| "Good Vibrations" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 U.S. picture sleeve | ||||
| Single bythe Beach Boys | ||||
| B-side | "Let's Go Away for Awhile" | |||
| Released | October 10, 1966 (1966-10-10) | |||
| Recorded | February 17 (17-02) –September 21, 1966 (1966-09-21) | |||
| Studio | Western,Columbia, andGold Star, Hollywood | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 3:35 | |||
| Label | Capitol | |||
| Songwriter(s) | ||||
| Producer(s) | Brian Wilson | |||
| The Beach Boys singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "Good Vibrations" onYouTube | ||||
| Audio sample | ||||
"Good Vibrations" is a song by the Americanrock bandthe Beach Boys, produced and composed byBrian Wilson with lyrics byMike Love. Released as a single on October 10, 1966, it achieved immediate critical and commercial success, topping the charts in several countries, including the United States and United Kingdom. Promoted as a "pocket symphony" for its complexity and episodic structure, the record had an unprecedented production and expanded the boundaries ofpopular music, elevating itsrecognition as an art form and revolutionizing standard practices in studio recording. It is considered one of the greatest works of rock,pop, andpsychedelia.
Wilson was inspired by the concept ofextrasensory perception,Phil Spector's production of "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'", andrecreational drugs, possibly includingLSD, in creating the song. He produced dozens of music fragments (or "modules") with his bandmates and over 30session musicians across fourHollywood studios from February to September 1966. Over 90 hours of tape was consumed, with production costs estimated in the tens of thousands of dollars, making it the costliest and longest-to-record pop single at the time. The resulting track subverted traditional songwriting conventions through its use ofdevelopment, a process normally associated withclassical music, and abrupt shifts intexture and mood.
One of the most influential pop recordings in history, "Good Vibrations" advanced the role of thestudio as an instrument and effectively launched theprogressive pop genre, heralding a wave ofpop experimentation and the onset ofpsychedelic andprogressive rock. The track incorporated a novel mix of instruments, includingcello andElectro-Theremin; although the latter is not a truetheremin, the song's use of the instrument spurred renewed interest in theremins andsynthesizers. Theflower power-inspired lyrics reinforced the Beach Boys' association with the1960s counterculture, while the phrase "good vibes", originally a niche slang term, entered mainstream usage.
"Good Vibrations" received numerous industry awards and accolades and is frequently listed on many "greatest of all time" polls and rankings. Its success emboldened Wilson to pursue increasinglyavant-garde directions and create more modularly assembled songs, culminating in the unfinished albumSmile and follow-up single "Heroes and Villains". Despite his objections to its inclusion, "Good Vibrations" instead appeared on the 1967 releaseSmiley Smile. A 1976cover version byTodd Rundgren reached number 34 on U.S. charts.
"Good Vibrations" was composed by Beach Boys leaderBrian Wilson, who conceived the song while playing piano under the influence ofmarijuana.[1] The song was essentially a reflection of his fascination with mysticism, spirituality, and recreational drugs.[2][3][nb 1] The title phrase ("good vibrations" or "good vibes") had originated as local drug slang.[5][nb 2] In a 2007 interview, Wilson mentioned that the song, like "California Girls", had been inspired by his use ofLSD (or "acid").[6] However, in a 2012 interview, he attributed its inspiration to marijuana, saying, "I don't accredit it to LSD, I accredit it to marijuana. I smoked marijuana just before I wrote it."[7]
Recorded throughout early 1966 and released that May, the Beach Boys' eleventh album,Pet Sounds, had marked a shift in Wilson's creative process. His 1991 memoir,Wouldn't It Be Nice: My Own Story, states, "I had a lot of unfinished ideas, fragments of music I called 'feels.' Each feel represented a mood or an emotion I'd felt, and I planned to fit them together like a mosaic."[8][9] Similarly, he aimed for "Good Vibrations" to surpassPhil Spector's writing and production onthe Righteous Brothers' 1964 hit "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'".[10][nb 3] His brotherCarl Wilson commented that "Good Vibrations" initially had "a much rougher sound", and that, rather than amplifying it as Spector might have, "Brian refined it, and got it more even-sounding."[12][13] The bass riff was also inspired by those in Spector's work.[7] Beach Boys biographerDavid Leaf linked the song's rapid changes in mood to Wilson'sbipolar disorder.[14][nb 4]
[My mother] told me about dogs that would bark at people and then not bark at others, that a dog would pick up vibrations from these people that you can't see, but you can feel. [...] I didn't really understand too much of what it meant when I was just a boy. It scared me, the word "vibrations."
Wilson based the song's theme on a remark from his mother about dogs sensing "vibrations" from people.[17][18][nb 5] He introduced this concept tojingle writer andPet Sounds lyricistTony Asher in early 1966, before the album was completed.[17] Asher recalled, "Brian played for me a bunch of chords that would become "Good Vibrations." He didn't have a title for it [...]".[17] Initially, Wilson had only the basic chorus[21] and the phrase "I get vibes, I get good vibes".[22] He proposed the title "Good Vibes", but Asher felt it sounded "trendy" and "lightweight", suggesting "Good Vibrations" instead.[21] Asher also crafted the chorus lyrics into "Good, good, good, good vibrations" and wrote more words for the verses.[22]
Due to Wilson's dissatisfaction, Asher's verse lyrics were ultimately discarded in favor of a new set of lyrics penned by bandmateMike Love.[17][23][nb 6] After some delay, Love completed the lyrics to "Good Vibrations" on August 24, 1966 during a twenty-minute drive to the studio.[26][27][nb 7] He contributed lines for the verses and the chorus hook, "I'm picking up good vibrations / she's giving me excitations".[28] While Love considered the chorus hook his "musical contribution",[7] he had adapted its melody from Wilson's existing bass line.[12][29]
By then, Wilson had recruited session musicianVan Dyke Parks as his lyricist for the Beach Boys' forthcoming album,Smile.[30][31] Parks recalled Wilson asking him to revise Love's words because "he was embarrassed with the 'excitation' part Mike Love had insisted on adding." Parks declined, believing "nobody'd be listening to the lyrics anyway once they heard that music."[32] Love later remarked, "I'll be the first to acknowledge thatexcitations is not really a word, but it rhymed."[33]
Mike Love described his "Good Vibrations" lyrics as "just a flowery poem" similar to the later 1967 hit "San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair)".[34] "Good Vibrations" begins by describing a woman's "colorful clothes", sunlight on her hair, "the sound of a gentle word", and a breeze carrying her perfume's scent.[28] These opening verses center on the material senses, which Wilson said was a deliberate contrast to the extrasensory themes later revealed in the chorus.[35][36]
Tony Asher's original lyrics differed, with the first verse stating, "She's already working on my brain / I only looked in her eyes / But I picked up something I just can't explain", and the second verse, "It's weird how she comes in so strong / And I wonder what she's pickin' up from me".[37][25] Discussing these early lyrics, music historianClinton Heylin surmised that it was "clearly a song about a girl who affects the singer just like a certain drug."[25][nb 8] Asher recalled that, when writing the song, he had understood it to be about the "metaphysical, about ESP and picking up non-verbal communication" and, at that early stage, "there was nothing about it that seemed psychedelic; those parts of the thing hadn't been composed yet."[38]
In Love's revision of the second verse, he wrote, "Softly smile, I know she must be kind / When I look in her eyes / She goes with me to a blossom world we find".[39] Wilson removed the concluding words "we find" during editing.[12] Love felt that while he preferred the original rhyme, ending on "blossom world" was enough to evoke the burgeoning peace movement and the euphoria of love.[12]
Alternative interpretations have been offered. AcademicLarry M. Starr suggests that, while relatively conventional, the lyrics of "Good Vibrations" possess an otherworldly quality, especially in such lines as "I don't know where, but she sends me there", references to "a blossom world", and the concept of "good vibrations" themselves.[40]Lorren Daro, a former acquaintance of Wilson's, wrote in a 2012 blog post that the song was "written about my wife, Lynda", explaining that because he had supplied LSD to Wilson, "Brian could not mention my name in public, or to any of them, except in 'regretting' his LSD experience."[41] During a 1971 concert,Bruce Johnston introduced "Good Vibrations" as a song that "reflects these really fucked up times".[42]
"Good Vibrations" is apop,[43][44][45]rock,[46]psychedelic,[47][48] andR&B song.[49][50][51] It is more frequently identified as pop rather than rock. Academic Lorenzo Candelaria suggested this is "possibly because it comes across relatively innocent compared with the hard-edged rock we have since come to know."[52] Wilson acknowledged, "It's a real funny thing—nobody ever really called 'Good Vibrations' a rock 'n' roll record. But itwas a rock 'n' roll record. It really rocked."[53] BiographerJon Stebbins agreed, noting that the chorus "projects a definite 'rock and roll' energy and feel" unlikePet Sounds.[54] Wilson also described the song as "advanced rhythm and blues" and "modern, avant-garde R&B".[35][55] In his book aboutKraftwerk, Steve Tupai Francis cited "Good Vibrations" as an example among pioneering works ofelectronic music.[56] Other genres attributed to the song includeprogressive pop,[57][58]art pop,[59][60]pop art,[61]psychedelic rock,[62][63]acid rock,[62][64]psychedelic pop,[65][43] andavant-pop.[66][67]
It had a lot of riff changes [...] movements [...] It was apocket symphony—changes, changes, changes, building harmonies here, drop this voice out, this comes in, bring this echo in, put the theremin here, bring the cello up a little louder here [...] It was the biggest production of our lives!
