The Ten Best Songs of Brian Wilson

By Cory Franklin

June 27th ,2025

With the recent death of Brian Wilson, all three Wilson brothers, who formed the Beach Boys in 1961, are now gone. One of the ironies of life is that if asked in 1967, which Wilson brother would survive the longest, no one would have answered Brian – he was plagued by more than a half century of health problems and serious drug use. As Chuck Berry once wrote, “It goes to show you never can tell.” (Incidentally, Chuck once sued Brian for essentially copying his Sweet Little Sixteen as the Beach Boy song Surfin’ USA, but the suit was settled with Chuck receiving a writing credit for Surfin’ USA. It’s a good bet Chuck never surfed a day in his life – but then Brian only surfed once.)

Make no mistake, not only was Brian Wilson the heart, soul, brains, and essence of the Beach Boys, he was rightfully recognized as one of the true musical geniuses of the 1960s – arguably the greatest. The tragedy is that his genius lasted only five years, from 1962 to 1966. Whether it was because of heavy drug use (including a bad LSD trip), mental illness, the pressure of having to churn out hits and compete with The Beatles, or a combination of those factors, nothing he ever did after that came close to approaching his work during that period.  (For those who believe drugs make the artist better and more creative, Brian Wilson is a cautionary lesson: perhaps true for a short time, but ultimately, they erode and then destroy the muse.)

But throughout the early to mid-1960s, his work was sublime and an influence on the music that is still played today. Here is my list of his ten best, and there will be some significant caviling because some great songs like California Girls, Little Deuce Coupe, Help Me Rhonda, Barbara Ann, and Fun, Fun, Fun are not on the list. Still enjoyable today, those are the warhorses that oldies radio plays – and perhaps overplays. Try listening to these ten, actually eleven, as an indicator of what Brian Wilson and The Beach Boys were all about.

1. The Little Girl I Once Knew (1965.)

This song is a late 1965 bridge between the Beach Boys surf/car songs and their graduation into the classic, more complex album Pet Sounds. The Little Girl I Once Knew was not a commercial success, largely because Brian included two eight-beat pauses, which meant five seconds of dead air each time – an absolute kiss of death for disc jockeys on AM radio. John Lennon felt this was the best Beach Boys song and among the best rock songs ever. Brian Wilson once said, “There’s no way the Beach Boys could sound any better than on “The Little Girl I Once Knew.” John Lennon and Brian Wilson- good enough for me to make it #1. This is probably the only list that has this song at the top.

2. God Only Knows (1966.)

Generally considered to be Brian Wilson’s masterpiece. The production is superior to that of The Little Girl I Once Knew, but you can hear primitive echoes of this song in that earlier one, so I rate Little Girl just slightly above it. Paul McCartney, who knows a little, thought God Only Knows was the greatest rock song ever. I’m going to go with Lennon over McCartney on it, but it’s this/close.

3. Good Vibrations (1966)

Peak Brian Wilson. No one had ever heard anything like this before. With its theremin and ocarina, it signified that the surfing Beach Boys were no more and, not coincidentally, there was an undeniable drug influence to this classic.

But just as this was the apogee of Brian Wilson’s talent it also signified the beginning of the end – his later work would never match this. Brian, a perfectionist, spent countless hours reworking this one, but the Wrecking Crew – the great studio session cats who played on it – didn’t mind because they were getting paid overtime.

4. Warmth of the Sun (Early 1964.)

The song was created on November 22,1963, after Brian and Mike Love heard that JFK had been assassinated. With that in mind, pay close attention to this somber metaphor of the California Sun. There is at once a sense of a poignant change in the Beach Boys – and in the country as well.

5. Caroline, No (1966.)

Caroline, No is a beautiful, wistful song, ostensibly about the lost innocence of a young girl. It can be reimagined as the lost innocence of Brian Wilson. At that point recognized as a musical success, Brian, beset by commercial and family pressures, was gradually retreating into his own world that included LSD and mental illness.

6. All Summer Long (1964.)

The consummate summer song – sun and fun in Southern California. George Lucas made the brilliant decision to use this song at the end of his film, American Graffiti. It was meant to symbolize the end of the Eisenhower era and doo-wop music and herald the beginning of the New Frontier and the fresh Beach Boys style. Ironically, by the time this song was released, the new paradigm was already almost finished. The Beatles and the British Invasion had taken over the music scene supplanting the Beach Boys, and JFK had been assassinated. Vietnam and civil unrest were looming on the horizon.

