation.^[23]

In 2008, a draft Heritage Protection Bill^[24] was subject to pre-legislative scrutiny before its passage through UK Parliament. In the event, the legislation was abandoned despite strong cross-party support, to make room in the parliamentary legislative programme for measures to deal with the credit crunch.^[25] though it may be revived in future. The proposal was that the existing registers of buildings, parks and gardens, archaeology and battlefields, maritime wrecks, and World Heritage Sites be merged into a single online register which will "explain what is special and why". English Heritage would become directly responsible for identifying historic assets in England and there would be wider consultation with the public and asset owners, and new rights of appeal. There would have been streamlined systems for granting consent for work on historic assets.^{[26][dead link]}

Categories of listed building[link]

There are three types of listed status for buildings in England and Wales:^[27]

• Grade I: buildings of exceptional interest,
• Grade II*: particularly important buildings of more than special interest.
• Grade II: buildings that are of special interest, warranting every effort to preserve them.^[28]

There was formerly a non-statutory Grade III, which was abolished in 1970.^[29] Additionally, Grades A, B and C were used mainly for Anglican churches in use – these correspond approximately to Grades I, II* and II. These grades were used mainly before 1977, although a few buildings are still listed using these grades.

Listed buildings account for about 2% of English building stock.^[30] In March 2010, there were approximately 374,000 list entries^[16] of which 92% were Grade II, 5.5% were Grade II*, and 2.5% were Grade I.^[31] Places of worship play an important role in the UK’s architectural heritage. England alone has 14,500 listed places of worship (4,000 Grade I, 4,500 Grade II* and 6,000 Grade II). In fact, 45% of all Grade I listed buildings are places of worship.^[32]

There are estimated to be about 500,000 actual buildings listed, as listing entries can apply to more than one building.

Statutory Criteria for listing[link]

In order to be listed, a building must meet various criteria.^[33] The criteria for listing include architectural interest, historic interest and close historical associations with significant people or events. Buildings which are not individually noteworthy may still be listed if they form part of a group that is – for example, all the buildings in a square. This is called ‘group value’. Sometimes large areas comprising many buildings may not justify listing but are given the looser protection of designation as a conservation area.

The criteria include:

• Age and rarity: The older a building is, the more likely it is to be listed. All buildings erected before 1700 "which contain a significant proportion of their original fabric" will be listed. Most buildings built between 1700–1840 are listed. After 1840 more selection is exercised and “particularly careful selection” is applied after 1945. Buildings less than 30 years old are rarely listed unless they are of outstanding quality and under threat.
• Aesthetic merits: i.e. the appearance of a buildings. However, buildings that have little visual appeal may be listed on grounds of representing particular aspects of social or economic history.
• Selectivity: where a large number of buildings of a similar type survive, the policy is only to list those which are the most representative or significant examples.
• National interest: significant or distinctive regional buildings e.g. those that represent a nationally important but localised industry
• State of repair: this is not deemed to be a relevant consideration for listing. A building can be listed regardless of its state of repair.^[33]

Additionally:

• Any buildings or structures constructed before 1 July 1948 which fall within the curtilage of a listed building are treated as part of the listed building.^[34]
• The effect of a proposed development on the setting of a listed building is a material consideration in determining a planning application. Setting is defined as “the surroundings in which a heritage is experienced”.^[7]

Although the decision to list a building may be made on the basis of the architectural or historic interest of one small part of the building, the listing protection nevertheless applies to the whole building. Listing applies not just to the exterior fabric of the building itself, but also to the interior, fixtures, fittings, and objects within the curtilage of the building even if they are not fixed.^[35]

De-listing is possible but rare in practice. One example is the November 30, 2001 de-listing of North Corporation Primary School, Liverpool.

Emergency listing[link]

In an emergency, the local planning authority can serve a temporary listed “building preservation notice”, if a building is in danger of demolition or alteration in such a way that might affect its historic character.^[35] This remains in force for 6 months until the Secretary of State decides whether or not to formally list the building.

Certificates of immunity[link]

If planning permission is being sought or has been obtained in England, anyone can ask the Secretary of State to issue a Certificate of Immunity (CoI) in respect of a particular building. CoIs give certainty to developers proposing works that will affect buildings that may be eligible for listing. To apply for a Certificate of Immunity, it is necessary to submit an application form. Guidance notes are available on English Heritage website.

Altering a listed building[link]

In England and Wales, the management of listed buildings is the responsibility of local planning authorities and the Department for Communities and Local Government (i.e. not DCMS which originally listed the building). There is a general principle that listed buildings are put to ‘appropriate and viable use’ and recognise that this may involve the re-use and modification of the building.^[7] However, listed buildings cannot be modified without first obtaining Listed Building Consent through the relevant local planning authority^[36]

Carrying out unauthorised works to a listed building is a criminal offence and owners can be prosecuted. A planning authority can also insist that all work undertaken without consent be reversed at the owner’s expense.

Examples of Grade I listed buildings[link]

Buckingham Palace, the official London residence of the British monarch, listed Grade I.

See also Category:Grade I listed buildings for examples of such buildings across England and Wales

• Clifton Suspension Bridge, Bristol
• The Palace of Westminster, London
• Royal Albert Hall, London
• York Minster, York
• Blackpool Tower, Blackpool
• Leeds Town Hall, Leeds
• Albert Dock, Liverpool
• Curzon Street railway station, Birmingham
• Warwick Castle, Warwick (Warwickshire)
• Montacute House, South Somerset
• Dock Tower, Grimsby
• Royal Festival Hall, London (first Grade I-listed postwar building)
• Lilford Hall, Northamptonshire
• Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, North Wales
• Lloyd's building, City of London
• Birmingham Town Hall, Birmingham

Examples of Grade II* listed buildings[link]

The Bank Hall mansion house is a Grade II* listed building, due to the 17th century clock tower, which features an original oak cantilevered staircase.

The Johnny Haynes stand at Craven Cottage is a Grade II* listed building.

See also Category:Grade II* listed buildings for examples of such buildings across England and Wales

• Bank Hall, Bretherton
• Battersea Power Station, London
• Coliseum Theatre, London
• Middlesbrough Transporter Bridge, Middlesbrough
• Shibden Hall, Calderdale
• Manchester Town Hall extension, Manchester
• St John's Jerusalem, Kent
• Trellick Tower, London
• Birmingham Council House, Birmingham

Examples of Grade II listed buildings[link]

See also Category:Grade II listed buildings for examples of such buildings across England and Wales

• Alexandra Palace, London
• Broomhill Pool, Ipswich
• BT Tower, London
• Whitechapel Bell Foundry, London
• Birmingham Back to Backs, Birmingham

Mixed designations[link]

• In 2002, there were 80 seaside piers in England that were listed, variously at Grades I, II* and II.
• Golden Lane Estate, City of London, is an example of a site which includes buildings of different Grades, II and II*
• Cobham Park, Kent, is a Listed Landscape (Humphry Repton and older landscape) containing both Grade I structures (Cobham Hall and Darnley Mausoleum) and Grade II structures (ornamental dairy etc.) as well as a Scheduled Ancient Monument (a buried Roman villa).
• West Norwood Cemetery is the first-ever Gothic-designed cemetery and crematorium which contains 65 structures of Grade II or II*, mainly sepulchral monuments but also boundary structures and mausolea. Additionally it is listed Grade II* on the Register of Parks and Gardens.
• Derwent Valley Mills includes 838 listed buildings, made up of 16 Grade I, 42 Grade II*, and 780 Grade II. A further nine structures are Scheduled Ancient Monuments.

Locally listed buildings[link]

Many councils, for example, Birmingham City Council, maintain a list of locally listed buildings as separate to the statutory list (and in addition to it). There is no statutory protection of a building or object on the local list. Councils hope that owners will recognise the merits of their properties and keep them unaltered if at all possible.

These grades are used by Birmingham:

Grade A

This is of statutory list quality. To be the subject of notification to English Heritage and/or the serving of a Building Preservation Notice if imminently threatened.

Grade B

Important in the city wide architectural or local street scene context, warranting positive efforts to ensure retention.

Grade C

Of significance in the local historical/vernacular context, including industrial archaeological features, and worthy of retention.