An uncredited writer forSound on Sound argued in 1997 that the song had subverted traditional pop songwriting practices across all eras by eschewing a consistentgroove and incorporating exotic instruments, complex vocal arrangements, and "as many dramatic changes in mood as a piece of seriousclassical music lasting more than half an hour".[70]AllMusic reviewer John Bush compared the track to thecut-up technique employed by experimental composers such asWilliam S. Burroughs.[71]American Songwriter contributor Tom Rowland described "Good Vibrations" as "a sort of pop version of theclassical sonata, consisting of a series of musical movements".[72]
Comparing "Good Vibrations" to Wilson's past work, musicologist John Covach traces the song's "intensely experimental quality" to Wilson's lush, quasi-symphonic production of "California Girls".[73] MusicologistPhilip Lambert writes that the "basic feel" of the verses are similar to thePet Sounds track "Here Today".[74] Music historian Luis Sanchez writes, "In its conviction and nuance, there is little that distinguishes 'Good Vibrations' from [...]Pet Sounds."[51] Mike Love's first impression of "Good Vibrations" was that it sounded like the "very heavy R&B" associated with singerWilson Pickett.[75] In a 1978 interview, Love opined that the song was a logical progression afterPet Sounds, which itself "was rather sequential and logical after 'I Get Around'."[76] However, in 2012, he recalled feeling apprehensive about the track's "avant-garde" quality, wondering how fans in regions like the Midwest or Birmingham would react, given its departure from earlier hits like "Surfin' U.S.A." and "Help Me, Rhonda".[7]
Music journalistJon Savage said it was "saturated in heightened perception", citing its abrupt shifts in mood and texture, in addition to its lyrical imagery of color, scent, and phrases such as "blossom" and "perfume", as an LSD-rooted exploration ofnonverbal communication,telepathy, andextrasensory perception.[77] BiographerPeter Ames Carlin believed Wilson viewed the song as "a smaller, psychedelic version" ofGeorge Gershwin'sRhapsody in Blue.[47]
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"Good Vibrations" cemented Wilson's new method of recording and song composition.[79][80] Instead of working on whole songs with clear large-scale syntactical structures, Wilson limited himself to recording short interchangeable fragments (or "modules"). Throughtape splicing, each fragment could then be assembled into a linear sequence, allowing any number of larger structures and divergent moods to be produced at a later time.[81][nb 9] It also allowed for sections to be reused within the composition. For instance, the instrumental backing for the choruses and the first two verses were identical recordings repeated multiple times.[83] To conceal tape splices, extensivereverbdecays were applied during mixing and sub-mixing stages.[70]
This approach was unprecedented in record production and popular music,[79][69][84] includingjazz, classical recordings, and soundtracks.[69][nb 10]Mark Linett, who engineered Wilson's recordings after the 1980s, said that although Wilson was not the first to use editing techniques, it was unusual at the time to record a song in several short sections before assembling it, remarking, "In a way, Brian invented the method of modular recording that we take for granted today."[83]
"Good Vibrations" took longer to record than any previous pop single.[85] At a time when pop singles were typically recorded in a day or two,[86] its production spanned approximately 20 recording sessions across four Hollywood studios over seven months.[47] Wilson explained that this extensive process stemmed from a desire to experiment with different studio sounds, as each facility had its own distinct character, which was crucial to the final sound of the record.[35] He added that the lengthy production was due to their evolving creative ambitions: "the more we created, the more wewanted to create [...] there was no real set direction we were going in."[87][81] Biographer Mark Dillon compared his method to "a film director finding his story in the editing room". He wrote of the range of ideas attempted for the track,
Brian seemed able to conceive limitless variations on the song's main theme, recording wildly disparate fragments in styles from woodwind-based Eastern mysticism to Sunday morning church service to comical Roaring Twenties jazz. [...] The transitions between fragments were sometimes seamless, other times startling in their juxtaposition of tone and tempo.[88]
To achieve the desired backing tracks, Wilson transcribed his music parts onto sheet music for his usual circle of Hollywoodsession musicians, a group later known as "the Wrecking Crew".[7] Reflecting on the sessions, drummerHal Blaine remarked that the musicians spent half the year recording "Good Vibrations" without knowing what the finished track would sound like, a stark contrast to their swift two-take recording of the seven-minute "MacArthur Park" (1967).[23] Carlin writes that Wilson occasionally arrived at a session, considered a few possibilities, and departed without recording.[47] The project consumed over 90 hours of recording tape.[89][55]
Wilson reported that some bandmates "had resisting ideas" and "didn't quite understand" his use of different studios or his vision for the final record.[35][55][nb 11] Similar tensions had arisen during thePet Sounds sessions earlier that year.[55] He recounted objections such as, "'Oh, you can't do this, that's too modern' or 'that's going to be too long a record.'"[35][55][nb 12]
Wilson envisioned using a theremin in "Good Vibrations" early in its production. He recalled, "When 'Good Vibrations' was forming itself in my mind, I could hear the theremin on the track. It sounds like a woman's voice or like a violin bow on a carpenter's saw. You make it waver, just like a human voice. It's groovy!"[92] On February 15, 1966, he recorded the backing track for thePet Sounds song "I Just Wasn't Made for These Times", marking his first use of theElectro-Theremin, an electronic theremin-soundalike instrument played by its inventor,Paul Tanner.[93]
On February 17, Wilson recorded the first version of "Good Vibrations" (logged on theAFM contract as "Untitled #1") atGold Star Studios.[10] Tanner was again employed on Electro-Theremin; maintaining a consistent volume on the instrument had proved difficult, requiring 26 takes before a rough mono mix was completed.[94] On March 3, Brian andCarl Wilson overdubbed vocals,[78][95] along with additionalFender bass in the chorus and jaw harp.[78]
ACapitol Records memo dated February 23 indicated plans to include the song, titled "Good Good Good Vibrations", onPet Sounds.[92] However, by March 3, the song remained unfinished, and Wilson removed it from the album, to the disappointment of his bandmates.[96][97]Al Jardine recalled that Wilson instead delivered "Sloop John B" after Capitol had requested a "hit single" for the album.[97] Jardine considered it "a big mistake", a view shared byBruce Johnston, who believed including "Good Vibrations" would have increased sales ofPet Sounds.[98]
In the following weeks, Wilson concentrated on finishingPet Sounds.[92] Later in March, he recorded "Here Today", which biographer Mark Dillon called "the most direct precursor [sic] to 'Good Vibrations'".[99] On April 9, he returned to Gold Star to rerecord "Good Vibrations" from scratch.[78] This version, lasting two minutes and 28 seconds,[100] featured anocarina, accordion, 12-string electric guitar, and aprepared piano with its strings taped, among other instruments.[78] By the end of the month,Pet Sounds was completed and mastered without "Good Vibrations" in the running order.[101]
I wanted to write a song with more than one level. Eventually, I would like to see longer singles—so that the song can be more meaningful. A song can, for instance, have movements—in the same way as a classicalconcerto—only capsulized.
