Many people either have at least ten favorite songs by either one singer or band, or many songs of various musical artists. My favorite musical group over all of them is The Beach Boys. I grew up listening to them and still listen to their music. I have most of their albums on CD, but not all …yet.
Here are my most favorite ten songs of theirs followed with a reason why I like them.
#1 CALIFORNIA GIRLS
California Girls is still my number one favorite because of the lead in. That da, da, da da da… the solo on the bass guitar? …whichever, I have learned to play on my own is so recognizable, will have me stop to take it in even while in a conversation with someone. This is all because I know how the rest of the song will go. This has nothing to do with the fact that this song came out the same year I was born. That was pure coincidence.
Brian Wilson and Mike Love wrote this song back in 1965, and it became a top hit at #3 in the music billboard. The contrasting verses within it are humerous to some, but understood by others. It would be what some would call a whimsical song. You don’t need to have lived in or travelled to California to enjoy this tune.
#2 FUN, FUN, FUN
Fun, Fun, Fun is another great song by The Beach Boys. Basically it is about a young lady who will not have fun when her daddy takes her T-Bird away. For those of you who don’t know what that is, it is a Thunderbird car. It is fun listening to the words to this because you can relate with someone you went to high school who was like this. You know that The Beach Boys had fun writing this one.
This is yet another song written by both Brian Wilson and Mike Love, which was released in 1964.
#3 409
No, this is not about the household cleaner. The song “409” is about a speedster with a 409 cubic engine in it that is sooped up to race. I like how The Beach Boys describe the vehicle within the song and let you know that “It can’t be beat.” With the same sort of beat as most of their songs, 409 really is a fun and peppy song to listen to. It gets your juices flowing and makes you want to do something.
You can see some muscle cars in this video at YouTube with 409 as the song played along with it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FoqHPYIUtBM
This particular song was written by Michael Love, Brian Wilson and Gary Usher. 409 was released in 1962, and became a hit song on the album “Surfing Safari.”
#4 LITTLE DEUCE COUPE
Another great song by The Beach Boys is Little Deuce Coupe. This is another song about a car, but this is a two door model, hence “Deuce Coupe.” Obviously The Beach Boys are also motor heads because they do a great job of describing this vehicle as well. They put the effort into making this a classic hit for both motor heads and those who just like this genre of music.
This popular song was out in 1963 at #4 on the Billboard chart, and coincidentally was The Beach Boys fourth album. Little Deuce Coupe was on my first and most favorite album to own, which is titled “The Beach Boys Endless Summer.”
#5 GOOD VIBRATIONS
The one rendition of “Good Vibrations” that I enjoy listening to is off of the “Live in ’69” album of The Beach Boys, which I believe was done over in England. I guess that they were working hard at promoting their music over there while The Beetles were doing the same over here. The main reason I like this song is because of how they flub up and coax the audience into singing along with them. It’s funny to hear them slip up on words, but to hear the crowd in the background is fascinating as well.
As you would guess, Good Vibrations was also written by Brian Wilson and Mike Love. They did write most of the songs for the group.
#6 THE LITTLE OLD LADY FROM PASADENA
Yeah, I was surprised to hear this sung by The Beach Boys. For those of you who don’t know, “The Little Old Lady from Pasadena” is a song originally written and performed by Jan & Dean who made similar style of songs. I had to find the original to see what was different. Not much at all. The one album I have with this song on it features The Beach Boys wearing what looks like referee shirts, titled “Beach Boys Concert.
This song is funny to listen to, and was written by Don Altfeld, Jan Berry and John Christian for Jan & Dean. It didn’t reach #3 on the Billboard chart until 1964. Many of the songs of The Beach Boys are a little quirky, but very enjoyable to listen to.
#7 BARBARA ANN
Another great song of The Beach Boys that most of us know is Barbara Ann…ba, ba, ba… Yeah, I can sing it. This is one of those comparable to Good Vibrations on the Live in ’69 album, too. With the audience precipitation…particip…singing together (ha, ha) the song becomes sung by all. This is a non-forgettable song to be sung over and over. Barbara Ann is an addictive song that you will catch yourself humming over and over again. I do it all the time.
Originally perfomed in 1961 by The Regents, and written by Fred Fassert, Barbara Ann really became a huge hit for The Beach Boys in 1965. I really do enjoy listening to this over and over.
#8 CATCH A WAVE
Catch a Wave was originally my favorite song, but as I began listening to other Beach Boys songs, I eventually dropped it down my list of favorites. Although, I will have to admit I still like it because it is peppy, too. Good beat and understandable lyrics will have most kids singing this at the beach. The first time I went to California, I had to “catch a wave” because I had never done this. Of course, I was only body surfing, but it was still fun.
Yes, Brian and Mike also wrote this and it came out on the 1963 album “Surfer Girl,” which is also a good song, too.
#9 WOULDN’T IT BE NICE
“Wouldn’t it be Nice” became another favorite simply because it sings out about a guy telling other men to be true to their school as they would to their gal. I think it would do many teenager some good to listen to this Rock and Roll song from the sixties. It might make them think about the fact that a Rock and Roll song would have such a message in it.
Tony Asher wrote the lyrics for this song back in 1965, which came out on the Pet Sounds album in 1966. Most people today will have a player of some sort that will allow them to experience this song they way it was recorded, but a mono stereo will not pick up all the nuances of this recording.
# 10 LITTLE SAINT NICK
Of all the songs of The Beach Boys, Little Saint Nick has to be one original Christmas song that will hold it’s own in originality. Basically about a young boy who becomes aware of Santa’s helpers everywhere, this song catches at your heart strings and gets you to laughing the first time you hear it. The more times you listen to it you can’t help yourself but smile knowing what the next words will be. The Beach Boys really did do a great job of putting together Little Saint Nick.
This 1964 song became a hit for The Beach Boys, and eventually became a favorite for other song writers to come up with their own version of it. If you haven’t heard The Beach Boys rendition of this you may find it quite entertaining.
Although I do listen to any of the songs by The Beach Boys, there are two that I just pass up most of the time. Those two are “In My Room,” and “Surfer Girl” because they seem to go in slow mo for me. To me they are just not my speed.
I am still collecting cd albums of The Beach Boys albums to this day. They are just a wonderful band to listen to that do not cover up the lyrics with loud music. If you like ‘beach’ music, you will truly enjoy these songs by The Beach Boys.