Northern Ireland[link]

The Grade-A-listed Mussenden Temple, County Londonderry^[37]

Listing began later in Northern Ireland than in the rest of the UK: the first provision for listing was contained in the Planning (Northern Ireland) Order 1972; and the current legislative basis for listing is the Planning (Northern Ireland) Order 1991.^[38] Under Article 42 of the Order, the Department of the Environment of the Northern Ireland Executive is required to compile lists of buildings of "special architectural or historic interest". The responsibility for the listing process rests with the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA), an executive agency within the Department of the Environment.^[38]

Following the introduction of listing, an initial survey of Northern Ireland's building stock was begun in 1974.^[39] By the time of the completion of this First Survey in 1994, the listing process had developed considerably, and it was therefore decided to embark upon a Second Survey to update and cross-check the original information. As of April 2010^[update], the Second Survey had been completed for 147 of Northern Ireland's 547 council wards, and completion is anticipated by 2016.^[39] Information gathered during this survey, relating to both listed and unlisted buildings, is entered into the publicly accessible Northern Ireland Buildings Database.^[39] A range of listing criteria, which aim to define architectural and historic interest, have been developed by the NIEA, and are used to determine whether or not to list a building.^[38] Listed building consent must be obtained from local authorities prior to any alteration to a listed structure.^[40]

The scheme of listing is as follows:

• Grade A: "buildings of greatest importance to Northern Ireland including both outstanding architectural set-pieces and the least altered examples of each representative style, period and type."^[41]
• Grade B+: "buildings which might have merited grade A status but for detracting features such as an incomplete design, lower quality additions or alterations. Also included are buildings that because of exceptional features, interiors or environmental qualities are clearly above the general standard set by grade B buildings. A building may merit listing as grade B+ where its historic importance is greater than a similar building listed as grade B."^[41]
• Grade B: "buildings of local importance and good examples of a particular period or style. A degree of alteration or imperfection of design may be acceptable."^[41]

There are approximately 8,500 listed buildings in Northern Ireland, representing 2% of the total building stock.^[38] Of these, around 200 are listed at Grade A, 400 at Grade B+, and the remainder at Grade B.^[41] Since 1987, buildings within Grade B are separated into Grade B1, which is applied to buildings that qualify on a wider range of attributes, and Grade B2, which is applied to buildings with a narrower range of qualifying features.^[41]

Examples of Grade A listed buildings[link]

• Bangor Abbey, County Down^[42]
• Grand Opera House, Belfast^[43]

Examples of Grade B+ listed buildings[link]

• Dundarave House, County Antrim^[44]
• Necarne, County Fermanagh^[45]

Examples of Grade B1 listed buildings[link]

• Campbell College, Belfast^[46]
• Linen Hall Library, Belfast^[47]

Scotland[link]

The National Gallery of Scotland, Edinburgh, designed by William Henry Playfair, is a Category A listed building^[48]

In Scotland, listing was begun by a provision in the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1947, and the current legislative basis for listing is the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997.^[49] As with other matters regarding planning, conservation is a power devolved to the Scottish Parliament and the Scottish Government. The authority for listing rests with Historic Scotland, an executive agency of the Scottish Government, which inherited this role from the Scottish Development Department in 1991. Listed building consent must be obtained from local authorities prior to any alteration to a listed structure.^[49]

The scheme for classifying buildings is:

• Category A: "buildings of national or international importance, either architectural or historic, or fine little-altered examples of some particular period, style or building type."^[50]
• Category B: "buildings of regional or more than local importance, or major examples of some particular period, style or building type which may have been altered."^[50]
• Category C(S): "buildings of local importance, lesser examples of any period, style, or building type, as originally constructed or moderately altered; and simple traditional buildings which group well with others in categories A and B."^[50]

There are approximately 47,400 listed buildings in Scotland. Of these, around 8 percent (some 3,800) are Category A, and 51 percent (24,000) are Category B, with the rest listed at Category C(s).^[51]

The main stand of Ibrox Stadium, the home of Rangers F.C., is a Category B listed building^[52]

Examples of Category A listed buildings[link]

• Craigellachie Bridge, Moray^[53]
• Glasgow City Chambers, Glasgow^[54]
• Palace of Holyroodhouse, Edinburgh^[55]
• Ravelston Garden, Edinburgh^[56]

Examples of Category B listed buildings[link]

• Harbourmaster's House, Dysart, Fife^[57]
• National War Museum of Scotland, within Edinburgh Castle^[58]
• Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, Isle of Skye^[59]

Examples of Category C(S) listed buildings[link]

• St John's Cathedral, Oban, Argyll^[60]
• The Belmont Picturehouse, Aberdeen^[61]
• Craigend Castle, East Dunbartonshire^[62]

How to find a listed building[link]

Although the 2008 draft legislation was abandoned, English Heritage published a single list of all designated heritage assets within England in 2011.^[63] The National Heritage List for England is an online searchable database which includes 400,000 (most but not all) of England’s listed buildings, scheduled monuments, registered parks and gardens, protected historic wrecks and registered battlefields in one place. The legislative frameworks for each type of historic asset remains unchanged (2011).^[64]

In Scotland, the national dataset of listed buildings and other heritage assets can be searched online via Historic Scotland,^[65] or through the map database Pastmap.^[66]

To find a listed building in Wales, it is necessary to contact the appropriate local authority or Cadw. Also British Listed Buildings (website) ^[67] has sections on England, Wales and Scotland. It can be searched either by browsing for listed buildings by country, county and parish/locality, or by keyword search or via the online map. Not all buildings have photographs, as it is run on a volunteer basis.

The Northern Ireland Buildings Database contains details of all listed buildings in Northern Ireland.^[68]

A photographic library of English listed buildings was started in 1999 as a snap shot of buildings listed at the turn of the millennium. This is not an up-to-date record of all listed buildings in England - the listing status and descriptions are only correct as at February 2001.^[69] The photographs were taken between 1999 and 2008. It is maintained by the English Heritage archive at the Images of England project website. The National Heritage List for England contains the up-to-date list of listed buildings.^[64]

Listed buildings in danger of being lost through damage or decay in England started to be recorded by survey in 1991.^[70] This was extended in 1998 with the publication of English Heritage's 'Buildings at Risk Register' which surveyed Grade I and Grade II* buildings. In 2008 this survey was renamed ‘Heritage at Risk’ and extended to include all listed buildings, scheduled monuments, registered parks and gardens, registered battlefields, protected wreck sites and conservation areas.^[71] The register is complied by survey using information from local authorities, official and voluntary heritage groups and the general public. It is possible to search this list online.^[72]

In Scotland, a buildings at risk register was started in 1990 by the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland (RCAHMS)in response to similar concerns at the number of listed buildings that were vacant and in disrepair. RCAHMS maintain the register on behalf of Historic Scotland,^[73] and provides information on properties of architectural or historic merit throughout the country that are considered to be at risk.

In Wales, at risk registers of listed buildings are complied by local planning authorities and CADW produced a report in 2009.^[74] The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales's (RCAHMW) Emergency Buildings Recording team is responsible for surveying historic buildings threatened with destruction, substantial alteration, or serious decay.

Equivalent status outside the United Kingdom[link]

•  France - Monument historique ("historical monument")
•  Germany - Deutsche Stiftung Denkmalschutz ("German Foundation for Monument Protection") and National Heritage Sites (Kulturdenkmal ("cultural monument"))
•  Hong Kong - Historic Building, see List of Grade I historic buildings in Hong Kong, List of Grade II historic buildings in Hong Kong and List of Grade III historic buildings in Hong Kong
•  Netherlands - Rijksmonument ("national monument")
•  New Zealand - New Zealand Historic Places Trust
•  Sweden - Byggnadsminne ("monument", "memory building")
•  United States - National Register of Historic Places and National Historic Landmark

For other countries' equivalents see List of heritage registers.

See also[link]

• Cadw
• English Heritage
• Historic Scotland
• National Monuments Record (England)
• Conservation area
• Images of England
• Grade I listed buildings in England by county
• Grade II* listed buildings in England by county
• Grade II listed buildings in England by county
• Register of Historic Parks and Gardens of special historic interest in England
• Scheduled Ancient Monument
• Site of Special Scientific Interest
• Tree preservation order

References[link]

External links[link]

• English Heritage on listed buildings
• National Heritage List for England: map-based database of listed buildings, scheduled monuments etc in England
• PASTMAP Map-based database of listed buildings, scheduled monuments etc in Scotland
• Images of England:photographs of listed buildings
• Cadw, Wales

Look up grade in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Grade may refer to:

In education[link]

• Grade (education), a teacher's evaluation of a student's performance in class
• Grade level, the numbering of the year a student has reached in school
• Grade (music), a method of formally assessing the accomplishments of pupils learning musical instruments

In civil engineering[link]

• Grade (slope), the pitch of a slope such as a hill, road or railway
• Land grading, the preparation and levelling of land for construction, especially of roads and railways
• Grade separation, aligning a junction of two or more transport axes at different heights to facilitate traffic flow.