Starting on May 4, with a session held atWestern Studio, Wilson began recording "Good Vibrations" in sections rather than as a full take, intending to later splice the fragments together.[104] This session, logged as "First Chorus", "Second Chorus", and "Fade", focused on the song's choruses, bridges, and outro.[78] Music historian Keith Badman described this version as "an R&B number that many of the session musicians present will later recall as being as good as the released record."[105] Western staff engineerChuck Britz remarked, "That song was [Brian's] whole life's performance in one song. [...] Basically, it was a hit song the minute he cut it. But at that period of time, he was striving to do something that was totally different than what he'd done before."[55]
Still dissatisfied, Wilson continued recording "Good Vibrations" fragments between May 24 and June 2 across four sessions at Western andSunset Sound Recorders.[106] These sessions yielded multiple choruses, bridges, and codas.[78] By May 25, he had conceived the lyric "gotta keep those lovin' good...".[107] The late May sessions were labeled "Part C", "Chorus", and "Fade Sequence",[78] while the June 2 tape was logged as "Inspiration".[107]
David Anderle, then a talent manager formerly employed byMGM Records, recalled, "When I first got in with Brian, it was right around the time of the fourth [attempt at] 'Good Vibrations'. I heard it, and it knocked me out, and I said, "Uh oh, there's something happening here that is unbelievable."[108] Later, Wilson told Anderle he had scrapped the song and planned to sell it toWarner Bros. Records as an R&B single earmarked for "a colored group".[108][nb 13] Anderle proposed that Wilson finish the track for one of his clients, singerDanny Hutton, but Wilson declined and ultimately decided to complete it himself.[108][110][nb 14]
On June 12, session musician Jesse Ehrlich overdubbed a cello onto the June 2 "Inspiration" track.[113][78] Reports differ on who had suggested the cello.[88] Wilson credited himself with the "triplet thing" and his brother Carl for suggesting the instrument,[114] while Parks claimed he had proposed both the cello and the triplet phrasing.[115][116] Parks elaborated that his suggestion impressed Wilson, leading directly to their collaboration onSmile, and provided the piece with a "signature shot" as crucial as theruby slippers fromThe Wizard of Oz (1939).[117] On June 16 and 18, Wilson recorded more modules, none of which were included in the final edit.[78] Afterward, he paused work on the song for nine weeks.[113]
Carl Wilson told a reporter that "Good Vibrations" had been intended as the Beach Boys' next single, but "didn't turn out the way Brian wanted," leading Capitol to release "Wouldn't It Be Nice" on July 18 instead.[118] Brian returned to the studio in early August, focusing on "Wind Chimes" and "Look", marking the unofficial start of theSmile sessions.[119] Though Wilson rarely referenced the Beatles'Revolver,[120] music journalistBarry Miles speculated that the album (released in the U.S. on August 8) influenced him to complete "Good Vibrations".[121] Carlin alternatively suggested that Wilson was galvanized to complete the single after working with Parks on "Wind Chimes".[122]
Wilson completed at least a dozen versions of "Good Vibrations" before settling on a final edit.[12][123][nb 15] On August 11, after the touring members of the Beach Boys had played a concert at the Civic Memorial Auditorium inFargo, North Dakota, Carl received a call from Brian, who played a rough mix over the phone. Carl remembered, "He called me from the recording studio and played this really bizarre sounding music over the phone. There were drums smashing, that kind of stuff, and then it refined itself and got into the cello. It was a real funky track."[124]
At least two group vocal sessions took place atColumbia Studios between August 24 and September 1.[78] Mike Love recalled recording "25 to 30 vocal overdubs" for brief sections of the song, "maybe no more than two, three, four, five seconds long!"[124] A discarded August 24 edit featured a "fuzz bass bridge" that was nearly included in the final mix.[78] Unsatisfied with the initial recordings, Wilson had the group rerecord their entire vocal performance.[124]
On September 1, the second (or "church organ") bridge, replacing the earlier "fuzz bass bridge", was recorded at Western.[78][nb 16] That month, the master tapes of "Good Vibrations" briefly went missing before being found in Wilson's home two days later.[123] The final backing track was compiled from multiple sessions:
Dennis Wilson was originally set to record the lead vocal, but due tolaryngitis, Carl took his place shortly before the final vocal sessions.[123] The group recorded their final vocals on September 12, with an additional overdubbing session, including vocals and an Electro-Theremin part, held on September 21.[78] This seven-hour session, from 7:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m., also included the final mixdown.[127] Brian, speaking in a 1976 interview, described finalizing the mix at Columbia as "a feeling of exaltation" and "artistic beauty", recalling that upon playback of the completed mix, he remarked to himself, "Oh my God. Sit back and listen to this!"[35]
At 3:35, the song exceeded the three-minute limit typically imposed by record executives and radio programmers.[128][12] Wilson, later in the 1990s, recalled that he initially had no expectation of "Good Vibrations" becoming a hit, and that the band had considered not releasing it, "because it was so bizarre".Capitol Records executives had expressed concerns about its length and preferred to issue a more conventional track like "Barbara Ann" instead. However, after playing the song for friends at home and seeing their enthusiastic reactions, Wilson was encouraged to push back against Capitol's hesitation.[53][nb 17]
"Good Vibrations" was the most expensive single ever recorded,[80][85][129] exceeding the budget of a typical pop album.[57] Mike Love remarked, "I doubt Brian had any idea about the cost, nor did he care".[12] Estimates of the total production cost range from $10,000 to $50,000 (equivalent to $100,000 and $480,000 in 2024).[130][12] By comparison,Pet Sounds had cost an unprecedented $70,000 (equivalent to $680,000 in 2024).[131][132]
Contemporary advertisements cited a $10,000 cost.[133] BiographersJohn Tobler andTimothy White reported $16,000,[134][135] whileDomenic Priore estimated between $10,000 and $15,000.[136] Other reports claimed up to $75,000 (equivalent to $730,000 in 2024).[15][137][7] In a 2018 interview, Wilson refuted the $50,000 figure, stating that the actual cost was closer to $25,000 (equivalent to $240,000 in 2024).[138][nb 18]
Each section of "Good Vibrations" features a distinct musical texture, partly due to its fragmented recording process.[140] It starts with a traditional verse-chorus (or verse-refrain) structure in the key ofE♭ minor.[8][85] The versechord progression follows i–♭VIIadd6–♭VIadd6–V,[141][142] a whole-step root movement typical of Wilson's style, as heard in "Lonely Sea" (1963) and "Don't Hurt My Little Sister" (1965).[141] Despite thisminor key, the music does not convey sadness.[142] Carl Wilson sings the word "I" as a tripleteighth note before the firstdownbeat.[70] His introductory lead vocal, described by Dillon as "so airy, it could be floating on cloud of marijuana smoke".[130] is later doubled by Brian on select lines ("I hear the sound of a ..." and "when I look ...").[78]
