On this day, May 16, 1966, The Beach Boys released what many believe is the band’s magnum opus. Pet Sounds is unlike any other record from its era. Nobody had quite blended together the incredible elements of psychedelia and art rock with fairly new musical concepts found in prog-pop. Brian Wilson and co. made it look easy with this incredibly unique album. It’s rich in exotica, the avant-garde, found sounds, and, of course, some absolutely stunning vocal harmonies one would expect from The Beach Boys.
After Pet Sounds dropped on this day in 1966, the album went on to be somewhat of a mild success in the band’s native US. The record peaked at 10 on the Billboard Top LPs chart and did similarly well on the Cash Box and Record World album charts in the US. However, it was an absolute smash in the United Kingdom, where it peaked at No. 2 on two different LP charts. In the UK, Pet Sounds would remain in the Top 10 for half a year.
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The Legacy of ‘Pet Sounds’
Fortunately, Pet Sounds would eventually be recognized retrospectively as one of the greatest albums ever made, rivaling the likes of The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band and other major releases in the 1960s and the 20th century as a whole. Just look at any “best of” list from any reputable music publication. Pet Sounds is almost always there, no matter what, and toward the top of the list.
Today, Pet Sounds is known as one of the earliest concept albums in the rock genre. It’s rich in the psychedelic themes of its time, including LSD culture. But Pet Sounds also touches on some more relatable themes as well. Those include introspective themes like one’s self-awareness and social alienation.
Pet Sounds is also known for its very ambitious production effort. Perhaps even more so than the album’s conceptual themes and lyrics. Those harmonies are unlike anything I’ve ever heard. Brian Wilson and the bunch used their studio as a tool for composition rather than just a place to record. It was also an early album to “inspire” the use of synthesizers. Though, no synths can be heard on the album.
Pet Sounds might just be the most influential “orchestral pop” record ever made. And something about it still entices listeners today, six decades after it was first released.
Photo by: Universal Archive/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
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