7. I Get Around (1964.)

The Beach Boys first #1 record, deservedly so, and the record that started their rivalry with The Beatles. Check out Glen Campbell, briefly a Beach Boy, on the electric bass.

8. Shut Down (1963.)

The Beach Boys’ best song about the car culture of Southern California. A drag racing drama in under two minutes that begins with the tantalizing line “It happened on the strip where the road is wide.” Little Deuce Coupe is a great car song; this one is even better.

9. In My Room (1963.)

The first indication Brian Wilson could be a profoundly introspective artist. Ironically, he would later go on to spend much of his life in his room. Compare this B-side (the flip side of a hit) to the similar-themed introspective song by John Lennon, There’s a Place.

10 (tie). Don’t Worry Baby (1964.)

The  B side of I Get Around, it actually presages the end of the Beach Boys car era songs. Melancholy and vaguely sexual, it features some great guitar work by Brian’s brother, Carl.

10 (tie). In the Parkin’ Lot (1964.)

An underrated masterpiece capturing a specific time and place: a guy and his girl sitting in his metal-flecked painted car, listening to the radio, and making out before school begins.  The line “Here comes the news, there’s no time to lose” refers to the AM radio tradition of broadcasting the news at the top of the hour. It was the sign they had to rush in and get to class.

There you have it. Begin the criticism and the arguments (yes, not voting God Only Knows at the top will draw brickbats.) But while you argue and make your own list, keep in mind we have Brian Wilson to thank for all this music.  Even if you are younger and couldn’t give a fig about the Sixties or Sixties music, listen to these songs. They might change your mind.

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Dr. Cory Franklin

Cory Franklin, physician and writer, is a frequent contributor to johnkassnews.com. Director of Medical Intensive Care at Cook County (Illinois) Hospital for 25 years, before retiring he wrote over 80 medical articles, chapters, abstracts, and correspondences in books and professional journals, including the New England Journal of Medicine and JAMA. In 1999, he was awarded the Shubin-Weil Award, one of only fifty people ever honored as a national role model for the practice and teaching of intensive care medicine. 

Since retirement, Dr. Franklin has been a contributor to the Chicago Tribune op-ed page. His work has been published in the New York Times, New York Post, Washington Post, Chicago Sun-Times and excerpted in the New York Review of Books. Internationally, his work has appeared internationally in Spiked, The Guardian and The Jerusalem Post. For nine years he hosted a weekly audio podcast, Rememberingthepassed, which discusses the obituaries of notable people who have died recently. His 2015 book “Cook County ICU: 30 Years Of Unforgettable Patients and Odd Cases” was a medical history best-seller. In 2024, he co-authored The COVID Diaries: Anatomy of a Contagion As it Happened.

In 1993, he worked as a technical advisor to Harrison Ford and was a role model for the physician character Ford played in the film, The Fugitive.

Comments 32

  1. I won’t argue with this list as I agree with most of the selections. Really glad you included, Don’t Worry Baby.
    Humbly, I would have included, I Can Hear Music and On the Island.

  2. Awesome article

    I just created a playlist of the ten songs that you mentioned. I love them and thanks for bringing them back to mind.

    Mike
    Frankfort, IL

  3. This punk from 79th & Wood Street detested the Beach Boys and only tolerated the Lads from Liverpool , circa 1964-1969. WVON home to Herb Kent the Cool Gent and Bill “Butterball” Crane flipped stacks of wax for us Irish Jills and Jacks by Sam and Dave, The Impressions, JamesBrown, The Tempting Ts, The Four Tops, and the Black Sinatra his own bad self, Marvin Gaye.

    It was not until my ears were senstized to Brian Wilson’s genius by the lovely Patty Sullivan from Visitation in 1972 that I joined ranks in Surf Turf. To this day, I hit the dial or button way from any Beatles ditty after Rubber Soul.

    Sound catalog, Dr. Corey!

  5. Good Vibrations! Whatever happened to California since. It seems that Don Henley in his song “The Boys of Summer” in 1984 harkened and foretold the end of the California dream that Brian had been part of, and now we are left on the4 left coast with the dystopian hell of nightmares where Mad Maxx rues the day. On the other hand, it is a beautiful day in the South suburbs where the early birds are chirping. the sun is shining, the humidity is lower, and it is all and always in God’s beautiful hands.

