Started: 1961
City and Country of Origin: Hawthorne, California
Music Training: brothers Brian, Dennis and Carl often harmonized together along with cousin Mike Love
Awards: 1974 Band of the Year, Rolling Stone Magazine; 1988 inducted into the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame
Top Recordings: "Surfin' Safari," "I Get Around," "Help Me, Rhonda," "Barbara Ann," "Good Vibrations"
The Beach Boys Biography: The group consisting of brothers Brian, Dennis, Carl Wilson, and cousin Mike Love was joined by Brian Wilson's high school football teammate Al Jardine. Together, in 1961, they rented instruments and recorded "Surfin" as the Pendletones on Candix Records. When the song got some national recognition the group was signed to a recording contract by Capitol Records. In 1962 they released their first national hit as the Beach Boys with "Surfin' Safari." This launched the whole surf rock caze of the early and mid sixties. They followed up their success with another surfin' sound in early 1963, "Surfin' U.S.A." Although their contract required them to work with a company producer, Brian quickly became the moving force behind their recording sessions. Their first album Surfer Girl became their first of many top ten albums. During the '60s the group released 9 top ten albums: "Little Deuce Coupe" (1964), "All Summer Long" (1964), "Beach Boys Concert" (1964), "The Beach Boys Today" (1965), "Summer Days" (1965), "Beach Boys' Party!" (1966), "Pet Sounds" (1966) and "Best of the Beach Boys" (1966). In 1974 their album Endless Summer went to number 1 on the album charts. The group would have 2 more top ten albums during the '70s. In 1983, 39 year old Beach Boy Dennis Wilson drowned. After a long absence from the charts the group hit number 1 in 1988 with "Kokomo." Carl Wilson died of cancer in 1998.

Music by the Decade:

Sounds of the Fifties

Sounds of the Sixties

Sounds of the Seventies

Sounds of the Eighties

Sounds of the Nineties