SIDE B: The Beach Boys Tier List

[@threeofakindbygeneraldean3007]

Agree with most choices but love you has fourteen songs! C&theP is their first disappointment yet still okay. Hate most of the post-1973 ones except BBLY/Beach Boys/TWGMtheR. L.A. is definitely underrated while all summer long deserves "A."

[@thevinylbrotherhood]

Love You DOES have 14 songs! 😅 Good catch.

[@sitvisjes]

Sunflower is also my favourite Beach Boys album after Pet Sounds and it's a S for me, Surf's Up is also amazing. I really love 20/20 Too, i lthink i love that album more then most people. Good ranking, it's almost the same as i would rank it.

[@thevinylbrotherhood]

20/20 is underrated even within the fanbase, imo. The second half is flawless.

[@hurkamur1]

I like your proper beach boys 1964 uniform.

[@ShelleeGraham]

I like his BB uniform too. You could be touring member of the band, for sure! 👍

[@thevinylbrotherhood]

@@ShelleeGraham Aw thanks! I'd have to brush up on those harmonies!

[@TheBillyKmusic]

I gotta get one of those....

[@ono1dij]

Personally, I love the period from Today to Holland, and my all tima favourite is Surf's Up, incredible album

[@thevinylbrotherhood]

Non-stop gold for close to a decade. Surf’s Up is more than worthy to be an all-timer.

[@sandyboggs8099]

Student demonstration time rocks!

[@madisonmensbackupchannel6096]

I have always thought, much to the disagreement of others, that the L.A. (Light Album) is seriously underrated. Yes, the disco version of Here Comes the Night” may not have been the best idea. However, songs like Good Timin, Lady Lynda, Baby Blue, Goin’ South, and a couple of others make this album push this album, in my opinion, into an upper tier selection. Fantastic vocal performances by Carl and Dennis highlight several songs. The harmonizations by the guys are just gorgeous on several songs, especially Lady Lynda. I think people diss this album way too quickly because of the Disco on Here Comes the Night and completely miss all the beautiful, heartfelt, and gorgeous aspects of this album.

[@arthurmilano2920]

Ehhhhhh, LA is okay. I prefer bits and pieces of all summer long and MIU over it any day though (match point, going on, she's got rhythm)

[@thevinylbrotherhood]

I'm noticing a lot of love for LA in the comments. Looks like I may need to reevaluate.

[@patrickmeny1298]

just finished binging the beach boys’ discography for the first time. here’s my list: 1. pet sounds (10/10) 2. the smile sessions (if you count it) (10/10) 3. friends (9/10) 4. the beach boys today! (9/10) 5. sunflower (9/10) 6. surf’s up (8/10) 7. the beach boys love you (8/10) 8. smiley smile (8/10) 9. wild honey (8/10) 10. summer days (and summer nights!!) (8/10) 11. holland (8/10) 12. surfer girl (8/10) 13. shut down, vol. 2 (7/10) 14. all summer long (7/10) 15. that’s why god made the radio (7/10) 16. 20/20 (7/10) 17. carl and the passions - “so tough” (7/10) 18. the beach boys’ christmas album (6/10) 19. little deuce coupe (6/10) 20. beach boys’ party! (6/10) 21. surfin’ usa (6/10) 22. m.i.u. album (5/10) 23. l.a. (light album) (5/10) 24. surfin safari (5/10) 25. 15 big ones (4/10) 26. stars and stripes, vol. 1 (3/10) (i didn’t hate this one as much as most people, probably bc i kind of approached it as a beach boys tribute album instead of an actual studio album, and i honestly think the covers of don’t worry baby and caroline no are pretty solid) 27. the beach boys (3/10) 28. keepin’ the summer alive (3/10) 29. still cruisin’ (2/10) 31. summer in paradise (0/10) i would also like to shout out mike love, bruce johnston, and david marks of the beach boys salute nascar, which i would put in the “so bad it’s good” category. exclusively sold at gas stations, it almost solely features mike love in his 50’s singing ridiculously nasally covers of beach boys car hits set to hilariously bad midi instrumentals. bruce johnston did a few background vocals on one song and iirc david marks wasn’t actually involved at all

