Best of the Beach Boys

Last updated

Best of the Beach Boys
BestOfBB.jpg
US release
Greatest hits album by
ReleasedJuly 5, 1966 (1966-07-05)
Length
  • 27:47 (US)
  • 32:53 (UK)
Label
Producer Brian Wilson
The Beach Boys US chronology
Pet Sounds
(1966)
Best of the Beach Boys
(1966)
Best of the Beach Boys Vol. 2
(1967)
The Beach Boys UK chronology
Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!)
(1966)
Best of the Beach Boys
(1966)
Surfer Girl
(1967)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [1]

Best of the Beach Boys is the first compilation album released by the American rock band the Beach Boys through Capitol Records in 1966. The first version was released in the United States on July 5, 1966, two months after Pet Sounds . Another version of Best of The Beach Boys was issued in the United Kingdom on November 11, 1966, with a track listing that differed from the American release.

Contents

Release

The American release of Best of The Beach Boys includes a selection of 12 songs the band had recorded from 1963 to 1965, many of them singles or B-sides. The album reached number eight on the US charts and was certified gold by the RIAA on April 12, 1967, and double platinum on December 1, 1991. [2]

The British version of Best of The Beach Boys was released with songs that differed to its American counterpart. This version, initially compiled as a DJ sampler by EMI, sold close to 200,000 copies by September 1967 and spent a total of 142 weeks on the UK album charts, peaking at number two. [3] [4] [5]

Track listing

US edition

Side 1
No.TitleOriginal albumLength
1."Surfin' U.S.A." (Brian Wilson/Chuck Berry) Surfin' U.S.A. , 19632:28
2."Catch a Wave" (B. Wilson/Mike Love) Surfer Girl , 19632:18
3."Surfer Girl" (B. Wilson)Surfer Girl2:26
4."Little Deuce Coupe" (B. Wilson/Roger Christian)Surfer Girl1:50
5."In My Room" (B. Wilson/Gary Usher)Surfer Girl2:13
6."Little Honda" (B. Wilson/M. Love) All Summer Long , 19641:51
Side 2
No.TitleOriginal albumLength
1."Fun, Fun, Fun" (B. Wilson/M. Love) Shut Down Volume 2 , 19642:18
2."The Warmth of the Sun" (B. Wilson/M. Love)Shut Down Volume 22:50
3."Louie, Louie" (Richard Berry)Shut Down Volume 22:23
4."Kiss Me, Baby" (B. Wilson/M. Love) The Beach Boys Today! , 19652:35
5."You're So Good to Me" (B. Wilson/M. Love) Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!) , 19652:13
6."Wendy" (B. Wilson/M. Love)All Summer Long2:22

UK edition

Side one

  1. "Surfin' Safari" (B. Wilson/Love) – 2:05
  2. "Surfin' U.S.A." (B. Wilson/Berry) – 2:28
  3. "Little Deuce Coupe" (B. Wilson/Love) – 1:50
  4. "Fun, Fun, Fun" (B. Wilson/Love) – 2:18
  5. "I Get Around" (B. Wilson/Love) – 2:12
  6. "All Summer Long" (B. Wilson/Love) – 2:05
  7. "In My Room" (B. Wilson/Usher) – 2:13

Side two

  1. "Do You Wanna Dance?" (Bobby Freeman) – 2:18
  2. "Help Me, Rhonda" (B. Wilson/Love) – 2:45
  3. "California Girls" (B. Wilson/Love) – 2:37
  4. "Barbara Ann" (Fred Fassert) – 2:05
  5. "You're So Good to Me" (B. Wilson/Love) – 2:13
  6. "Sloop John B" (trad. arr. B. Wilson/Al Jardine) – 2:55
  7. "God Only Knows" (B. Wilson/Tony Asher) – 2:49

See also

Charts

Chart (1966)Peak
position
US Billboard Top LPs [6] 8
UK Top Albums 2

References

  1. Eder, Bruce (July 5, 1966). "The Best of the Beach Boys, Vol. 1 - The Beach Boys : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved June 11, 2012.
  2. "Gold & Platinum Searchable Database - January 26, 2014". RIAA. Retrieved January 26, 2014.
  3. "Billboard - Google Books". January 7, 1967. Retrieved January 26, 2014.
  4. "Billboard - Google Books". September 16, 1967. Retrieved January 26, 2014.
  5. "BEACH BOYS | Artist". Official Charts. Retrieved January 26, 2014.
  6. Whitburn, Joel (1973). Top LPs, 1955–1972. Record Research. p. 15. Retrieved July 10, 2025.