In mathematics[link]

• Graded poset, a partially ordered set equipped with a rank function, sometimes called a ranked poset
• Graded vector space, a vector space with an extra piece of structure
• Graded algebra, an algebra over a field (or ring) with an extra piece of structure

In measurement and quality control[link]

• Grad (angle), also called grade, a unit for the measurement of plane angles
• Ore grade, a measure that describes the concentration of a valuable natural material in the surrounding ore
• Grade (fasteners), the grade of nuts and bolts refers to the strength and material
• Cetane rating, a measure of diesel fuel's combustion quality
• Octane rating, also called gasoline grade, the measure of the autoignition resistance of gasoline (petrol) and other fuels used in spark-ignition internal combustion engines
• Grading (tumors), a measure of the aggressiveness of a tumor in medicine
• Grade (climbing), a climber's assessment of the difficulty and danger of climbing a hill
• Grade (bouldering), a climber's assessment of the difficulty and danger of climbing a route which are distinct from those used in regular climbing
• International Scale of River Difficulty, also called grade, a standardized scale used to rate the safety of a stretch of river, or a single rapid.
• Grade of service, the quality of voice service in telecommunications
• Coin grading, the process of determining the grade or condition of a coin, the key factor in its value
• Pattern grading, the scaling of a pattern to a different size in the clothing or footwear industry

In Medicine[link]

• Grading, a measure of the progress of tumors and other neoplasms

Employment or military ranks[link]

• Grade, an approximate equivalent of military rank in the Civil Air Patrol
• Grade, aims to explicitly recognize a certain professional level of a Consultant in the trade of Consultancy

People[link]

• Hans Grade (1879–1946), a German aviation pioneer
• Leslie Grade (1916–1979), a British theatrical agent
• Lew Grade (1906–1998), a British impresario
• Michael Grade (1943), a British television executive

Placenames[link]

• Grade, Cornwall, a village in the UK

Other uses[link]

• Grade (band), a punk rock band
• Evolutionary grade, a paraphyletic group of organisms
• Grade, a former parish in Cornwall, now part of Grade-Ruan
• Grade, an alternate vowel sound within a word in apophony
• Color grading, a color balancing process used in video post-production

See also[link]

• Gradient
• Rank (disambiguation)
• Rating (disambiguation)

This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.

The Beach Boys
The Beach Boys in 1964 From left to right: Dennis Wilson, Mike Love, Brian Wilson, Carl Wilson, Al Jardine
Background information
Origin	Hawthorne, California, United States
Genres	Rock, pop, surf rock, psychedelic rock
Years active	1961–present
Labels	Capitol, Brother, Reprise, Caribou, CBS
Associated acts	The Honeys
Website	thebeachboys.com
Members
Mike Love Brian Wilson Al Jardine David Marks Bruce Johnston
Past members
Dennis Wilson Carl Wilson Glen Campbell Ricky Fataar Blondie Chaplin

The Beach Boys are an American rock band, formed in 1961 in Hawthorne, California. The group was initially composed of brothers Brian, Dennis and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. They were managed early on by the Wilsons' father, Murry. The band's leader, composer, arranger and producer Brian Wilson was responsible for writing most of the band's early singles and albums. After signing with Capitol Records in mid-1962, Wilson wrote or co-wrote more than two dozen Top 40 hits including "Surfin' Safari", "Surfin' USA", "Surfer Girl", "Little Deuce Coupe", "Be True to Your School", "In My Room", "Fun, Fun, Fun", "I Get Around", "Dance Dance Dance", "Help Me Rhonda" and "California Girls". These songs and their accompanying albums were internationally popular, making The Beach Boys one of the biggest acts of their time.^[1] The band's early music gained popularity across the United States for its close vocal harmonies and lyrics reflecting a Southern California youth culture of surfing, cars, and romance. By the mid-1960s, Brian's growing creative ambition and songwriting ability would dominate the group's musical direction. The primarily Brian-composed Pet Sounds album and "Good Vibrations" single (both released in 1966) featured a complex, intricate and multi-layered sound.

However, Brian would soon lose control of the band because of problems with his mental health and substance abuse. This led to the cancellation of the anticipated follow up to Pet Sounds, Smile. Subsequently, although they released a number of highly artistic albums (in various musical styles, with different line-ups) in ensuing years, particularly in the years 1967–1973, the group never managed to reclaim its mid-1960s peak when The Beach Boys challenged The Beatles both in terms of commercial and critical appeal. Since the 1980s, there has been much legal wrangling among the group members over royalties, songwriting credits, and use of the band's name. Following the release of their studio album Stars and Stripes Vol. 1 in 1996, a number of versions of the band, each fronted by a surviving member of the original quintet (Dennis and Carl Wilson died in 1983 and 1998, respectively), continued to tour until the announcement in late 2011 of a full-scale reunion—including Brian—for 2012 along with the band's twenty-ninth studio album That's Why God Made the Radio which is set for release on June 5, 2012.

The Beach Boys have often been called "America's Band",^[2] and Allmusic has stated that "the band's unerring ability... made them America's first, best rock band."^[3] The group has had 36 US Top 40 hits (the most by an American rock band) and 56 Hot 100 hits, including four number-one singles.^[3] Rolling Stone magazine listed The Beach Boys at number 12 on their 2004 list of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time," the highest ranking for an American rock band.^[4] The group is also one of America's best-selling acts, having sold over 100 million albums worldwide since their debut in 1961.^{[citation needed]} Brian Wilson, Carl Wilson, Dennis Wilson, Mike Love, and Al Jardine were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988. Since the 1990s many of the group's later albums and singles have been re-evaluated by critics and fans with albums such as Sunflower, Surf's Up and the finally released Smile albums being seen as worthy successors to their earlier output. In particular, Brian Wilson has since become heralded as a musical genius along the lines of Lennon and McCartney.

History[link]

Formative years[link]

At age 16, Brian Wilson shared a bedroom with his brothers, Dennis and Carl, in their family home in Hawthorne. He watched his father, Murry Wilson, play piano and listened intently to the harmonies of vocal groups like The Four Freshmen. One night he taught his brothers a song called "Ivory Tower" and how to sing the background harmonies. "We practiced night after night, singing softly hoping we wouldn't wake our Dad."^[5] For his 16th birthday, Brian was given a reel-to-reel tape recorder. He learned how to overdub, using his vocals and those of Carl and their mother. He would play piano and later added Carl playing the Rickenbacker guitar he got as a Christmas present.^[6]

Soon Brian was avidly listening to Johnny Otis on his KFOX radio show, a favorite station of Carl's. Inspired by the simple structure and vocals of the rhythm and blues songs he heard, he changed his piano-playing style and started writing songs. His enthusiasm interfered with his music studies at school. He failed to complete a twelfth-grade piano sonata, but did submit an original composition, called "Surfin'".^[7]

Family gatherings brought the Wilsons in contact with cousin Mike Love. Brian taught Love's sister Maureen and a friend harmonies. Later, Brian, Mike Love and two friends performed at Hawthorne High School, drawing tremendous applause for their version of doo-wop group The Olympics' "Hully Gully".^[8] Brian also knew Al Jardine, a high school classmate, who had already played guitar in a folk group called The Islanders. One day, on the spur of the moment, they asked a couple of football players in the school training room to learn harmony parts, but it wasn't a success—the bass singer was flat.^[9]

Brian suggested to Jardine that they team up with his cousin and brother Carl. It was at these sessions, held in Brian's bedroom, that "the Beach Boys sound" began to form. Brian says: "Everyone contributed something. Carl kept us hip to the latest tunes, Al taught us his repertoire of folk songs, and Dennis, though he didn't [then] play anything, added a combustible spark just by his presence." Love encouraged Brian to write songs and gave the fledgling band its name: The Pendletones, derived from the Pendleton woolen shirts popular at the time. In their earliest performances, the band wore the heavy wool jacket-like shirts, which were favored by surfers in the South Bay. Although surfing motifs were very prominent in their early songs, Dennis was the only band-member who surfed.^[10] He suggested that his brothers compose some songs celebrating his hobby and the lifestyle which had developed around it in Southern California.^[11]

Jardine and a singer friend, Gary Winfrey, went to Brian's to see if he could help out with a version of a folk song they wanted to record—"Sloop John B". In Brian's absence, the two spoke with Murry, a music industry veteran of modest success. In September 1961, Murry arranged for The Pendletones to meet publishers Hite and Dorinda Morgan at Stereo Masters in Hollywood.^[12] The group performed a slower ballad, "Their Hearts Were Full of Spring", but failed to impress the Morgans. After an awkward pause, Dennis mentioned they had an original song, "Surfin'". Brian was taken aback—he had not finished writing the song—but Hite Morgan was interested and asked them to call back when the song was complete.^[11]

With help from Love, Brian finished the song and the group rented guitars, drums, amplifiers and microphones. They practiced for three days while the Wilsons' parents were on a short vacation. When they auditioned again a few days later, Hite Morgan declared: "That's a smash!"^[13] In October, The Pendletones recorded twelve takes of "Surfin'" in the Morgans' cramped offices. A small number of singles were pressed. When the boys eagerly unpacked the first box of singles, on the Candix Records label, they were shocked to see their band name changed to "Beach Boys". Murry Wilson, now intimately involved with the band's fortunes, called the Morgans. Apparently a young promotion worker, Russ Regan, made the change to more obviously tie the group in with other surf bands of the time. The limited budget meant the labels could not be reprinted.^[14]

Early career[link]

The Beach Boys performing on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1964.