[@dreamerjazz352]

Friends has always been my favorite Beach Boys album. Summer Days is also my favorite, every track on that album is unique, even "I'm Bugged At My Old Man" which I really have fun listening to. I love the album cover with them on the boat. That's all I need on a desert Island, Friends and Summer Days. But I would also need a copy of Smiley Smile because my favorite Beach Boys song is on that album, "Little Pad."

[@thevinylbrotherhood]

I LOVE "Little Pad". Very underrated.

[@jackmarchant06]

Great video, it’s cool to see a beach boys tier list! I can agree on most rankings but I feel the Light Album could be a bit higher, I can understand that here comes the night and some others may bring it down but Dennis and Carl really save the album. Good Timin’ along with Angel Come Home and Baby Blue are some of my favorites and it’s bittersweet since it’s some of Dennis’ last vocals.

[@thevinylbrotherhood]

Fair point. The brothers aren't to underestimated. Thanks for watching!

[@mountart2]

Never was a big beach boys fan, but recently dove head first down the rabbit hole and I am eating everything up. Wanted to view a ranking vid to see how my assesment related, and this vid didn't disappoint. Concise and informative, really excellent vid!

[@thevinylbrotherhood]

Wow, thanks!! Keep enjoying that Beach Boys journey, good sir. 🏄‍♂️

[@robesposito2772]

Great video! Great insider info on The Beach Boys! I love wondering what a finished Smile could’ve sounded like!

[@ManzaMediaTV]

Happy to have you in the Beach Boy’s community, friend! Love the quality of your videos. Great list.

[@thevinylbrotherhood]

Thank YOU for watching. Much appreciated.

[@johndoyle2429]

I have to agree with you their as well Sunflower is favourite beachboys album after Pet sounds. I'm glad you said that. Sunflower album is a Superb Underrated albums and doesn't get the Credit it deserves.

[@BazookaToe]

So Cal old/kid here who had them as the background music while growing up. Music of course would go through many changes between then and now so they were put on the back burner for a long time. Just recently decided my midlife crisis would be to go down the rabbit hole of all of their output. So I thank you for the list to help navigate. It’s dark down here 😁 🏄‍♂️ 🐰 🕳

[@thevinylbrotherhood]

So what do you think now that you've spent some time down in the rabbit hole? Thanks so much for watching - I hope that you've been enjoying the Beach Boys and that they've helped you reconnect to those good old days!

[@BazookaToe]

@@thevinylbrotherhood , it’s dark and expensive 😂 - I’m neck deep in the Smile period now. Smiley Smile, Smile Sessions, and Brian Wilson Presents are my current purchases, all on vinyl. But I’ve given them all to my 13 year old daughter as “gifts for grades”. Going through all of this with her has been one of the biggest gifts for myself.

[@ShelleeGraham]

@@BazookaToeWhat a great father - gifts for grades! Your daughter is being raised beautifully!

[@BazookaToe]

@@ShelleeGraham , thank you! Of course kids her age are listening to something totally different. The majority of her friends can’t believe it’s what she listens to, because it seems to be all she listens to. She has slowly gained some converts though, which has been rewarding to see.

[@davidlawrence6464]

I’m sure you know this already BUT… the stereo remix of Wild Honey album on the Sunshine Tomorrow compilation is worth checking out! Less mud & more Sun 🌞

[@thevinylbrotherhood]

Listening to Aren't You Glad in stereo was a dream come true for me. The Sunshine Tomorrow versions are definitely what I use when I make Beach Boys playlists. Thanks for watching!