A repetition of chords on aHammond organ filtered through aLeslie speaker accompanies Carl's singing, with a two-barFender bass melody underneath. This sequence repeats (0:15), adding twopiccolos sustaining over a descendingflute line.[140] Percussion includesbongo drums doubling the bass rhythm, while every fourth beat alternates between a tambourine and a bass-drum-and-snare combination.[140] Though in4
4, the rhythm has a triplet feel, often called a "shuffle beat" (or "threes over fours").[70]
A passing D♭ (V) chord at the end of the verse prepares for thekey modulation to the chorus.[8] The chorus (0:25) shifts to therelative major key ofG♭ major, functioning as♭III in context.[142] Carlin and Starr describe the theremin's introduction as evoking "vibrations" scattering on another plane.[37][143] Adding to this impression, according to Bush, is "another delicious parallel—between the single's theme and its use of an instrument the player never even touched."[71] Acello andstring bass play a bowed tremolo triplet, an effect Everett calls "exceedingly rare" in pop music[144] and the first known use of a cello in a rock song.[55][12] MusicianJace Lasek commented, "In the 1960s, having the cello chug along like that was shocking. It was an innovative use of a classical instrument, but it still sounded like rock 'n' roll."[22] Wilson likened the cello triplets to a similar effect inthe Crystals' "Da Doo Ron Ron" (1963).[145] Meanwhile, the Fender bass maintains a steady beat, with tom drums and tambourine providing a backbeat.[70]
The chorus unfolds in four 4-bar sections, gradually building its vocal layers. It begins with the couplet, "I'm picking up good vibrations / she's giving me the excitation", sung by Mike Love in his bass-baritone register.[70] Wilson likened Love's singing to the bass vocal onthe Dell-Vikings' "Come Go with Me",[146] while Love felt that there were similarities to the work ofJames Brown andthe Famous Flames.[12] The chorus repeats twice, adding harmonies—first with an "ooo bop bop", then with "good, good, good, good vibrations", each time ascending a whole step from G♭ to A♭ to B♭.[142][70] The song then resolves to the verse, forming aperfect cadence back to E♭ minor.[142] Unlike typical arrangements, the second verse and chorus repeat unchanged, without additional instrumentation or harmony layers.[70]
The abstract structure of "Good Vibrations" complicates formal analysis of the next sections.[54][40] In a typical song structure, the sections following the second refrain might function as a single extended bridge[54] or two distinct bridge sections.[78] Harrison termed it an "episodic digression", arguing that although the first part of the bridge is an unusual but plausible break between the verse and refrain, the second part challenges this interpretation, indicating a structure that evolves independently of standard song forms.[147] Starr similarly describes its structure as unique and without a definitive classification, calling it as distinctive as the rest of the recording.[40] He suggests that "development", a term typically associated with classical music, could best describe its form, which he partitions into sections designated as A, B, C, D, and "variations on B".[148][nb 19] Covach, using numerical labels in his formal analysis, states that while the song does not conform to conventional pop forms, it broadly follows a pattern in which contrasting material appears after the second chorus.[150]
The verse section does not recur for the remainder of the song. According to Starr, this is one of the more "surprising" elements of the formal structure, explaining that it "works because of subtle interconnections that are established among the different musical sections", such as overlapping vocal textures in the bridge (C section) that recall the chorus.[151] The last chord of the second chorus, B♭, which functioned as adominant (V), is retained as a tonic (I) in the first part of the bridge. The harmonic progression is ambiguous, interpretable as either I–IV–I (in B♭) or V–I–V (in E♭).[8] A new texture emerges withtack piano,jaw harp, and a bass accenting strong beats. At 1:55, this is expanded with electric organ,bass harmonica, andsleigh bells on every beat.[152] The only lyric, aside fromnon-lexical harmonies, is "I don't know where, but she sends me there," sung in Love's upper-register baritone. This section spans ten measures (6 + 2 + 2), an unusually extended phrase given the song's earlier patterns.[8] Lambert characterized this passage as the song's "ascent" and "dream sequence", followed by a "meditation" in the next section.[153]
At 2:13, the song shifts to sustainedelectric organ chords in F,[147] with a maraca shaking on each beat,[154] recalling the organ and percussion featured prominently in the verses.[143]Sound on Sound describes this cut as the track's "most savage edit" for its unexpected slowdown into a 23-bar "church organ" section. The writer explains, "most people would go straight into a big splash hook-line section. Brian Wilson decided to slow the track even further [...] Most arrangers would steer clear of this kind of drop in pace, on the grounds that it would be chart suicide, but not Brian."[70] Carl Wilson recalled their father's concern over the tempo shift, noting, "He was worried about the bridge section. You know, the time change, 'They can't dance to it.'"[90] Brian later credited Foster as "a big influence on me, especially the sound of ‘Gotta keep those lovin' good vibrations happenin' with her'".[7][nb 20] The sequence concludes with a choral "ah" sustaining an E♭/F chord, followed by a briefgeneral pause.[155] This moment of silence createstension, leading into the final section.[147]
Following the break, the chorus returns for five measures, moving through a transpositional structure that starts in B♭, shifts to A♭, and concludes with a brief measure in G♭.[147] This descending progression contrasts with the previous ascending refrains. A short, three-part vocal counterpoint, referenced by Lambert as afugato,[156] overlays the refrain's upward transposition before settling in A♭, the song's final key.[147] This section of the song shares melodic elements with Wilson's "Look", written in the same period, specifically in the march-like pattern and descending line (mostly in whole steps for "Good Vibrations", compressed into half steps in "Look").[157] Wilson recalled, "As soon as we got to [singing] that [ending choir] part I said, 'This is a masterpiece record.'"[109] By the song's end, all seven scale degrees of the opening E♭ minor tonic have been engaged[147] while the key remains destabilized.[158]
Wilson's instinctive talents for mixing sounds could most nearly equate to those of the old painters whose special secret was in the blending of their oils. And what is most amazing about all outstanding creative artists is that they are using only those basic materials which are freely available to everyone else.