	"I Get Around" noicon An excerpt from the Brian Wilson and Mike Love song "I Get Around", demonstrating Mike Love's lead vocals and Carl Wilson's surf-rock-styled guitar solo.
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Released November 1961, "Surfin'" was soon aired on KFWB and KDAY, two of Los Angeles' most influential radio stations. It was a hit on the West Coast, and peaked at number 75 on the national pop charts. Murry Wilson told the boys he did not like "Surfin'". However, according to Brian, "he smelled money to be made and jumped on the promotional bandwagon, calling every radio station..."^[15] By now the de-facto manager of The Beach Boys, Murry got the group's first paying gig on New Year's Eve, 1961, at the Ritchie Valens Memorial Dance in Long Beach, headlined by Ike & Tina Turner. Brian recalls how he wondered what they were doing there; "five clean-cut, unworldly white boys from a conservative white suburb, in an auditorium full of black kids". Brian describes the night as an "education"—he knew afterwards that success was all about "R&B, rock and roll, and money". The boys went home with $50 apiece.^[16]

In February 1962, Jardine left the band to continue his college studies.^[16] David Marks, a thirteen-year-old neighbour and friend of Carl and Dennis who had been playing electric guitar for years with Carl, replaced him. (Jardine, at Brian's request, rejoined the band in July 1963).^[17] In 1962, The Beach Boys began wearing blue/gray-striped button-down shirts tucked into white pants as their touring "uniforms", the band's signature look through to 1966.^[18]

Though Murry effectively seized managerial control of the band without consultation, Brian acknowledges that he "deserves credit for getting us off the ground... he hounded us mercilessly... [but] also worked hard himself". He was the first to stress the importance of having a follow-up hit.^[19] The band duly recorded four more originals, on June 13 at Western Studios, Los Angeles, including "Surfer Girl", "409" and "Surfin' Safari". The session ended on a bitter note, however: Murry Wilson unsuccessfully suggested and then demanded that The Beach Boys record some of his own songs, saying "My songs are better than yours."^[20]

On July 16, on the strength of the June demo session, The Beach Boys were signed to Capitol Records. By November, their first album was ready—Surfin' Safari.^[21] Their song output continued along the same commercial line, focusing on California youth lifestyle.^[10] The early Beach Boys’ hits helped raise both the profile of the state of California and of surfing. The group also celebrated the Golden State’s obsession with hot-rod racing ("Shut Down", "409" and "Little Deuce Coupe") and the pursuit of happiness by carefree teens ("Be True to Your School", "Fun, Fun, Fun" and "I Get Around").^[22]

Apart from Murry Wilson and the close vocal harmonies of Brian's favorite groups, early inspiration came from the driving rock-and-roll sound of Chuck Berry and Phil Spector's Wall of Sound production.^[23][24] Musically, two of their early songs were influenced by others: "Surfer Girl" shares its rhythmic melody with "When You Wish Upon a Star", while "Surfin' USA" is a variation of Berry's "Sweet Little Sixteen".^[25] A lawsuit officially granted Berry writing credit and royalties from the record.^[26] The Beach Boys' early hits made them major pop stars in the United States, the United Kingdom, and other countries, with sixteen hit singles in 1962–1965. However, with the British Invasion in 1964, some British groups, in particular The Beatles, eclipsed their success.

Brian Wilson's innovations and personal difficulties[link]

	"Help Me, Rhonda" noicon This single version of the song is a slightly quicker rocker which features Al Jardine on lead vocals and a guitar solo performed by Carl Wilson.
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By 1964, the stress of road travel, composing, producing and maintaining a high level of creativity became too much to bear for Brian Wilson. In December that year, while on a flight to Houston, Brian suffered an anxiety attack and left the tour. Shortly afterward, he announced his withdrawal from touring to concentrate entirely on songwriting and record production. This wasn't the first time Brian had stopped touring. In 1963, when Jardine returned, Brian left the road; but when Marks quit, Brian had to return in his place. For the rest of 1964 and into 1965, Glen Campbell served as Wilson's replacement in concert, until his own career success required him to leave the group.^[27] Bruce Johnston was asked to locate a replacement for Campbell; having failed to find one, Johnston himself subsequently became a full-time member of the band, first replacing Wilson on the road and later contributing his own talents in the studio beginning with the sessions for "California Girls".^[28]

Jan and Dean, close friends with the band and their opening act in 1963 and 1964, encouraged Brian to use session musicians in the studio. This, along with Brian's withdrawal from touring, permitted him to expand his role as a producer. Wilson also wrote "Surf City" for the Jan & Dean opening act. Their recording hit number one on the US charts in the summer of 1963, a development that pleased Brian but angered Murry, who felt his son had "given away" what should have been the Beach Boys' first chart-topper. A year later, The Beach Boys would notch their first number-one single with "I Get Around."

Soon, traces of Brian Wilson's increasing studio productivity and innovation were noticeable: "Drive-In", an album track from All Summer Long (1964) features bars of silence between two verses while "Denny's Drums", the last track on Shut Down, Vol. II (1964), is a two-minute drum solo.^[29] As Wilson's musical efforts became more ambitious, the group relied more on nimble session players, on tracks such as "I Get Around" and "When I Grow Up (To Be a Man)". "Help Me, Rhonda" became the band's second number-one single in the spring of 1965.

1965 led to greater experimentation behind the soundboard with Wilson. The album Today! featured guitar orientated songs such as "Dance, Dance, Dance", "Do You Wanna Dance?", "Don't Hurt My Little Sister" and "Good To My Baby", as well as volume experiments and increased lyrical maturity with "Please Let Me Wonder" and "She Knows Me Too Well".^[30][31] Side A of the album was devoted to upbeat tunes, with darker and melancholic ballads on the reverse side.^[32] This pattern was also evident on some of the band's singles; songs such as "Kiss Me, Baby" released on the B-side to "Help Me, Rhonda" and "Let Him Run Wild" on the B-side to "California Girls", each featured Brian Wilson on lead vocals, and foreshadowed the youthful angst that would later pervade Wilson's upcoming efforts.

In November 1965, the group followed up their number-three summer smash "California Girls" with another top 20 single, "The Little Girl I Once Knew". It is considered to be the band's most experimental statement thus far, using silence as a pre-chorus, clashing keyboards, moody brass, and vocal tics. Perhaps too extreme an arrangement to go much higher than its modest number 20 peak, it was only the band's second single not to reach the top 10 since their 1962 breakthrough. In December they would score an unexpected number two hit (number three in the UK) with the single "Barbara Ann", which Capitol released as a single without input from any of The Beach Boys. A cover of a 1961 song by The Regents, it became one of The Beach Boys' most recognized hits over the years.

The peak years and psychedelia[link]

During the mid sixties, The Beach Boys left surfing behind and began to write surreal, melodramatic and revolutionary songs. The group was exploring similar musical tastes to other contemporaneous acts, such as The Byrds and The Yardbirds.^[34][35] During their psychedelic period, The Beach Boys started to use unconventional instruments and elaborate layers of vocal harmonies on their groundbreaking record Pet Sounds.^[36][37] A heralding album in the emerging psychedelic rock style, Pet Sounds has been championed and emulated for its experimental and revolutionary baroque instrumentation.^[38][39] In the same year, they released "Good Vibrations", one of their greatest and most well known songs.^[40] The song made use of a Tannerin (an easier-to-manipulate version of a Theremin) which helped them claim a new hippie audience.^[41][42] However, as with Brian Jones and Syd Barrett, Brian Wilson's use of psychedelic drugs, especially LSD, led to a nervous breakdown.^[43] This resulted in the shelving of the intended follow up to Pet Sounds, Smile (the project would finally emerge in 2004 and 2011).^[44]

[edit] Pet Sounds

"God Only Knows" from Pet Sounds (1966) noicon God Only Knows broke new ground in many ways. It was one of the first commercial songs to use the word 'God' in its title. The song was also far more technically sophisticated than anything the Beach Boys, or arguably any group, had ever attempted before. "Wouldn't It Be Nice" from Pet Sounds (1966) noicon Wouldn't It Be Nice is one of the most well known songs in the group's canon. Unlike the majority of songs on Pet Sounds, "Wouldn't It Be Nice" is a whimsical track; but still manages to incorporate a mature and poignant sound.