[@williamhild1793]

For me, the magic lies from "All Summer Long" to "Surf's Up". Before and after that stretch, there are good individual songs, but not albums. The whole albums (mostly, except for the comedy recordings) from "All Summer Long" to "Surf's Up" are the albums to own. Then, just pick up the few individual songs outside that period.

[@johnrenaud2216]

I thought the album Wild Honey was a phenomenal album. Great R and B rendition of Stevie Wonders I was made to love her and the Title Track Wild Honey and Darling. Great album. Love your reviews of all The Beach Boys albums.

[@TheBillyKmusic]

It's an underrated album. And yes, I am partial to "How She Boogalooed it"

[@kirbygraham8265]

Still Cruisin’, Somewhere Near Japan, Island Girl, Kokomo, and Make It Big put that album in the C tier for me. I also prefer Sunflower over Smile.

[@thevinylbrotherhood]

All certified classics!

[@johnrunion5357]

surfin' safari is what it sounds like : a bunch of kids. the beach boys were never a garage band. they were a living room band. surfin' usa is a HUGE improvement; a giant leap forward. the lonely sea is one of my all time favorite songs. the first glimpse we get of bw's more melancholy side. to me surfer girl, little Deuce Coupe, shut down volume 2, all summer long, Christmas album, TODAY! (my all time favorite album by ANYONE), summer days/nights, pet sounds, SMiLE! sessions, smiley smile (in the 70's this album was my favorite album by anyone of the previous decade, then i heard TODAY! and the doors's debut), wild honey, friends and 20/20 are all classic albums. i don't really count party! as a studio album. i could live without it. i like most of sunflower. i like almost as much of surf's up. i really can't get into much of carl/passions and holland. i appreciate them more than i actually enjoy them. Mount Vernon and Fairway however is amazing. 15 big ones is a HUGE disappointment. LOVE YOU is my favorite album of the 70's. it is their last truly great, classic album. i wish they had retired the name or retiring from recording with this album. l.a. light album has some good songs, but everything else post-love you i just wish would cease to exist. still crusin' to me isn't a studio album; just a compilation with left overs. That's Why God Made the Radio is a good reunion album.

[@sea_ohm11]

Fair ranking. I mostly agree. However i would move surfer girl to A level, as i consider it the first classic beach boys album. Great collection of their early surf songs. It does have one or two filler songs, but they fit with the time and sound, unlike shutdown vol 2. Speaking of vol 2, I'm glad im not the only one that thinks the best songs should've been on all summer long. I've always thought if don't worry baby, warmth of the sun, and fun fun fun would have been on all summer long, that would make for a perfect beach boys album. The perfect statement for the fun of youth. If that was the case, all summer long would easily be A tier. Anyhow, i would also move La light and self titled down to d tier. I love the beach boys, but i gotta keep it real. Anyway fun video!

[@smileypeople5978]

I love The Beach boys 👦 . Sunflower is such a great album of course Smile , Pet Sound s they for me from Today to Holland I love em ..

[@jdd3786]

KTSA is a guilty pleasure for me as well. I enjoy all the songs on the 2nd side of the album.

[@mattmiller4917]

My top 10: 1. Pet Sounds, 2. Surf's Up, 3. Smiley Smile/Smile, 4. Sunflower, 5. Holland, 6. Wild Honey, 7. The Beach Boys Today!, 8. Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!), 9. 20/20, 10. Friends

[@thevinylbrotherhood]

Very solid list! Nice to see 20/20 getting some love.