  6. What a great article! You tagged The Beatles, JFK, George Lucas, The Wrecking Crew and Glen Campbell perfectly. An almost perfect list. Check out the B side of Barbara Ann – written by Brian on his honeymoon and sung by Carl – “Girl don’t tell me”. No signature harmonies or vocals – but perfection.

  7. Brian Wilson lived for a while in St Charles, IL. His producer, Joe Thomas, was a member of my country club; Eaglebrook. Joe was a very interesting guy. He built an underground studio for Brian in that house. Brian could go down, and mess around with stuff any time he felt the urge.

    They played two shows in St Charles back in the 1990s.

    I asked Joe how good of a musician Brian was. He said, “He is a genius. A savant. There is no one like him. He does amazing things that no one would think of.” Much of this stuff was recorded and Brian was just playing around.

    Brian was unable to function in regular society, according to Joe. He said when they travelled, they’d stay at a Four Seasons. The room would be set up exactly the same no matter where they went. A car would pick Brian up and the same person would walk Brian through the venue to the keyboard. In front of that keyboard, Brian was in his world and very few in human history could compare. After the concert, they’d retrace the steps exactly.

    Joe didn’t want to tour, Brian’s wife did. Ended their relationship. Unfortunately, their relationship ended in court. They are both gone now.

  8. Nice list, Dr. Franklin! I’m also enjoying additions by JKN readers, one highlight being Kurt Gubitz’ “I Can Hear Music.” Here’s mine, a great ballad available on YouTube:

    I Guess I Just Wasn’t Made For These Times

    And a bow to punk sophisticate Pat Hickey for recalling the superior Detroit group The Four Tops. I’d struggle to cut down to a top ten for Levi &Co.

    Can recall hearing those BB songs and thinking, “Well, they’re fun but all that California surf and car stuff is pretty dopey.” But then I gradually realized I knew all the lyrics without even trying, so heartfelt were Brian’s stories. It wasn’t just ordinary fun. It was (a sweet black-and-white live Dick Clark performance is on YouTube) . . .

    Fun Fun Fun

  9. I was lucky enough to have seen The Beach Boys in New Orleans when they were on tour back in the 60’s. I’ve also thought they were better than the Beatles. The 60’s certainly were an ideal time to have been a teenager and even better in New Orleans!

  10. Great work! I’ve been a Beach Boys fan since the 60s, and your selection of the top ten is outstanding. The fact that many Beach Boys songs have been adopted by other groups is a testament to the work that went into them. And now that this is done, I’m going to Youtube to watch/listen to your top ten. Thanks

  11. Thanks for the great selections walking down memory lane. I loved many groups including the Beach Boys. Saw them in concert at the “Old” McCormick Place around 1963 or ’64, great concert with their little amplifiers and no gimmicks. Surfing, fun and cars. Memories of teenage boys on every block tinkering on engines under an open car hood. Those were the days. Brian Wilson was a musical genius but drugs are a killer.

  12. When I heard “The Little Girl I Once Knew” I knew something bigger was coming in rock music. What harmonies; what production! Glad you honored it.

  13. Dr Franklin,
    My list is bit different, although I agree with you on a few.
    1. Remember “God only knows” is the “b” side to “Wouldn’t it be nice” as the “a” side. May be the best ”a” and “b” side 45 single.
    2. “In my room” agree. A song amid the surfing and fun songs in 1963, a song of introspection and safety of your room. A luxury that I didn’t have living in a 832 sq ft house on the Southside with 2 younger brothers in one bedroom.
    3. ” Sailor on, sailor” got to have a sailing song
    4. “Surfin’ USA” Calling all surfers. See the video of John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd taking Brian surfing in 1976
    5. “Don’t worry baby” The lyrics and harmonies are why I love The Beach Boys. Thanks to the Ronettes for this one. David Bowie quote: “The only art that I’ll ever study is the stuff that I can steal from.”
    6. “California Girls” A Southside boy was definitely dreaming of California girls in 1965, so much so that I applied for a GI fellowship at UCLA but ended up in Minneapolis (U of MN). Saw the The Beach Boys open for Chicago at the Stadium in the early ’70’s and CSNY in 1975.
    7. “Surf’s up” 1971 and the happy surf songs replaced by this haunting song. 8/72 and WRXT started broadcasting after midnight to dawn. Listened to night #2 with the all-night featured artist was The Rolling Stones. Night #3 was The Beach Boys and remember this one while on a mattress in the attic of that Southside house with a transistor radio to my ear.
    8. “Love and mercy” Brought this CD in 1988 when it came out and played the night of his death. It is as if Brian was talking to us and the world from the beyond.
    9. See choice 1 since two songs listed. Listen to Brian’s “At my piano” where he plays his fav’s only on piano.
    10. “Your imagination” Created when Brian lived in St Charles written with Joe Thomas, Steve Dahl and unlisted Jim Peterik (Ides of March and Survivor)

  14. Brings back memories of many childhood Summer road trips on which my dad played Beach Boys cassette tapes non-stop and drove the family crazy. I finally was able to enjoy them again after my dad passed away.