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In December 1965, The Beatles released Rubber Soul, an album which enthralled Brian Wilson. Until then, each Beach Boys album (like most rock albums) contained a few "filler tracks" like cover songs or even stitched-together comedy bits. Wilson found Rubber Soul filled with all-original songs and, more importantly, all good ones, none of them filler. Inspired, he rushed to his wife and proclaimed, "Marilyn, I'm gonna make the greatest album! The greatest rock album ever made!"^[45]

The result was Pet Sounds (1966), where Wilson's growing mastery of studio recording and his increasingly sophisticated songs and complex arrangements would reach a creative peak. Influenced by psychedelic drugs, Brian Wilson turned his attention inward and probed his deep-seated self-doubts and emotional longings.^[38] The Beach Boys didn't look at the problems in the world around them, unlike other psychedelic rock groups.^[38] The album's meticulously layered harmonies and inventive instrumentation (performed by the cream of Los Angeles session musicians known as The Wrecking Crew) set a new standard for pop and rock music.^[46] It remains one of the most evocative releases of the decade, with distinctive strains of lushness, melancholy, and nostalgia for youth. The tracks "Wouldn't It Be Nice" and "God Only Knows" showcased Wilson's growing mastery as a composer, arranger, and producer,^[10] as did "Caroline, No", which was issued as a Brian Wilson solo single, the only time he was credited as a solo artist during the early Capitol years. The album also included two sophisticated instrumental tracks, the quiet and wistful "Let's Go Away for Awhile" and the brittle brassy surf of the title track, "Pet Sounds". Despite the critical praise it received, Pet Sounds was indifferently promoted by Capitol, and failed to become the major hit Wilson had hoped it would be.^[47] Its failure to gain wider recognition hurt him deeply.^[48] Although it only reached number 10 in the US, it was a much better seller in the UK.

Because of his withdrawal from touring, Wilson was able to complete almost all the backing tracks for the album while The Beach Boys were on tour in Japan. They returned to find a substantially complete album, requiring only their vocals to finish it off. There was some resistance from within the band to this new direction. Lead singer Mike Love is reported to have been strongly opposed to it, calling it "Brian's ego music", and warning the composer not to "fuck with the formula".^[49] Other group members also fretted that the band would lose its core audience if they changed their successful musical blueprint. Another likely factor in Love's antipathy to Pet Sounds was that Wilson worked extensively on it with outside lyricist Tony Asher rather than with Love himself, who had co-written the lyrics for, and sung lead on, many of their early hits.^[50]

[edit] Good Vibrations

Seeking to expand on the advances made on Pet Sounds, Wilson began an even more ambitious project, originally dubbed Dumb Angel; in due course the project would become known as Smile.^[52] Its first fruit was "Good Vibrations", which Brian described as a "pocket symphony".^[38] The song became the Beach Boys' biggest hit to date and a US and UK number-one single in 1966; many critics consider it to be one of the best rock singles of all time. It was one of the most complex pop productions ever undertaken, and was reputed to have been the most expensive American single ever recorded at that time. Costing a reported $16,000, more than most albums, sessions for the song stretched over several months in at least three major studios. According to Wilson, the electro-theremin work itself cost $15,000.^[53]

In contrast to his work on Pet Sounds, Wilson adopted a modular approach to "Good Vibrations": he broke the song into sections and taped multiple versions of each at different studios to take advantage of the different sound and ambience of each facility.^[54] He then assembled his favorite sections into a master backing track and added vocals. The song's innovative instrumentation included drums, Hammond organ, piano, tack piano, two basses, guitars, electro-theremin, harmonica, and cello. The group members recall the "Good Vibrations" vocal sessions as among the most demanding of their career.^[48]

[edit] Smile

While putting the finishing touches on Pet Sounds, and just beginning work on "Good Vibrations", Brian Wilson met musician and songwriter Van Dyke Parks.^[55] In mid-1966, Brian and Parks began an intense collaboration that resulted in a suite of challenging new songs for the Beach Boys' next album, which was eventually named Smile.^[56] Using the same techniques as on "Good Vibrations", recording began in August 1966 and carried on into early 1967. Although the structure of the album and the exact running order of the songs have been the subjects of endless speculation, it is known that Wilson and Parks intended Smile to be a continuous suite of songs that were linked both thematically and musically, with the main songs being linked together by small vocal pieces and instrumental segments that elaborated upon the musical themes of the major songs.

But some of the other Beach Boys found the new music too difficult and too far removed from their established style.^{[citation needed]} Another serious concern was that the new music was simply not feasible for live performance by the current Beach Boys lineup. Love was opposed to most of Parks' lyrics; he has also since stated that he was deeply concerned about Wilson's escalating drug intake.^{[citation needed]} The problems came to a head during the recording of "Cabin Essence", when Love asked that Parks explain the meaning of the closing refrain of the song, "Over and over the crow cries uncover the cornfield." After a heated debate, Parks walked out of the session, and shortly thereafter his partnership with Wilson came to an end.

Many factors combined to put intense pressure on Brian Wilson as Smile neared completion: his own mental instability, the pressure to create against fierce internal opposition to his new music, the relatively unenthusiastic public response to Pet Sounds, Carl Wilson's draft resistance, and a major dispute with Capitol Records. Further, Wilson's reliance on both prescription and illegal drugs, amphetamines in particular, only exacerbated his underlying mental health problems. In May 1967, Smile was shelved, and over the next thirty years, the legends surrounding Smile grew until it became the most famous unreleased album in the history of popular music.^[57]

	"Good Vibrations" noicon One of the Beach Boys' defining songs and their most well known psychedelic track. It was The Beach Boys' third U.S. number-one hit.
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However, some of the tracks were salvaged and re-recorded at Brian's new home studio, albeit in drastically scaled-down versions. These were released, along with the single version of "Good Vibrations" and a re-recorded "Heroes and Villains", on the 1967 LP Smiley Smile. The album proved to be a critical and commercial disaster for the group, peaking at only number 41 in the US.^[58] By this time The Beach Boys' management (Nick Grillo and David Anderle) had created the band's own record label, Brother. One of the first labels to be owned by a rock group, the purpose of Brother Records was for releases by Beach Boys side projects, and an invitation for new talent. The output of the label, however, was limited to Smiley Smile and two resulting singles from the album; the failure of "Gettin' Hungry" made the band shelve the Brother label until 1970. Compounding these setbacks, the group's public image took another hit following their withdrawal from the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival.

Despite the cancellation of Smile, interest in the work remained high and versions of several major tracks—including "Our Prayer", "Cabin Essence", "Cool, Cool Water", and "Surf's Up"—continued to trickle out. Many were assembled by Carl Wilson over the next few years and included on later albums. The band was still expecting to complete and release Smile as late as 1972, before it became clear that Brian had been the only one who could have made sense out of the endless fragments that were recorded. The full Smile project did not surface until the 2000s, when Wilson reunited with Parks to complete its writing. Subsequently, Wilson released the re-recorded Smile in 2004 as a solo album.^[44]

Mid-career changes[link]

The 1967 album Wild Honey, regarded by some as another classic, features songs written by Wilson and Love, including the hit "Darlin'" and a rendition of Stevie Wonder's "I Was Made to Love Her". The album fared better than its predecessor in the charts, reaching number 24 in the US. The following album Friends (1968) was partly influenced by the group's (especially Love's) adoption of the practice of Transcendental Meditation. The title song "Friends" was their least successful single since 1962, charting at number 47. This was followed by the hard rocking single "Do It Again", a return to the formula of their early years.^[59] Moderately successful in the US at number 20, the single went to top of the UK single charts in 1968 for one week. The album, however, bombed; Friends could only peak at number 126 in the US.