[@vKarl7]

What a fantastic list and video, great work! They’re my favorite band as well, ever since I became obsessed with Pet Sounds when I was 18 (I’m 43 now). Here’s my tier list: S: Pet Sounds, SMiLE, Smiley Smile (my favorite album of all time! To me this is one of the most ahead of its time albums ever made, presaging R. Stevie Moore and Paul McCartney bedroom records by years, and predicting bedroom indie pop generally! I prefer it to SMiLE), Friends, Sunflower, Love You (count me in on being obsessed with this one! I HAVE to put it in S, no other album like it, LOVE it so much!!!) A: All Summer Long, Today!, Summer Days (And Summer Nights), 20/20, Holland B: Surfer Girl, Shut Down Volume II, Party! (underrated AF! Love the feel on this one, it’s vibe is that of being the cousin to Smiley Smile, so spontaneous and baked sounding), Wild Honey, Surf’s Up (great highs but marred by Student Demonstration Time), Carl & The Passions: So Tough, Keepin’ The Summer Alive (don’t understand how low this is consistently rated, I think it is their best democratic album since Holland and love every song! Carl is super strong on it and Brian tunes like Some Of Your Love and Goin’ On RULE) C: Surfin’ Safari, Surfin’ USA, Christmas Album (loved your shout out to Christmas Day! Best Christmas song of all time! That organ though!!!), 15 Big Ones (love the feel here and strangely all the highlights to me are covers, especially the Talk To Me/Tallahassee Lassie medley and Just Once In My Life), Beach Boys 85 (LOVE every song but I’d be lying if I put it equally with the albums on B tier haha), That’s Why God Made The Radio (hate the auto tune and some songs SUCK here but the last 4 songs are A tier, meaning it averages out to a C tier album I guess?) D: M. I. U. (actually think this was their worst ever album until they got to that run beginning with Still Cruisin’…HATE Hey Little Tomboy, they saved THAT from Adult Child?! WTF…At least it has My Diane and Pitter Patter, otherwise I’d have to go F for this), L. A. (don’t agree with those that say it’s underrated…it’s their yacht rock album with a few killers but the lows are their worst yet in Sumahama and Here Comes The Night disco version, and the inexplicable Brian-free Shortenin’ Bread remake sucks, whereas the Adult Child one is one of their best ever and the best song on Adult Child) F: Still Cruisin’ (I love Kokomo, too! My friend had the 45 when it was new-I was in 3rd grade and it brings back great memories…album sucks though), Summer In Paradise (I love the Baywatch Summer Of Love scene though! So cringe it becomes AMAZING hahaha!), Stars And Stripes Volume I (🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮) Thanks again for your entertaining video and list! Great stuff. Edited to correct two autocorrects and add the Christmas album.

[@trumpetprofessor]

I think you oughta reassess the Christmas album and place it in the A tier. Dick Reynolds who worked with the Four Freshman (the group Brian idolized) arranged the 41-piece orchestral backings on the traditional songs to which the Beach Boys would apply their vocals. No smal feat. And Brian's voice on Blue Christmas is ethereal. Some speculated that because he chose to sing it solo that it could have opened a door to a solo career. One of the finest Christmas albums of all time. It was recorded in both mono and stereo. I've never heard the mono version but I'm glad it was available in stereo because I think you'd miss a lot, in the same way you miss a lot in Pet Sounds while listening to it in mono (even though I prefer the mono version over the stereo remaster -- both have their own merit). The Christmas album was the last true stereo release (during the time if its release as opposed to a remaster) until the album Friends

[@gregwilliams2011]

Excellent list. I'd swap Summer day/nights with All summer long but that's about it.

[@brianstewart3206]

Great comparison between Love You and Pinkerton👌🏻

[@dylanward4364]

Everything in A, would be S for me, and I’d throw smiley smile in S, all summer long in A or S as well

[@JonYoung-d5n]

My top 10: 1. Today. 2. Pet Sounds. 3. Sunflower. 4. Surfs Up. 5. Summer Days. 6. Smile Sessions. 7 All Summer Long. 8. Surfer Girl. 9. Wild Honey. 10. Friends

[@thevinylbrotherhood]

A very respectable list indeed 🙌

[@mauramullaney51]

I agree with most of your rankings, but I would move So Tough, Love You, and L.A. to "C", drop MIU TO "D", and possibly move TWGMR to "B", simply for the fact that they got it done and Brian can still write great tunes!