Band publicistDerek Taylor, who had promotedPet Sounds in the UK, played a key role in marketing "Good Vibrations".[160][161] He coined the term "pocket symphony", which Wilson felt "encapsulated the record perfectly".[162] ABillboard ad on July 2, 1966, thanking the industry forPet Sounds' sales, included an early reference to the single: "We're moved over the fact that our Pet Sounds brought on nothing but Good Vibrations."[163] That summer, Wilson told journalistTom Nolan: "Our new single, Good Vibrations, is gonna be a monster. [...] Of course, it's still sticking pretty close to that same boy-girl thing, you know, but with a difference. And it's a start. It's definitely a start."[51][164]
On August 26, Brian and Carl Wilson metPaul McCartney andGeorge Harrison at Taylor's home,[27] where Brian played anacetate of the song. Taylor recalled that McCartney was impressed and requested a copy, but Wilson declined, saying he was still unhappy with the mix.[165][166] After the record's completion, Wilson and his assistantMichael Vosse appeared on a local TV show, possiblyIt's Boss withSam Riddle[167] orLloyd Thaxton's dance program.[168] Wilson brought out a large basket of vegetables and spoke about the benefits of roughage, confusing the host.[168] In Anderle's recollection, Wilson previewed the record while eating carrots, embracing his "vegetable thing" with Riddle.[167] Wilson also appeared onKHJ-TV'sTeen Rock and Roll Dance Program, introducing the song to the show's in-studio audience and presenting an exclusive preview of the completed record.[169] Van Dyke Parks recalled watching the record's television debut on one of these programs, and that when the song slowed in tempo, the teenagers paused their dancing, prompting a nearby A&R executive to remark, "A promotion man's nightmare!"[170]
The "Good Vibrations" single, backed with thePet Sounds instrumental "Let's Go Away for Awhile", was released in the U.S. on October 10, 1966.[171] In Britain, it was issued on October 28 with "Wendy" fromAll Summer Long as the B-side.[172] Shortly afterward, Wilson told a reporter, "I'm most proud of "Good Vibrations". It exemplifies a whole era. It's a whole, involved piece of music thatsays something."[173][174]
On October 21, 1966, eleven days after its release, the Beach Boys performed "Good Vibrations" live for the first time at theUniversity of Michigan inLansing. Wilson supervised rehearsals and attended both shows as an audience member.[175] At the second performance, he joined the band onstage for the encore, "Johnny B. Goode", earning a standing ovation.[175] Returning to Los Angeles, he instructed his wife to gather as many friends as possible for an impromptu photoshoot atLAX.[176] The resulting images became notable among fans for their perceived symbolic significance.[177][178]
Without Wilson, the group embarked on a three-week European tour, marking their first performances in the United Kingdom.[179] On October 26, they mimed "Good Vibrations" for the French television programTilt Magazine, which aired in January—their only European TV appearance during the tour.[172] Reviewing their late October concert in Paris,Melody Maker's Mike Hennesy wrote that the Beach Boys had struggled to replicate their studio sound live, and that "Good Vibrations" sounded "a little thin" compared to the record.[172] Concerned about their performance quality, the group canceled scheduled appearances onReady Steady Go! andTop of the Pops in November.[172]
As "Good Vibrations" climbed the charts, the band's touring revenue neared $2 million annually (equivalent to $19.4 million in 2024).[180] Capitol promoted the song with a two-page magazine ad declaring, "'Good Vibrations'—No. 1 in the USA, No. 1 in England."[181] On November 6, the Beach Boys played their first UK concerts at theFinsbury Park Astoria in London, with attendees includingBrian Epstein,Spencer Davis,John Walker,the Shadows, andCathy McGowan.[182] Ray Coleman ofDisc & Music Echo wrote that "Good Vibrations" was less successful live than their other songs, adding, "nobody expected them to sound as good 'live' as on record. And this was where they fell down. Their stage act was nil."[182]
Four promotional films were produced for "Good Vibrations".[171] The first, filmed on October 23, 1966, depicts the band asleep at a fire station before sliding down poles and chasing a moving firetruck through Los Angeles.[183] It aired onTop of the Pops on November 24.[184] The second, showing the group recording in the studio, aired on the French news programCinq Colonnes à La Une in February 1967.[184]
The third and fourth films were edited from footage originally shot forPeter Whitehead's documentaryThe Beach Boys in London. Both feature candid moments from the band's November UK tour. A shorter edit aired onTop of the Pops on November 10 and Beat Club in Germany on December 31. The extended version includes scenes of Al Jardine and Dennis Wilson visitingPortobello Road, the band traveling to anEMI press conference on November 7, and clips from their November 14 concert at the Hammersmith Odeon. This version aired on Top of the Pops on November 17.[184]
"Good Vibrations" sold over 293,000 copies within its first four days.[171] It debuted at number 62 onCash Box (October 22)[171] and number 38 on theBillboard Hot 100 (October 28).[187] By late November, it had become the Beach Boys' first million-selling single[46][167] and topped the UK charts for two weeks.[57] On December 3, it was certified silver by theBPI.[188] The single also peaked at number 1 in France, number 2 in Canada and Australia, and number 4 in Germany.[189]
On December 10, 1966, "Good Vibrations" reached number 1 on theBillboard Hot 100, replacingthe New Vaudeville Band's "Winchester Cathedral" and becoming the Beach Boys' third U.S. number-one hit after "I Get Around" and "Help Me, Rhonda".[190] It was their first single to top both the U.S. and UK charts.[191] On December 21, it was certified gold by theRIAA.[186][nb 21] The song spent seven weeks in the top ten (two at number one) before being displaced bythe Monkees' "I'm a Believer".[193] With over two million copies sold, it began dropping from the charts in January 1967.[194]
In June 1976, Capitol reissued "Good Vibrations" with "Wouldn't It Be Nice" as the B-side, peaking at number 18.[195] As of 1997, it remained the Beach Boys' best-selling UK single.[196] It was also Wilson's last composition to reach the U.S. top 10.[197][nb 22]
Music journalistPeter Doggett described "Good Vibrations" as "universally" hailed upon its release as the most adventurous pop recording yet.[199] Conversely, biographerSteven Gaines suggested that U.S. reactions were mixed.[75] The record elicited few detractors, one being San Franciscojazz criticRalph J. Gleason.[200][nb 23] According toDavid Leaf, some radio programmers initially hesitated to play the song, considering it "too long and too progressive".[167]Bruce Morrow, a prominent disc jockey in New York, reportedly disliked it. Mike Love said that Morrow "hated" the record "because it was so different. He wanted to hear 'I Get Around' or 'Surfin' U.S.A.' one more time, or 'California Girls Part Two'."[76] White noted skepticism among some Los Angeles disc jockeys, though they "immediately made it the Pick Hit of the Week".[135]
On October 15, 1966, five days after the single's U.S. release,Billboard predicted a top 20 placement, calling it "a sure-fire hit" with an "off-beat and intriguing rhythm".[202]Cash Box praised its "catchy, easy-driving" sound,[203]Record World described it as "highly imaginative",[204] andTeen Set deemed it "the most fantastic pop single to date".[174] Ahead of the band's November 18 concert inIndianapolis,Variety reported that the song was the most popular among local high school students.[205] Jon Stebbins, then a teenager, initially mistook the song for a new psychedelic band, later realizing it was the Beach Boys and concluding, "Man, those guys have really freaked out."[44] James B. Murphy, author of the 2015 biographyBecoming the Beach Boys, recalled listening to the record with his older brother as a ten-year-old inThe Bronx: "We didn't speak [as we listened together]. It was like a sacred experience. [...] We must have played ‘Good Vibrations' fifty times in a row."[206]
Among the early rock journalists in America,Crawdaddy! founder Paul Williams raved in his magazine, "No matter what you've heard,all the BEACH BOYS sing on 'GV'; the instrumental work, however is done by studio musicians. Some of the stranger sounds are from a theremin [sic]; now Brian wants a cathedral organ for the next album."[207] In Britain, reviews were overwhelmingly positive.New Musical Express (NME) called the record "technically brilliant" and "impeccably performed",[172][208] whileThe Sunday Express proclaimed, "They've Found the New Sound at Last!"[89][167][209]Melody Maker also gave it a favorable review.[210]