As Brian's mental and physical health deteriorated in the late 1960s and early 1970s, his song output diminished; he eventually became withdrawn and detached from the band. To fill his creative void, the other members began writing and producing songs. Carl Wilson gradually took over leadership of the band, developing into an accomplished producer. To complete their contract with Capitol, they produced one more album. 20/20 (1969) was one of the group's most diverse albums ranging from waltz-based songs like "Time to Get Alone" to its remake of The Ronettes' "I Can Hear Music" to hard rock songs such as "Do It Again", "Bluebirds Over the Mountain", and "All I Want to Do"; the nearest thing to heavy metal in the group's canon with its blazing and savage guitars.^[60][61] The diversity and heaviness of some of the songs on the album were a sign that the group were trying to establish their identity.^[62] Another flop, it still fared better than Friends, reaching number 68 on the Billboard charts.

In 1969, The Beach Boys reactivated their Brother Records label and signed with Reprise Records. With the new contract, the band appeared rejuvenated, releasing the album Sunflower to critical acclaim. Sunflower is recognized as a complete group effort, with all band members contributing significant material, such as "Add Some Music to Your Day", Brian's "This Whole World", Dennis's "Forever" and Bruce Johnston's "Tears in the Morning". However, the band experienced their worst chart performance ever, peaking at number 151, although the single "Cottonfields"—which appeared on European releases of Sunflower—hit the top five in the UK. Brian, who had shown signs of mental and physical recovery during this period, was devastated by the lack of success and once again slowly began to withdraw.

After Sunflower, the band hired Jack Rieley as their manager. Rieley chose a different direction for the group, emphasizing, among other things, political and social awareness. The result was Surf's Up, featuring Brian's Smile centerpiece, "Surf's Up". The song was virtually the same arrangement as Brian's 1966 version, with Carl adding vocals and overdubs. Carl's "Long Promised Road" and "Feel Flows" with lyrics by Rieley are also standouts on the record. The track "A Day In The Life Of A Tree" was sung by Rieley. Brian contributed one of his best songs,^{[citation needed]} "'Til I Die", which almost did not make the album sequencing. Johnston produced the classic "Disney Girls (1957)", a throwback to the easier, simpler times they remembered. Johnston ended his first stint with the band shortly after the record's release, reportedly because of friction with Rieley. The album was moderately successful, reaching the US top 30, a marked improvement over their recent releases. While the record charted, The Beach Boys added to their re-found fame by performing a near-sellout set at Carnegie Hall, and followed that with a famous appearance with the Grateful Dead at Fillmore East on April 27, 1971.

The addition of Ricky Fataar and Blondie Chaplin in February 1972, led to a dramatic departure in sound for the band. The album Carl and the Passions – "So Tough" was an uncharacteristic mix that included several songs drawn from Fataar and Chaplin's previous group, Flame, considered by many listeners nearly unrecognizable as Beach Boys songs. Although it has its supporters, the album is widely considered to be one of the group's most unfocused and inconsistent.^[63] It did not make an impact on the charts.

The Beach Boys came up with an ambitious plan for their next project. The band, their families, assorted associates, and technicians moved to the Netherlands for the summer of 1972, renting a farmhouse to convert into a makeshift studio. By the end of their sessions the band felt they had come up with one of their best efforts yet. Reprise, however, felt that the album was weak. After some wrangling, the band asked Brian to come up with commercial material. This resulted in the song "Sail On, Sailor", a collaboration between Brian Wilson and Van Dyke Parks, which became one of the most emblematic Beach Boys songs. Reprise approved and the resulting album Holland was released early in 1973, peaking at number 37 on the Billboard album chart. Brian's storytale Mount Vernon and Fairway (A Fairy Tale), narrated by Rieley, which was directly influenced by Randy Newman's Sail Away LP, was included as a "bonus" extended play (EP). Holland proved that the band could still produce contemporary songs with wide (if not mass) appeal.

Despite record-label indifference, the band's concert audience started to grow. The Beach Boys in Concert, a double album documenting the 1972 and 1973 US tours, was another top 30 hit and became the band's first gold record for Reprise. It was during this period that The Beach Boys became widely known as one of America's most popular live acts. Chaplin and Fataar orchestrated the concerts in order to obtain a high quality live performance act, and The Beach Boys could draw upon over a decade of high quality music with which to supplement their current material off Surf's Up, Carl and the Passions and Holland. It was this very well-orchestrated concert arrangement which would soon send them back into American public recognition.

[edit] Endless Summer

In the summer of 1974, Capitol, in consultation with Love, released a double album compilation of The Beach Boys' pre-Pet Sounds hits. Endless Summer, helped by a sunny, colorful graphic cover, caught the mood of the nation and surged to the top of the Billboard album charts, a first for the band. It was the group's first multi-million selling record since "Good Vibrations", and remained on the album chart for three years.^[64] The following year, Capitol released another compilation, Spirit of America, which also sold well. With these compilations, The Beach Boys became relevant again, propelling themselves from being the opening act for Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young to headliners selling out basketball arenas. Rolling Stone magazine named The Beach Boys the "Band of the Year" for 1974, solely for their juggernaut touring schedule and material written over a decade earlier.

Manager Jack Rieley, who remained in the Netherlands after Holland's release, was relieved of his managerial duties in late 1973. Blondie Chaplin also left the band in late 1973 after an argument with Steve Love, the band's business manager (and Mike's brother). Ricky Fataar stayed until fall 1974, when he was offered a chance to join a new group led by future Eagles member Joe Walsh. Chaplin's replacement, James William Guercio, started offering the group career advice that turned out to be so smart and sensible that eventually he became the band's new manager. Under Guercio, The Beach Boys staged a highly successful 1975 joint concert tour with Chicago, with each group performing some of the other's songs, including their previous year's collaboration on Chicago's hit "Wishing You Were Here". Beach Boys vocals were also heard on Elton John's 1974 hit "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me".

Nostalgia had settled into The Beach Boys' hype; the group had not officially released any albums of new material since 1973's Holland. While their concerts continuously sold out, the stage act slowly changed from contemporary presentation/oldies encores to an entire show composed of mostly pre-1967 music.

Brian Wilson's return[link]

15 Big Ones (1976) marked the return of Brian Wilson as a major force in the group in that it was the first album he produced since Pet Sounds. This album included several new songs composed by Brian, and several of his arrangements of favorite old songs by other artists, including "Rock and Roll Music" (which made number five), "Blueberry Hill", and "In the Still of the Night". Brian and Love's "It's OK" was yet another return to their earlier "summertime fun" style, and was a moderate hit. The album was publicized by an NBC TV special, telecast in August 1976, simply titled "The Beach Boys", which was produced by Saturday Night Live creator Lorne Michaels and featured appearances by SNL cast members John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd.

For the remainder of 1976 to early 1977, Brian Wilson spent his time making sporadic public appearances and producing the band's next LP Love You, a quirky collection of 14 songs mostly written by Brian alone, including more "fun" songs ("Honkin' Down the Highway"), a mature love song ("The Night Was So Young")—a mix ranging from infectious to touching to downright silly. Despite its flaws, Love You is one of the more popular offerings in The Beach Boys' later oeuvre. Many sources cited the album as a return to the group's roots.

After Love You, Brian's contributions began to decline over the next several albums until he again virtually withdrew from the group. The follow up album to Love You, known by its working title "Adult/Child" never materialised despite being mostly recorded. Some of the tracks from Adult/Child subsequently made it onto later Beach Boys albums. His appearances with the band in concert diminished. His performances became erratic, his recordings uninspired. Despite the much-publicized "Brian's Back" campaign in the late 1970s, most critics believed the group was past its prime, and that Brian Wilson would be the latest in a long line of celebrity drug casualties. The Beach Boys' last release on Reprise, M.I.U. Album (1978), was recorded at Maharishi International University in Iowa at the insistence of Love. Dennis and Carl made limited contributions to the project; the album was mostly produced by Jardine and Ron Altbach, with Brian appearing as "Executive Producer". Regardless, despite a handful of interesting tracks, M.I.U. was largely a contractual obligation to finish out their association with Reprise, who likewise did not promote the album. The record also proved to be a strongly dividing element in the group and split it between Mike Love and Al Jardine on one side desiring to focus on oldies material with Carl and Dennis on the other hand wishing to resume the progressive roots rock focus they had created with the albums Carl And The Passions and Holland in the early 1970s. This division resulted in Dennis effectively retiring from the group in order to focus on his second solo album and follow-up to Pacific Ocean Blue entitled Bambu. However alcohol abuse and collapsing marital problems overcame the Wilson brothers with Bambu being shelved and Carl appearing drunk at live concerts in their disastrous 1978 Australia tour. Meanwhile Brian again fell into deep mental illness and retired completely from recording and live performances with the group.