[@TheBillyKmusic]

Agree with just about everything.......and yes, one of the few BB fans that likes Kokomo, much like you....but I still can't get into "Friends"....will have to re-visit it again....... The Stamos deal on "Forever" is a "double-edged sword"......yes, he does not sing it well....but on the other hand, his version has brought attention to the original tracks of that era.....which is often overlooked.

[@susanaltman5134]

Beach Boys Party was definitely the result of pressure from Capitol to get product out. It bought Brian time to work on Pet Sounds.

[@thevinylbrotherhood]

Yep. You can’t say it doesn’t serve a purpose. It is definitely an album best enjoyed if you’re ok with not taking it too seriously.

[@shawntoner42]

Nice! Agree with everything except that Wild Honey should be A-tier

[@thevinylbrotherhood]

Some days I think so too! Fanstastic record.

[@mattmiller4917]

I loved your clear concise presentations and mostly agree with your choices, but you could have gone harsher on their late albums.

[@thevinylbrotherhood]

Hahaha! I tried to hold back a bit but yeah, some of those later recording are brutal. Thanks for watching!

[@samwoodson9603]

Mostly agree. For me: S tier is Today, Pet Sounds, Smile. A tier is All Summer Long, Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!!), Sunflower, Carl and the Passions, 20/20. B tier is Surfin’ U.S.A., Surfer Girl, Shut Down Vol. 2, Surf’s Up, Holland, Friends. C tier is Surfin’ Safari, Little Deuce Coop, Beach Boys’ Christmas Album, Beach Boys Party, Wild Honey, Beach Boys Love You, That’s Why God Made the Radio. D tier is Smiley Smile (sorry) and 15 Big Ones. E tier is M.I.U. Album, L.A. (Light Album), Still Cruisin’, Summer in Paradise. Below E tier is Keepin’ the Summer Alive and Stars and Stripes Vol. 1. I guess take into account these are relative to each other. For me a C tier isn’t a mid album so much as it is a few ranks lower than a Pet Sounds or Today. It’s all graded on a curve. There’s even select tracks on D tier albums that I really like. Only two albums that do absolutely nothing for me are KTSA and Stars and Stripes.

[@shewolfcub3]

I think this is pretty OK, but Smiley Smile, Wild Honey, 20/20 should NOT be stuck in B

[@MIKELIN8]

I would rank both Sunflower and Surf's Uo as S albums. Sunflower is actually my favorite Beach Boys album, just over Pet Sounds.

[@kpoleary1]

Beach Boys Today is their best.

[@riversjackson1]

Ngl, spot on list.

[@thevinylbrotherhood]

Well thanks. Nice maladroit pic!

[@riversjackson1]

@@thevinylbrotherhood Thanks! Curious, where would you rank Adult/Child on this? I'd personally give it an A. I think it's a great continuation of Love You, and much better than M.I.U.

[@ShelleeGraham]

6:39 “If you can’t at least appreciate ‘PET 🐐 SOUNDS,’ I don’t want to know you.” 👍 ❤️

[@davidschecter5247]

Great list. I'd bump ALL SUMMER LONG up to A, and SUNFLOWER is an S. One of the best albums of the seventies by anyone. Only "Tears in the Morning" is a "skipper." Otherwise, you and I agree on almost everything else.

[@jimcharles9705]

Most of my differences with the rankings are that a handful of albums should've (in my opinion) been ranked higher. Very rarely did I think any of these albums should've been ranked lower. So, I guess I'm just more friendly to Beach Boys albums in general as compared to the guy in the clip.

[@thestreakpodcast]

Love the shirt!

[@ShelleeGraham]

12:18 Album: 15 Big Ones- “Brian is back…except now he sounds like a big old grizzly bear…” 😂

[@DavidHendricks1953]

Complete agreement

[@ifandwhen-kl2cr]

While recording “Today,” Brian finally got rid of his father and gained a lot more control in the studio. The result was a huge leap forward compared to all previous releases. Soon after, he also was able to get rid of Mike, which made Pet Sounds possible, another leap of progress. Just stay out of the man’s way!