Some contemporaries offered tempered praise.[43]The Who frontmanPete Townshend feared that the single would lead to a trend ofoverproduction, telling aDisc & Music Echo reporter, "'Good Vibrations' was probably a good record but who's to know? You had to play it about 90 bloody times to even hear what they were singing about."[187] Record producer and singerJonathan King called it "computerized pop" and opined, "With justification, comments are being passed that 'Good Vibrations' is an inhuman work of art [...] impressive, fantastic, commercial—yes. Emotional, soul-destroying, shattering—no."[211] Asked about "Good Vibrations" in a 1990 interview, Paul McCartney said it was "a great record" before adding, "it didn't quite have the emotional thing thatPet Sounds had for me".[212][43]
In 1967, one month afterJann Wenner had launchedRolling Stone magazine, he praised "Good Vibrations" as "an honest-to-God monster" and "a song you can bathe in".[213] That year,Cheetah contributorJules Siegel wrote that the song had "marked the beginning of a new era in pop music", however, among the majority of American music critics, "everybody agreed that Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys were still too square. It would take more than 'Good Vibrations' andPet Sounds to erase three and a half years of 'Little Deuce Coupe'".[214][nb 24]
In December 1966, "Good Vibrations" was voted the best single of the year by readers ofDisc & Music Echo andValentine.[216] The Beach Boys also topped theNME readers' poll as the world's number one band, ahead of the Beatles,the Walker Brothers,the Rolling Stones, andthe Four Tops.[217][216]Billboard said that theNME's result was probably influenced by the success of "Good Vibrations" when the votes were cast, together with the band's recent tour, whereas the Beatles had neither a recent single nor had they toured the UK throughout 1966; the reporter added that "The sensational success of the Beach Boys, however, is being taken as a portent that the popularity of the top British groups of the last three years is past its peak."[218][nb 25] The Beach Boys were also voted the top vocal group in polls across Russia, Western Europe, Japan, and the Philippines.[187] In Denmark, Brian Wilson became the first American to win "Best Foreign-Produced Recording" in a national newspaper poll.[220]
At the9th Annual Grammy Awards, "Good Vibrations" was nominated in four categories:Best Performance by a Vocal Group,Best Contemporary (R&R) Group Performance, Vocal or Instrumental,Best Contemporary (R&R) Recording, andBest Arrangement Accompanying a Vocalist(s) or Instrumentalist(s).[221] It lost Best Rock Song to "Winchester Cathedral", despite the latter not being a rock song.[46][222][nb 26]
As 1966 whirled to a close, it seemed as if Brian had realized his most audacious visions. [...] It was everything he'd ever wanted—commercial popularity, unbelievable artistic freedom, unimaginable acclaim from his peers. All the rules were gone now, all the expectations shaken into dust. Able to finally transcend pop's norms and his own limitations, anything could happen. Anything, it seemed, except what did.
Following "Good Vibrations", Wilson faced a personal and professional decline.[225][80][nb 27] Harrison writes that Wilson had felt compelled to outdo himself and, given the scope of his ambitions, "an extremely dangerous phase" was inevitable to follow.[226] He planned to apply his modular recording techniques to an entire album,Smile, which was to include "Good Vibrations".[7][227][228][nb 28] Capitol designed the LP sleeve with "Good Vibrations" inscribed three times on the front cover[230] and their advance advertisements promised "other new and fantastic Beach Boys songs" consistent with its sound.[231]Band publisherMurry Wilson, father of the Wilson brothers, told a reporter in late 1967 that Brian had "lost a lot of confidence" after "Good Vibrations", fearing he could never write anything better.[232][nb 29] Anderle's account differed, saying that Brian saw "Good Vibrations" as a beginning rather than a peak.[167]
From late 1966 through mid-1967, "Heroes and Villains" and "Vegetables" were planned follow-up singles, with Wilson aiming to surpass "Good Vibrations".[234] However, delays stretched to eight months due to Wilson's indecision and other issues.[235][236][nb 30] SomeSmile sessions includedimprovisational comedy sketch recordings, including one premise involving Wilson's colleagues ordering from a psychedelic ice cream truck playing a "Good Vibrations" jingle, simulated by Wilson on piano.[239] In Stebbins' description, "Brian was given carte blanche for a short time. He exploited the opportunity by moving full speed ahead into the avant garde."[240] Heylin echoes, "Wilson no longer knew when to stop, the success of 'Good Vibrations' having turned any largesse from the label into a license to never let go."[241]
Ultimately, "Heroes and Villains" was released in July 1967 and failed to match "Good Vibrations" in critical and commercial success.[242][243]Smile remained unfinished, and in September, the Beach Boys releasedSmiley Smile, which included "Good Vibrations" at Capitol's insistence.[244] Wilson opposed its inclusion but was outvoted by his bandmates for the first time.[245][246] Anderle explained, "[S]omething [Brian] never wanted to do is put a single onto the album, but he was forced to do that. For sales. That was another, I'm sure, a minor tragedy for him."[247] The Beach Boys would not enjoy another number-one hit until 1988's "Kokomo", created without Wilson's involvement.[248][249][250]
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"Good Vibrations" had an immediate and lasting impact on popular culture.[29] The song became closely associated with the youth culture and its surrounding movements of the era,[251] anticipating theSummer of Love[7] and theflower child movement by several months.[252][nb 31] It also popularized the slang term "vibes" in the context of intuitive feelings or atmosphere.[254][nb 32]
Jon Savage, in his book1966: The Year the Decade Exploded (2015), wrote that the single's international success briefly positioned Los Angeles as "the centre of pop", superseding London, until the city's cultural prominence was itself challenged by San Francisco's music scene.[255] Carlin wrote that while the Beach Boys had found themselves "near the leading edge" of the youth movement, most critics were ultimately hesitant to place them in the same artistic realm as figures such asBob Dylan, viewing them as "candy-striped tools of consumerism."[209] Leaf writes that while the song had encapsulated the "almost-acid generation", the title phrase "soon became a cliched byword."[167]
"Good Vibrations" revolutionized pop music production, especially for singles,[173] and Wilson's unorthodox recording methods soon became standard practice.[79][81] Alongside the Beatles'Revolver, "Good Vibrations" was a prime proponent in shifting rock music from live performances to studio creations that could not be recreated in a natural acoustic setting.[256] Musicologist Marshall Heiser explains that it had set a precedent by challenging listeners to accept the recording as its own unique sonic reality.[81] Similarly, musicologistCharlie Gillett called it "one of the first records to flaunt studio production as a quality in its own right, rather than as a means of presenting a performance".[257] Mark Brend, inStrange Sounds: Offbeat Instruments and Sonic Experiments in Pop (2005), writes:
Other artists and producers, notably the Beatles and Phil Spector, had used varied instrumentation and multi-tracking to create complex studio productions before. And others, likeRoy Orbison, had written complicated pop songs before. But "Good Vibrations" eclipsed all that came before it, in both its complexity as a production and the liberties it took with conventional notions of how to structure a pop song. Crammed into its three and a half minutes are previously untried mixes of instruments, unexpected jumps from one section to another, and of course, unparalleled harmony pop vocals. Yet in all of this, the real triumph of the recording is that it fits together as a catchy, hummable, radio-friendly pop song.[258]
The 2004 bookAnalog Days: The Invention and Impact of the Moog Synthesizer describes it as "one of the most influential pop singles of all time",[259] while Rikky Rooksby'sInside Classic Rock Tracks (2001) calls it "a landmark in the development of popular music" particularly for its "unpredictable transitions and exotic instrumentation".[149] Larry Starr, in his 2006 bookAmerican Popular Music: From Minstrelsy to MP3, argues it "may well be the most thoroughly innovative single" of the 1960s and marked "an important milestone" in music production. Starr elaborates, "Virtually every aspect of the record is unusual, from the vocal arrangement to the instrumentation, from the chordal vocabulary to the overall form."[151][nb 33]
"Good Vibrations" may yet prove to be the most significantly revolutionary piece of the current rock renaissance [...] everyone has felt its import to some degree, in such disparate things asthe Yellow Balloon's "Yellow Balloon" andthe Beatles' "A Day in the Life," in groups as far apart as (recent)Grateful Dead andthe Association, as Van Dyke Parks andthe Who.