At the same time of the M.I.U. Album release, The Beach Boys signed with CBS Records. They received a substantial advance and reportedly agreed to a guaranteed minimum of one million dollars per album. However, CBS was not satisfied with preliminary reviews of their first product—L.A. (Light Album). The band realized at this point that Brian either could not or would not write and produce the required material. As a stop-gap measure, Bruce Johnston returned to the group as both a member and a producer. The Brian and Carl song "Good Timin'" became a US top 40 single. The album featured outstanding performances by both Dennis (cuts intended for his second solo effort Bambu) and Carl ("Full Sail"). The group also enjoyed moderate success (if not indifferently received) with a disco reworking of the song "Here Comes the Night", originally on the Wild Honey album.

In 1980, the band recorded and released Keepin' the Summer Alive. Again, Johnston was in the producer's role as well as performing on the album. Brian contributed some inspired production ideas occasionally as seen in the television special the band made for the album's release. Even though Dennis Wilson was credited (his drumming is heard on the group's cover version of Chuck Berry's "School Days"), this was the first Beach Boys album not to feature him (due to his ongoing personal problems). He was not in the Going Platinum television special and was asked not to participate in the recording. Carl Wilson had discovered a young talented drummer, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist by the name of Scott Mathews and though Mathews was signed to Capitol, Carl asked him to join the band. Mathews jumped at the chance to record with his long-time heroes but ultimately chose not to join the band because of his blossoming career as a producer and songwriter, and a dislike for touring.^{[citation needed]}

1980s–present[link]

The touring line-up of "The Beach Boys Band", plus guest original member David Marks, in 2008

From 1980 through 1982, The Beach Boys and The Grass Roots performed Independence Day concerts at the National Mall in Washington, D.C., attracting large crowds.^[65][66] However, in April 1983, James G. Watt, President Ronald Reagan's Secretary of the Interior, banned Independence Day concerts on the Mall by such groups. Watt said that "rock bands" that had performed on the Mall on Independence Day in 1981 and 1982 had encouraged drug use and alcoholism and had attracted "the wrong element", who would mug people and families attending any similar events in the future.^[66] During the ensuing uproar, The Beach Boys stated that the Soviet Union, which had invited them to perform in Leningrad in 1978, "obviously .... did not feel that the group attracted the wrong element".^[66] Vice President George H. W. Bush said of The Beach Boys, "They're my friends and I like their music".^[66] Watt apologized to the band after learning that President Reagan and First Lady Nancy Reagan were fans of The Beach Boys.^[67] White House staff presented Watt with a plaster foot with a hole in it, symbolizing his having shot himself in the foot with his decision.^[68] On July 4, 1983, The Beach Boys performed a free concert on the beach in Atlantic City, New Jersey, then, in 1984, The Beach Boys returned to Washington D.C. to give an Independence Day concert on the Mall to an audience of 750,000 people.^[69][70]

Meanwhile, Dennis Wilson's personal problems continued to escalate, and on December 28, 1983, he drowned while diving from a friend's boat, trying to recover items he had previously thrown overboard in fits of rage. Despite his death, The Beach Boys continued as a successful touring act. On July 4, 1985, the Beach Boys played to an afternoon crowd of one million in Philadelphia and the same evening they performed for over 750,000 people on the Mall in Washington (the day's historic achievement was recorded in the Guinness Book of World Records). They also appeared nine days later at the Live Aid concert. That year, they released the eponymous album The Beach Boys and enjoyed a resurgence of interest later in the 1980s, assisted by tributes such as David Lee Roth's hit version of "California Girls". In 1987, they played with the rap group The Fat Boys, performing the song "Wipe Out" and filming a video for it.

In 1988, they scored their first number-one hit single in 22 years with "Kokomo", which was written for the movie Cocktail, becoming their biggest-selling hit ever. It was written by John Phillips, Scott McKenzie, Mike Love, and Terry Melcher. Having been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame earlier in the year, the group became the second artist after Aretha Franklin to hit #1 in the U.S. after their induction. Riding on "Kokomo"'s steam, The Beach Boys quickly put out the album Still Cruisin', which went gold in the US and gave them their best chart showing since 1976. In 1990, the band, with the help of studio musicians, recorded the Melcher-produced title track of the comedy Problem Child. Actor John Stamos later appeared behind the drums in the "Problem Child" music video and later appeared singing lead vocals on "Forever" (written by Dennis Wilson) on their 1992 album Summer in Paradise. Ultimately, the album was the first album by the group to use Pro-Tools, was made without any input from Brian Wilson — as he will still in the process of recovery from mental illness — and was met with extremely poor critical response and commercial sales; thereafter, it would be their last album containing original material.

Members of the band appeared on television shows such as Full House, Home Improvement, and Baywatch in the late 1980s and 1990s, as well as touring regularly. In 1993 the band appeared in Michael Feeney Callan's film The Beach Boys Today, which included in-depth interviews with all members, except Brian Wilson. In the film Carl Wilson confided to Callan his belief that Brian would shortly record again with the band. In 1995, Brian Wilson appeared in the critically acclaimed documentary I Just Wasn't Made for These Times, which saw him performing for the first time with his now-adult daughters, Wendy and Carnie of the group Wilson Phillips. The documentary also included glowing tributes to his talents from a host of major music stars of the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s.

In February 1996, The Beach Boys guested with Status Quo on a re-recording of "Fun, Fun, Fun", which was a British Top 30 hit. In June, the group worked with comedian Jeff Foxworthy on the recording "Howdy From Maui", and released an album of their own material with country recording artists as guest stars, including Willie Nelson.

For the Summer Tour of 1997, Carl chose to travel and perform with the band, despite his medical burdens. After years of heavy smoking, Carl Wilson succumbed to lung and brain cancer on February 6, 1998 following a long battle with the disease. Mike Love and Bruce Johnston continued to tour as the Beach Boys; Brian Wilson and Al Jardine each developed new bands. David Marks has had a steady solo career. Each of their tours remain reliable draws, and Wilson and Jardine are both still legally members of the Beach Boys organization.

On June 13, 2006, the major surviving Beach Boys (Brian Wilson, Love, Jardine, Johnston and Marks) gathered for a celebration of the 40th anniversary of Pet Sounds and the double-platinum certification of their greatest hits compilation, Sounds of Summer: The Very Best of The Beach Boys, in a ceremony atop the Capitol Records building in Hollywood. Plaques were awarded for their efforts to all major members, with Brian Wilson accepting on behalf of his late brothers. On August 21, 2010 the Beach Boys opened for Bryan Adams at Empire Field in Vancouver, BC for the 100th year of the PNE.

In February 2011, The Beach Boys released "Don't Fight the Sea", a charity single to aid the victims of the 2011 Japan earthquake. The single, released on Al Jardine's 2011 album A Postcard From California featured Jardine, Brian Wilson, Mike Love, Bruce Johnston as well as old vocals recorded by the late Carl Wilson. The Beach Boys also celebrated their 50th anniversary as a group and released the long-awaited Smile album in the form of The Smile Sessions in November, after a 44-year wait, as a set of 2 CDs, a vinyl double album and a 5 CD boxset.

50th anniversary reunion[link]

In late 2010 reports began to circulate that the surviving members of the Beach Boys would reunite for a 50th Anniversary tour and album. Despite some uncertainty ^[71] and initial denials,^[72] on December 16, 2011, it was announced that Brian Wilson, Mike Love, Al Jardine, Bruce Johnston and David Marks would reunite for a new album and 50th anniversary tour in 2012 that would include a performance at the New Orleans Jazz Festival in April.^[73]

On February 12, 2012, the Beach Boys performed at the 2012 Grammy Awards, in what was billed as a "special performance" by organizers. It marked the group's first live performance to include Brian since 1996.^[74] This anniversary band lineup performed "Good Vibrations" with Adam Levine and Mark Foster, after Maroon 5 opened the set with "Surfer Girl" and Foster the People played "Wouldn't It Be Nice" during the ceremony. On February 16, 2012, dates for their tour were announced, which includes shows in the US, Canada, and Europe.

