
Pet Sounds is the eleventh studio album by American rock band the Beach Boys, released on May 16, 1966, by Capitol Records. It was initially met with a lukewarm critical and commercial response in the United States, peaking at number 10 on the Billboard Top LPs chart. In the United Kingdom, the album was lauded by critics and reached number 2 on the Record Retailer chart, remaining in the top ten for six months. Promoted there as “the most progressive pop album ever”, Pet Sounds was recognised for its ambitious production, sophisticated music, and emotional lyrical content. It is considered to be among the greatest and most influential albums in music history.
The album was produced, arranged, and almost entirely composed by Brian Wilson with guest lyricist Tony Asher. It was recorded largely between January and April 1966, a year after Wilson quit touring with his bandmates. His goal was to create “the greatest rock album ever made”—a cohesive work with no filler tracks. It is sometimes considered a Wilson solo album that builds upon the advancements of The Beach Boys Today! (1965). Lead single “Caroline, No” was issued as his official solo debut. It was followed by two singles credited to the group: “Sloop John B” and “Wouldn’t It Be Nice” (backed with “God Only Knows”).
Incorporating elements of pop, jazz, exotica, classical, and the avant-garde, Wilson’s Wall of Sound-based orchestrations mixed conventional rock set-ups with elaborate layers of vocal harmonies, found sounds, and instruments never before associated with rock, such as bicycle bells, French horn, flutes, Electro-Theremin, string sections, and beverage cans. The album could not be reproduced live and was the first time that any group departed from their usual small-ensemble electric rock band format for a whole LP. An early concept album, it consists mainly of introspective songs like “I Know There’s an Answer”, a critique of LSD users; and “I Just Wasn’t Made for These Times”, the first use of a theremin-like instrument on a rock record. The album’s unprecedented total production cost exceeded $70,000 (equivalent to $580,000 in 2021). An expanded reissue, The Pet Sounds Sessions, was released in 1997 with isolated vocals and instrumental versions, session highlights, and the album’s first true stereo mix.
Pet Sounds revolutionized the field of music production and the role of producers within the music industry, introduced novel approaches to orchestration, chord voicings, and structural harmonies, and furthered the cultural legitimization of popular music, a greater public appreciation for albums, the use of synthesizers, the recording studio as an instrument, and the development of psychedelic music and progressive/art rock. It has topped several critics’ and musicians’ polls for the best album of all time, including those published by NME, Mojo, Uncut, and The Times. In 2004, it was inducted into the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress. It has been certified platinum by the RIAA, indicating over one million units sold.
- “Wouldn’t It Be Nice” 2:25
- “You Still Believe in Me” 2:31
- “That’s Not Me” 2:28
- “Don’t Talk (Put Your Head on My Shoulder)” 2:53
- “I’m Waiting for the Day” 3:05
- “Let’s Go Away for Awhile” 2:18
- “Sloop John B” 2:58
- “God Only Knows” 2:51
- “I Know There’s an Answer” 3:09
- “Here Today” 2:54
- “I Just Wasn’t Made for These Times” 3:12
- “Pet Sounds” 2:22
- “Caroline, No” 2:51
Al Jardine – vocals
Bruce Johnston – vocals
Mike Love – vocals
Brian Wilson – vocals; plucked piano strings on “You Still Believe in Me”; bass guitar, Danelectro bass, and organ on “That’s Not Me”; piano on “Pet Sounds”; overdubbed organ or harmonium on “I Know There’s an Answer”
Carl Wilson – vocals; lead guitar and overdubbed 12-string electric guitar on “That’s Not Me”; 12-string electric guitar on “God Only Knows”
Dennis Wilson – vocals; drums on “That’s Not Me”
Tony Asher – plucked piano strings on “You Still Believe in Me”
Steve Korthof – tambourine on “That’s Not Me”
Terry Melcher – tambourine on “That’s Not Me” and “God Only Knows”
Marilyn Wilson – additional vocals on “You Still Believe in Me” introduction (uncertain)
Tony (surname unknown) – tambourine on “Sloop John B”
Chuck Berghofer – string bass
Hal Blaine – bicycle horn, drums, percussion, sleigh bells, timpani
Glen Campbell – banjo, guitar
Frank Capp – bells, beverage cup, timpani, glockenspiel, tambourine, temple blocks, vibraphone
Al Casey – guitar
Roy Caton – trumpet
Jerry Cole – electric guitar, guitar
Gary Coleman – bongos, timpani
Mike Deasy – guitar
Al De Lory – harpsichord, organ, piano, tack piano
Steve Douglas – alto saxophone, clarinet, flute, piano, temple blocks, tenor saxophone
Carl Fortina – accordion
Ritchie Frost – drums, bongos, Coca-Cola cans
Jim Gordon – drums, orange juice cups
Bill Green – alto saxophone, clarinet, flute, güiro, tambourine
Leonard Hartman – bass clarinet, clarinet, English horn
Jim Horn – alto saxophone, clarinet, baritone saxophone, flute
Paul Horn – flute
Jules Jacob – flute
Plas Johnson – clarinet, güiro, flute, piccolo, tambourine, tenor saxophone
Carol Kaye – electric bass, guitar
Barney Kessel – guitar
Bobby Klein – clarinet
Larry Knechtel – harpsichord, organ, tack piano
Frank Marocco – accordion
Gail Martin – bass trombone
Nick Martinis – drums
Mike Melvoin – harpsichord
Jay Migliori – baritone saxophone, bass clarinet, bass saxophone, clarinet, flute
Tommy Morgan – bass harmonica
Jack Nimitz – baritone saxophone, bass saxophone
Bill Pitman – guitar
Ray Pohlman – electric bass
Don Randi – tack piano
Alan Robinson – french horn
Lyle Ritz – string bass, ukulele
Billy Strange – electric guitar, guitar, 12-string electric guitar
Ernie Tack – bass trombone
Paul Tanner – Electro-Theremin
Tommy Tedesco – acoustic guitar
Jerry Williams – timpani
Julius Wechter – bicycle bell, tambourine, timpani, vibraphone
Arnold Belnick – violin
Norman Botnick – viola
Joseph DiFiore – viola
Justin DiTullio – cello
Jesse Erlich – cello
James Getzoff – violin
Harry Hyams – viola
William Kurasch – violin
Leonard Malarsky – violin
Jerome Reisler – violin
Joseph Saxon – cello
Ralph Schaeffer – violin
Sid Sharp – violin
Darrel Terwilliger – viola
Tibor Zelig – violin