According to White, "every producer in town was talking about the 45" upon its release due to its multi-part structure and novel production.[135] Among the musicians who felt its influence wasBlood, Sweat and Tears founderAl Kooper, who said, "I stole millions of things from that song. It just changed my whole outlook of what you could do."[261] Singer-songwriterJimmy Webb credited "Good Vibrations" with redefining the scope of the three-minute record, proving that songs could seamlessly incorporate shifts in tempo, instrumentation, and vocal arrangements.[262]Ambient musicianMax Eastley described it as a revelatory experience that ended his folk career, likening its impact to being struck by lightning.[263]The Mamas and the Papas, who were among the many musicians who moved to California partly due to the Beach Boys' romanticized portrayal of the region, referenced "Good Vibrations" in their autobiographical 1967 single "Creeque Alley".[264]
Many musicians and groups created songs that attempted to match "Good Vibrations" in the late 1960s.[257] Gene Sculatti declared in 1968 that it was the "ultimate in-studio production trip" and "a primary influential piece for all producing rock artists".[260] Mark Prendergast, author ofThe Ambient Century: From Mahler to Moby (2003), acknowledges that the single had "changed the course of rock and popular music" and earned Wilson the reputation of being "one of the great sound-shapers of the century, influencing The Beatles and the whole production of rock and pop from then on."[265][nb 34] Further to the single's impact on the Beach Boys' rivals, Beatles biographer Clinton Heylin suggests that the band's 1967 double A-sided single "Strawberry Fields Forever" / "Penny Lane" was a direct response to "Good Vibrations".[267][nb 35]
"Good Vibrations" positioned the Beach Boys as one of the few bands besides the Beatles to achieve mainstream success with a psychedelic rock song in 1966, when the genre was still emerging.[63][nb 36] It contributed significantly to the development of theprogressive rock[269] andprogressive pop genres, and effectively launched the latter style.[58]PopMatters contributor Scott Interrante decreed that the single's impact on psychedelic and progressive rock "can't be overstated".[270]Bill Martin, author of books about progressive rock, suggested that the Beach Boys had cleared a pathway toward the genre, writing, "The fact is, the same reasons why much progressive rock is difficult to dance to apply just as much to 'Good Vibrations' and 'A Day in the Life.'"[269] John Covach, in his bookWhat's That Sound? An Introduction to Rock and Its History (2006), writes that "Good Vibrations", together with the Beatles' "Strawberry Fields Forever" andSgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967), demonstrated that rock could be viewed as serious art.[271][nb 37]
Author andSaint Etienne founderBob Stanley said it was "modern pop's first multi-movement single",[273] an influence, Rowland felt, was apparent on "A Day in the Life", McCartney's "Band on the Run" (1973), andQueen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" (1975).[72] Priore wrote that the song anticipated the multi-texturedsoul music exemplified by the 1971 releasesWhat's Going On byMarvin Gaye and "Theme fromShaft" byIsaac Hayes, both of which he identified as among "the most historically important R&B music ever pressed."[50]
Although "Good Vibrations" does not contain a theremin, it is the most frequently cited example of the instrument in pop music.[274][nb 38] Authors Trevor Pinch and Frank Trocco credited "Good Vibrations" with linking "far-out, electronic sounds" to rock music in the public consciousness.[275][nb 39]
The song revived interest in theremins and increased awareness ofanalog synthesizers.[276] To replicate its sound live, Wilson first asked Paul Tanner to perform with the Beach Boys, but Tanner declined due to other commitments.[258] The band then approachedWalter Sear, who worked withRobert Moog to develop aribbon controller that mimicked a guitar fretboard. Sear recalled marking fret-like lines on the ribbon "so they could play the damn thing." Moog later mass-produced theremins, and demand from pop music fans quickly depleted his inventory.[276]
InSteven M. Martin's 1993 documentaryTheremin: An Electronic Odyssey, in which Wilson makes an appearance, it was revealed that the attention being paid to the theremin due to "Good Vibrations" caused Russian authorities to exile its inventor,Leon Theremin.[277]
"Good Vibrations" was frequently performed live by the band, with the arrangement simplified due to practical constraints on instruments and voices. The organ-based midsection was repeatedly lengthened and embellished in concert and rehearsal recordings, adding extra vocal lines and an audience sing-along feel. They stretched the singalong section from six to seven phrases by mid-1967, and to ten phrases by the early 1970s.[278] On November 26, 1976, Wilson appeared as the musical guest onNBC's Saturday Night (laterSaturday Night Live) and performed "Good Vibrations" alone on a piano set in a giant sandbox.[279][280] Off-screen, his psychologist,Eugene Landy, held cue cards reading "RELAX" and "SMILE".[281] White characterized the performance as "less a performance than a pointedly exploitative skit about a singer suffering from clinical stage fright", calling it "live television at its most distressing" and part of a series of ill-conceived media events orchestrated by Landy.[281]
Additional alternate mixes and live performances of the song have been released across several of the band's albums. The 1973 live albumThe Beach Boys in Concert featured a performance from November 1972.[282] The 1983 compilationRarities included an alternate mix from 1966.[283] The 1993 box setGood Vibrations: Thirty Years of the Beach Boys contained a recording of the band's second public performance of the song[284] alongside several outtakes from the original studio sessions.[285][286] The song was also the opening track in the box set's attempt to approximate a completed version ofSmile.[287] The 1998 compilationEndless Harmony included a rehearsal take from the band's December 8, 1968, concert at the Astoria Theatre in London.[288] A version from the scrapped 1967 live albumLei'd in Hawaii appeared on the 2003 compilationHawthorne, CA.[278]
As a solo artist, Wilson rerecorded "Good Vibrations" as the closing track on his 2004 albumBrian Wilson Presents Smile.[289][290] This extended version included lyrics by Tony Asher and a different bridge section, both originally written in 1966.[191][278] Asher was initially uncredited for his contributions.[291] According to Carlin, using a different lyric set publicly slighted Mike Love and led to a dispute between Wilson's wife and manager,Melinda, and Asher, who had never signed a publishing contract for his share of the song.[292] Asher's credit was later restored.[293]
To commemorate its 40th anniversary, theGood Vibrations: 40th Anniversary EditionEP was released. It contained "Good Vibrations", four alternate versions, and a stereo mix of "Let's Go Away for Awhile".[294] The artwork replicated the original single sleeve. In 2016, the EP was reissued as a 12" record for the song's 50th anniversary.[citation needed]
The eight-track master tape of "Good Vibrations" has remained lost since the 1980s, preventing the creation of a true stereo mix.[83] The first official stereo mix, created with approval from Brian Wilson and Mark Linett, was included in the 2012 reissue ofSmiley Smile. It used digital technology developed by Derry Fitzgerald to extract individual instrumental and vocal elements from the mono master.[295][296]