    Great song list! I’m not arguing for it to replace any in the list, but I also like Sloop John B.

  15. Chuck Berry – how many people today would just accept writing credit, and not go after the money.

    Thanks for this tribute. When I saw Mike Love and Bruce Johnston at Montrose Beach – 55 degrees and cold mist off he Lake – late June 2015 – I first heard “God Only Knows” and dove into the Beach Boys from there

    I heard that Brian Wilson was abused by his Dad – sometimes you just can’t recover from that. So I don’t fault his drug use and supposed Mental Illness. Heroic effort!

  16. Corey,

    With respect, God Only Knows is clearly Brian’s Masterpiece and the best ever “Rock Song” written.

    Just ask the girls I dated and played this song for 😎

  17. Oh wow. What a curation. I’m back cruising Jansons and Reds. Recalling the cool girls we knew from McAuley and AOL, heading downtown to see a first run at the State Lake or Chicago Theatre. Submarine races by the Planetarium, and riding LSD to that unknown called the North Side and even the North Shore. Also was lucky as a Frain usher to see lots of good concerts (including The Beach Boys ) at Aerie Crown. Beatles, PPM. too many others to recall. In college I was interested in radio broadcasting. Had a chance to meet Herb Kent (and he was a cool gent) and talk music and broadcasting for a few hours at the WVON studio. As I was below the Mason Dixon line for college was familiar with the Motown groups and Beale Street sounds.
    Vietnam overshadowed the late 60’s but for The Beach Boys Endless Summer of my HS senior year in the mid 60’s it was just that. Thanks.

  19. Saw The Beach Boys in concert at ISU in ‘73. Lived listening to them in the 60’s growing up as well. Mom and Dad didn’t mind The Beach Boys, compared to “those Beatles”. 😉 Our son loved The Beach Boys when he was young (still does and he’s a Millennial) and used to sing with his cousin giving the family concerts when he 6-9 years old. He sings The Beach Boys songs to his girls to this day.

  20. Beautiful list, and all will get some play here during this warm Friday.
    I’m also a big fan of some of the later albums. “Surf”Up” and “Holland” don’t have as much input from Brian, and are more socially conscious than the earlier music, but they have moments where the music and harmonies are breathtaking.

  23. Not sure I agree with “nothing he ever did after that came close to approaching his work during that period”. I think Kokomo (1988), is a great tune.

    1. You”re right, Frank, “Kokomo” was a great tune. But Brian was estranged from The Beach Boys in 1988 and had nothing to do with that song. In fact, the Beach Boys as they then existed publicly chided BW about the commercial success of “Kokomo” compared to BW’s efforts at that time. That business is often cruel.

      1. Thank you for informing me. Obviously, I don’t know much about the Beach Boys, and I don’t recognize any name on your list except Mike Love. Brian Wilson wasn’t arrogant, but nonetheless, the rest of the Beach Boys constantly hearing that he was a musical genius had to eventually irritate them. So, with Kokomo, they probably thought “finally, we get to score!”

  24. I enjoyed reading the list and agree with most of it, with one glaring omission. Although Brian Wilson did not write “Sloop John B”, his brilliant arrangement combined with impeccable harmonies, outstanding studio instrumentation, and an upbeat tempo make it one of the Beach Boys’ best tracks, and my personal favorite.

  25. One Beach Boys tune that I loved from the first time I heard it was released as a single in ’67 but I don’t recall it being a big hit: “Darlin'”. It was a departure from their beach/cars/girls catalog. Written by Brian but sung by Carl Wilson.

    Two great car song singles I don’t think mentioned so far: 409 and Little Honda.

  26. Great, fun read! My favorites circulate…and I’m not overly familiar w/ several of your choices. Suffice to say, my two fav’s right now are: Do it again…and…Sail on Sailor
    But who’s counting?
    Mike Reiss
    Oak Brook, IL

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