[@kylev938]

Ah man, noone likes the disco Here Comes The Night remix. I love that one, 10min of fun Carl sounds good on Bruce Johnsons production

[@cazgerald9471]

"Surf's Up" also suffers from the missing Dennis songs. "Smiley Smile' would have been more sonically consistent if they had re-done lo-fi versions of "Good Vibrations" and "Heroes & Villains" I don't think I would change any of your placements, except giving a huge asterisk next to the Smile Sessions.

[@thevinylbrotherhood]

Sometimes I daydream about switching out Student Demonstration Time for Falling in Love.

[@WilliamStoneContentZone]

Thoughts on Ding Dang?

[@thevinylbrotherhood]

the song or the line of merch? 😂

[@WilliamStoneContentZone]

@@thevinylbrotherhood the song

[@ChristopherElli-cc1ly]

It will always be 2 categories. With and without Brian. I do like Friends and 20/20. Sunflower is Ok but never felt the love the other BB fans do. Today thru Smile are the penultimate BB albums but not Party.

[@stevedawson3082]

The Light Album apart from the horrible disco and shortnin' bread is pretty strong. Love Surrounds Me, Baby Blue and Full Sail are pretty strong early 70's style BB tunes...

[@beanie226]

Sorry ! , you’re too young to appreciate some of these albums in their original musical context . For example , Surfer Girl , Deuce Coupe , and , ( especially ) , All Summer Long were brilliant in their day . They were almost concept albums in a time before The Beatles revolutionized that category . In addition they have lots of great cuts that could have been hit singles . I would reverse the ratings of Wild Honey and Love You , but that change is merely personal preference . Finally , L. A. Is rightfully given short shrift , but without mention of the truly great track , Angel Come Home . The live version performed on The Midnight Special is even better than the studio cut .

[@arthurmilano2920]

How can you justify wild honey amid summer days?! Think! Otherwise almost perfect tier. Id give WH a B+ and Summer Days a B B-

[@yokooyea]

Do you still feel LA to be D tier? Ignoring the disco track, it’s an A tier for me. Angel Come Home and Love Surrounds Me are some of my favorite Dennis tracks

[@johndoyle2429]

I think agree their, L.A.light album wasn't that bad I thought.

[@thevinylbrotherhood]

Those are definitely highlights on the record. Especially Love Surrounds Me. Dennis was on a roll.

[@burlingtonbill1]

No way should Love You exist on the same level as Sunflower !

[@thevinylbrotherhood]

😦

[@andybaker5624]

Smiley smile should be in A, over Surf’s up and Holland and Love you

[@emanuelebelle3943]

Wild honey> friends

[@Theslavedrivers]

Good content, but could have done without the silly backing music!

[@TerryTutor-cv3hh]

Another bs KZbin assessment of "Smile"...including your second guessing Brian's 2004 true masterpiece...But you know better than Brian....No wonder I don't subscribe to your channel....

[@Awesoman]

Pretty good assessment. I'd rank 𝑇ℎ𝑎𝑡'𝑠 𝑊ℎ𝑦 𝐺𝑜𝑑 𝑀𝑎𝑑𝑒 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑅𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑜 a little higher; it was a great sendoff for the band and was much better than it had any reason to be. I'd also put 𝐿.𝐴. (𝐿𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝐴𝑙𝑏𝑢𝑚) at least one tier higher. Despite the ridiculous disco track at least half the album is pretty good, with some fine contributions from both Carl and Dennis. It's better than the bland and dusty-sounding 𝑀.𝐼.𝑈. 𝐴𝑙𝑏𝑢𝑚. But yeah this is a pretty good list.

[@thevinylbrotherhood]

Thanks! Yes, I agree that those Dennis songs on L.A. are pretty good.