Why People Call the Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson a ‘Genius’ in the Studio
The Beach Boys are award-winning songwriters, with Brian Wilson even called a “genius” in the studio. Here’s what we know about Wilson’s songwriting style (and which popular songs he wrote for the rock band.)
The Beach Boys included Brian Wilson as a songwriter
The Beach Boys get around. The original members of the band included brothers Brian, Dennis, and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. Together, these performers collaborated on original music, earning praise from fans even decades after its release.
In addition to singing for the band, Brian Wilson is credited as a songwriter on “You Still Believe in Me,” “Don’t Worry Baby,” “I Get Around,” “God Only Knows,” and other Beach Boy hit songs. He earned Grammy nominations and the Beach Boys currently hold millions of Spotify plays on their songs.
Brian Wilson has the ‘joy and happiness’ present in the Beach Boys’ music
Although he didn’t have the “musical terminology” to articulate his ideas, Brian Wilson would still say things he was “hearing in his mind,” said Rolling Stone editor Jason Fine — including “make it sound like rain.”
“And he’s still that way in the studio—that’s still his comfort zone,” Fine said, according to Vogue. “It really raises the question: How do you think like that? How can your mind make these arrangements of instruments that have never been heard before and then get it down in real-time in the studio? I think that’s part of what people refer to when they call him a genius.”
“On top of that, there’s that other thing that Brian has, which is the joy and the happiness and the sparkle of the sun on the beach, but also this undercurrent of sadness, of loneliness and alienation—and ultimately that’s what gives the music such depth,” he added.
Some called Brian Wilson ‘heroic’ for his songwriting abilities
Wilson was also one of the collaborators behind “God Only Knows,” an original The Beatles’ Paul McCartney once called the greatest song of all time. The artist is also open about his mental health journey, with some calling him “heroic” for overcoming several hardships.
“Things don’t come easy for Brian, but one of the things I’ve always been inspired by is that despite all of this, he’s able to live a really productive life and create art and go on tour and enjoy his family,” Fine said.
“To me, that’s super heroic — and seeing how much he has to overcome to do the things that he does was part of my interest in sharing his story [in the 2021 documentary, Brian Wilson: Long Promised Road,] he continued.
Wilson created music for the Beach Boys for several years, with the songs available on most major streaming platforms.