Wilson and Love discussed the upcoming album and tour in a interview on February 16, 2012. The duo said the album is halfway done with Wilson doing the writing and stating that all of the songs will flow into each other. The album will end with a Pet Sounds- and Smile-inspired suite. One track titled, "That's Why God Made the Radio" is filled with classic Beach Boys harmonies and one of their best songs ever, according to Wilson. Love stated the band has yet to rehearse for the upcoming tour saying they have a lot of songs to choose from and both Bruce Johnston and Al Jardine will perform the songs they sang lead on. With so many songs fans want to hear, Wilson and Love remain unsure how many new songs will make the setlists. When asked if the two were friends now after the lawsuits, Wilson responded "just a lawsuit", and Love stated it was all in the distant past.^[75]

Al Jardine stated in a interview on February 25, 2012, that Carl Wilson's voice will be featured on the new album. Jardine said he found a song Carl had sung on and recorded and it will be used on the new song, "Waves of Love". Jardine said he only wished there was a way to include Dennis Wilson as well. As for the upcoming tour, Jardine said that he hopes the group goes deep into their back catalog and performs songs that haven't been performed live in a long time, such as "Lonely Sea" and "Farmer's Daughter". Bruce Johnston said of the upcoming tour that the group will have to live up to their own legend. Johnston was responding to claims by some in the media that the group lip-synched their performance at the Grammy Awards, which the group strongly denies. Johnston said "I never hoped for [a reunion], because I never thought any of us wanted to do it. We have probably, you know, the presidential honeymoon of six months but then we have to show something to keep it going. We have to make sure we have a great flowing song list but also make sure we don't sound like a greatest-hits band. We have a lot to balance."^[76]

The Beach Boys appeared at the April 10, 2012, season opener for the Los Angeles Dodgers and performed "Surfer Girl" along with "The Star-Spangled Banner".

The group performed together and was interviewed in a special SiriusXM concert which was recorded on April 19, 2012, in Los Angeles and aired on May 26, 2012.^[77]

On May 1, 2012, Walmart scheduled an exclusive limited edition 50th Anniversary Collection 'ZinePak, to include a 72 page magazine with rare photos and new interviews with the group, as well as an 11-song CD including the group's recent re-recording of "Do It Again".^[78] The reunion album, That's Why God Made the Radio, is set for release on June 5, 2012. ^[79] The first single from the album, "That's Why God Made the Radio" made its national radio debut April 25, 2012, on ESPN's Mike and Mike in the Morning.^[80][81] and was released on iTunes and other digial platforms on April 26.^[82] Other album tracks will include "Shelter" and "The Private Life of Bill and Sue", midtempo songs written by Wilson. According to Bruce Johnston, all of the songs are originals, no cover songs, no guest musicians on the album. Each band member sings lead on at least one of the songs while Johnston contributed one song titled, "She Believes in Love Again", a song he wrote in 1985 (and was recorded by the band on that year's The Beach Boys); however he said he was unsure if the song would make the final cut since the label picks the album's tracks, not the band. Johnston compares the album to one of the band's least-successful albums but fan favorite, Sunflower while Al Jardine said the album is "very lush, very PetSound-ing".^[83][84]

PBS's Front Row Center will air a 90-minute special on June 7, 2012, entitled The Beach Boys: Summer's Gone.^[85]

While there are no plans to do so, Brian Wilson has claimed that he would like to make another Beach Boys album following the tour. "This time I would like to do some rock n' roll," Wilson says. "I would like it to be a bit harder and faster" Wilson further stated.^[86]

Court battles[link]

Many legal difficulties developed from Brian Wilson's psychological problems. In the early 1980s, the band hired controversial therapist Eugene Landy in an attempt to help Wilson. Landy did achieve some significant improvements in Wilson's overall condition; from his own admissions about his massive drug intake, it was highly likely that Wilson would have died if Landy had not intervened. Landy successfully treated Wilson's drug dependence, and by 1988 Wilson had recovered sufficiently to record his first solo album, Brian Wilson. But Landy became increasingly possessive of his star patient. After accusations that Landy was using his control over Wilson for his own benefit, the band successfully entreated the courts to separate Landy from Wilson.

In addition to the challenges over the use of the band's name and over the best way to care for Wilson, there have been three significant legal cases involving The Beach Boys in recent years. The first was Wilson's suit to reclaim the rights to his songs and the group's publishing company, Sea of Tunes, which he had signed away to his father in 1969. He successfully argued that he had not been mentally fit to make an informed decision. While Wilson failed to regain his copyrights, he was awarded $25 million for unpaid royalties.

The second lawsuit stemmed from Wilson's reclamation of his publishing rights. Soon after Wilson won his Sea of Tunes case in 1989, Love discovered Murry Wilson did not properly credit him as co-writer on dozens of popular Beach Boys songs. With Love and Brian Wilson unable to determine exactly what Love was properly owed, Love sued Wilson in 1992 to gain credit for his co-authorship of a number of important Beach Boys songs, winning $13 million in 1994 for lost royalties. In interviews, Love revealed that on some songs he wrote most of the lyrics, on others only a line or two. Even though Love sued Wilson, both parties said in interviews that there was no malice between them; they simply couldn't come up with an agreeable settlement by themselves.

However in November 2005, Love filed yet another lawsuit against Wilson and his management. Love alleged that Wilson’s representatives and the UK publication The Mail on Sunday gave the false impression to readers that their joint promotional giveaway of nearly three million copies of the Good Vibrations CD was authorized by Love and The Beach Boys. This free CD, Love alleged, includes five of Love and Wilson’s co-authored hit Beach Boys songs, and was done to promote Wilson's solo CD, Smile. Love also claimed that Smile and Good Vibrations were marketed using The Beach Boys’ names and images without permission. The complaint sought several million dollars in damages, and also a million dollars to cover costs of advertising to correct the perceived "damage to the band's reputation". Love stated at the time: "Once again the people around Brian... have used him for their own financial gain without regard to his rights, or my rights, or even the rights of the estates of his deceased brothers, Carl and Dennis, and their children... Unfortunately, history repeats itself. Because of Brian’s mental issues he has always been vulnerable to manipulation. I simply want to stop the infringers and stop the deception!"^[87]

There has been speculation that Love's lawsuit was an attempt to pressure Wilson into agreeing to let him continue to use the profitable Beach Boys name for his and Johnston's touring efforts.^[87] Wilson's lawyers suggested in legal filings that Love was seeking to assert, as personal claims, the rights of the corporate holder of The Beach Boys trademark, Brother Records International, in which Love and Wilson are both shareholders.^[88] Wilson’s website listed the following statement in response: "The lawsuit against Brian is meritless. While he will vigorously defend himself he is deeply saddened that his cousin Mike Love has sunk to these depths for his own financial gain."

Love's 2005 lawsuit was dismissed with prejudice in May 2007 as to all the defendants, including Wilson. In a series of rulings, the court rejected all of Love's claims, including the claim that Smile was a Beach Boys project as to which Love deserved compensation from Wilson directly.^[89] The court subsequently ruled that Love had to pay the legal fees of all the defendants as well.^[90]

Legacy[link]

The Beach Boys with President Ronald Reagan and First Lady Nancy Reagan, 1983

The group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988,^[91] with Mike Love delivering a speech that assailed Mick Jagger, Paul McCartney and the Beatles, Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel and Diana Ross. Bob Dylan subsequently took the stage and thanked Love for not mentioning him, lightening the mood. ^[92] The band was chosen for the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 1998.^[93] In 2001, the group received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. Brian Wilson was inducted into the UK Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in November 2006.^[94] In 2004, Rolling Stone Magazine ranked the Beach Boys No.12 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.^[95] In 2007, the Beach Boys were inducted into the Hit Parade Hall of Fame.^[93] During the 2011 Yale Master’s Tea, guest lecturer and music CEO Jeff Pollack described the Beach Boys as being “one of the most influential and underrated bands of all time, with a vocal style and harmonies that were unmatched by any other band, then or now”.^[96][97]

The group's 1966 releases—Pet Sounds and "Good Vibrations"—frequently rank among critics' lists of the greatest albums and singles of all time. Pet Sounds is on the greatest-albums lists Time,^[98] Rolling Stone, New Musical Express, Mojo, and The Times. The record was profoundly influential on The Beach Boys' contemporaries; Paul McCartney named it one of his favorite albums of all time (with "God Only Knows" as his all-time favorite song). McCartney has frequently said that it was the inspiration behind the seminal Beatles' album, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. Echoing this sentiment, Beatles producer George Martin is quoted saying, "Pepper was an attempt to equal Pet Sounds."^[99]

The Wilsons' Hawthorne, California house, where the Wilson brothers grew up and the group began, was demolished in 1986 to make way for Interstate 105, the Century Freeway. A Beach Boys Historic Landmark (California Landmark #1041 at 3701 West 119th Street), dedicated on May 20, 2005, marks the location.

Discography[link]