"Good Vibrations" became widely used in commercial jingles, television and film.[297][298] Stebbins opined that the "duplicated, cloned, commercialized, and re-fabricated" usages of the song had the ultimate effect of "completely diluting the genius of the original".[298]
In 1978,Sunkist licensed the song for a U.S. advertising campaign promoting its orange soda.[299][300] Badman stated that since the Beach Boys had sold their publishing rights in 1969, they had no control over how "Good Vibrations" was used in advertisements.[300] In his 2016 memoir,Good Vibrations: My Life as a Beach Boy, Love wrote that the band had "an agreement with Sunkist Orange Soda, in which the company paid us $1.5 million to use 'Good Vibrations' in its commercials and to put the phrase on its packaging and in-store displays."[299] By 1980, the campaign had made Sunkist the best-selling orange soda in the U.S.[301] Love enjoyed the campaign but disliked the product, reportedly telling a Sunkist executive, "If I was driving myRange Rover through theMojave Desert, and it broke down, I would first drain my radiator fluid and drink that before I had a Sunkist."[302]
The lyric "I'm picking up good vibrations" is quoted inCyndi Lauper's 1984 single "She Bop".[303] In 1996, experimental rock groupHis Name Is Alive released an homage titled "Universal Frequencies" on their albumStars on E.S.P.; frontmanWarren Defever reportedly listened to "Good Vibrations" repeatedly for a week before deciding that the song "needed a sequel".[304] In 2001, the song was used prominently in a scene withTom Cruise,Tilda Swinton, andKurt Russell in the psychological thrillerVanilla Sky.[305][306] A live version of the song, from the albumLive in London, appears as a playable track in the 2010 video gameRock Band 3.[307] In 2019, the song was used prominently in a scene forJordan Peele's psychological horror thriller filmUs.[308][309]
Despite its popularity, relatively few artists have covered "Good Vibrations" due to the intricacies of its arrangement.[71] Versions of the song range from faithful recreations to reimaginings in the style ofpunk,synth-pop,electronic,jazz,hip-hop,doo-wop,Latin, orchestral,bluegrass, andcountry.[310] Artists who have covered the song includeGroove Holmes,the Troggs,Charlie McCoy,Psychic TV,[71]the Cowsills,Kenny Rogers and the First Edition,the Shadows,the King's Singers,Nina Hagen,Aika Ohno,the Chambers Brothers, and theLangley Schools Music Project.[310]
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In 1976,Todd Rundgren recorded a nearly identicalcover version for his albumFaithful. Released as a single, it peaked at number 34 on theBillboard Hot 100.[311] Wilson praised Rundgren's version, stating, "Oh, he did a marvelous job, he did a great job. I was very proud of his version."[312] Rundgren explained that while he had always appreciated the Beach Boys' sound, he became especially interested withPet Sounds and "Good Vibrations". He aimed to replicate the record as accurately as possible, "because in the intervening 10 years, radio had changed so much. Radio had become so formatted and so structured that that whole experience was already gone."[313]
In 2012,Wilson Phillips, a trio featuring Wilson's daughtersCarnie andWendy along withJohn Phillips' daughterChynna, released an album of Beach Boys and the Mamas & the Papas covers titledDedicated.[314] Their version of "Good Vibrations", with Carnie on lead vocals, was released as a single and reached number 25 onBillboard'sA/C chart.[315]
Regularly featured on "greatest-of-all-time" critics' rankings, "Good Vibrations" is widely recognized as one of the most important compositions and recordings of the rock era.[316] It is commonly regarded as one of rock's greatest "masterpieces"[317] and among the finest pop records in history,[44][45] as well as Brian Wilson's magnum opus.[85] In 1997, a panel of artists, producers, and music industry figures, surveyed byMojo magazine, voted it the greatest single of all time.[318]
Walter Everett, author ofThe Foundations of Rock (2008), decreed that Wilson is "rightly praised" for his "monumental" achievements with "Good Vibrations".[319] InWaiting for the Sun: A Rock 'n' Roll History of Los Angeles (2009),Barney Hoskyns described it as the city's ultimate 1960s psychedelic pop record, pushing pop production to its limits while remaining accessible.[65] InUnderstanding Rock (1997), Daniel Harrison stated that it represented the "most successful" convergence of the Beach Boys' commercial appeal with Wilson's artistic ambitions.[320]The Pleasure of Modernist Music (2004) stated that it was Wilson's first and "unquestionably most brilliantly successful" work under heavy drug influence.[321][nb 40]
At its best, the Beach Boys' music evokes a naiveté without falsity, giving shape and depth to a kind of American disposition—enterprise unencumbered by skepticism—and grants it a kind of dignity in the process. It's the last part that seems to confound a lot of people. But I can hear it in "Good Vibrations" as much as in "Surfin' USA."
Creem editor Ben Edmonds viewed the song as proof that "fun could be art".[3] On the single's fiftieth anniversary,Billboard contributor Andrew Unterberger praised "Good Vibrations" for its pervasive brilliance, "essentially unprecedented for a Top 40 hit at the time", and compared it favorably to "theFallingwater of pop music", though he felt that its perceived lack of emotional depth, in contrast to the "proto-emo anthems" ofPet Sounds, kept some rock fans at a distance. He concluded, "That's kind of the point, though: "Good Vibrations" finds its power through communicating love's elemental inarticulateness."[43][nb 41] In his 201433⅓ book onSmile, Luis Sanchez observed that its massive success propelled the Beach Boys "into an ambit of pop beyond any obvious explanation of how such an event should have happened."[51]
Among the band members, Jardine remarked, "Brian was absolutely at his peak back then. God, he was just like a freight train. We were hanging on for dear life."[7] Brian, in a 1970 interview, indicated that "Good Vibrations" had remained his favorite song in their catalogue, solely for its use of cello.[325]
The details in this section are adapted fromThe Smile Sessions liner notes, which includes a sessionography compiled by band archivist Craig Slowinski,[78] and the websiteBellagio 10452, maintained by music historian Andrew G. Doe.[95]
The Beach Boys
Additional players
Technical staff
Weekly charts[edit]
|
Year-end charts[edit]
|
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| New Zealand (RMNZ)[343] | Platinum | 30,000‡ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[344] | Platinum | 600,000‡ |
| United States (RIAA)[345] | Platinum | 1,000,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
| Year | Organization | Accolade | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1967 | National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences | Best Performance by a Vocal Group[221] | Nominated |
| Best Contemporary (R&R) Group Performance, Vocal or Instrumental[221] | Nominated | ||
| Best Contemporary (R&R) Recording[221] | Nominated | ||
| Best Arrangement Accompanying a Vocalist(s) or Instrumentalist(s)[221] | Nominated | ||
| 1994 | Grammy Hall of Fame Award[citation needed] | Won | |
| 2006 | Rock and Roll Hall of Fame | Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll[346] | Inducted |
| Year | Publication | Accolade | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Rolling Stone | 100 Best Singles of the Last 25 Years[188] | 11 |
| 2010 | Rolling Stone | 500 Greatest Songs of All Time[347] | 6 |
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Magazines and journals
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