What is your favorite post Good Vibration-era Beach Boys song that made it into the Top 40?
While I have always loved "Rock and Roll Music" for introducing the Boys to a whole new generation of fans, my favorite is actually "Getcha Back".
This 80's tribute to the Beach Boys 60's "sound" was spot on. Great high part harmony.
The video for this song was extremely poor, however. The silly video that was produced contradicted this sweet love ballad's message.

Limiting it to only post 1966 Top 40 hits renders this poll close to meaningless by having just 15 titles to choose from (and of those fifteen, one was by Celebration, one a joint effort, one a medley and two reissues).

That said, well, has to be "Heroes & Villains" in my book.

I'd say "I Can Hear Music"... followed by "It's OK."

If you expanded it slightly to include singles that weren't top-40 hits, though, "Goin' On" would be my first choice.

And if you expanded it to include b-sides, "Til I Die" and "Baby Blue" and "This Whole World" would be up there.

And if you expanded it to include album tracks...

Many current artists would give their left dingleberry for "just 15" top 40 hits....but yes, we are talking Beach Boys.

I agree with you on that. I absolutely love I Can Hear Music and It's OK is awesome.

When I initially read this question, my first impulse was to think that in making a post-Good-Vibrations list, the top twenty or so songs would all be album cuts. But, you know, that's not necessarily so. "Wild Honey", "I Can Hear Music", and especially "Do It Again" are much-loved Beach Boys classics.

Let me answer MG's question with a top five:

5. Heroes and Villains
4. Good Timin'
3. Wild Honey
2. I Can Hear Music
1. Do It Again

Now, as for a post-Good Vibrations list for any Beach Boys song:

5. Feel Flows
4. Do It Again
3. California Saga: California
2. Time to Get Alone
1. Surf's Up

Wow, what a bizzare and naive thing to say Why would it render the poll meaningless? That's 15 great titles to chose from, and it's great to see others selections other than the "norm" that we get here.

Anyway, back to the topic at hand. I'll go for "I Can Hear Music" (UK#10) and "Cottonfields" (UK#5). Hmmm, "Lady Lynda" (UK#7) is also an awesome track!

And there are a few more I like, but I'll leave it with those.

Mark

Haha! UK top 40 hits, eh??? It wouldn't have changed my list, but...

I thought it might help to LIST the group's US post-"Good Vibrations" top 40s, so we knew what we were picking FROM... they were...

* "Heroes and Villains"
* "Wild Honey"
* "Darlin'"
* "Friends"
* "Do It Again"
* "I Can Hear Music"
* "Surfin' USA" (re-entry)
* "Rock and Roll Music"
* "It's OK"
* "Good Timin'"
* "The Beach Boys' Medley"
* "Come Go With Me"
* "Getcha Back"
* "Wipe Out" (with the Fat Boys)
* "Kokomo"

As you all pointed out, not a BAD list of songs... impressive in that it spans 22 years and ENDS with a number one.

So how about the singles that WEREN'T US top 40 hits? Also an impressive list of titles:

* "Gettin' Hungry"
* "Bluebirds Over The Mountain"
(Oh, well... so much for impressive )
* "Break Away"
* "Cotton Fields"
(although as Scooby pointed out, it was a huge hit in the UK and Europe)
* "Add Some Music To Your Day"
* "Slip On Through"
* "Tears In The Morning"
* "Cool Cool Water"
* "Wouldn't It Be Nice" (live version from the CELEBRATION BIG SUR album)
* "Long Promised Road"
* "Surf's Up"
* "Sail On Sailor"
* "California Saga (On My Way To Sunny Californ-i-a)"
* "Child Of Winter"
* "Sail On Sailor" (re-entry; charted higher than the first time but STILL didn't make the top 40)
* "Susie Cincinnati"
* "Honkin' Down The Highway"
* "Peggy Sue"
* "Here Comes The Night"
* "Lady Lynda" (again, a big hit in the UK)
* "It's A Beautiful Day"
* "Goin' On"
* "Livin' With A Heartache"
* "It's Gettin' Late"
* "She Believes In Love Again"
* "Rock and Roll To The Rescue"
* "California Dreamin'"
* "East Meets West" (with the Four Seasons)
* "Still Cruisin'"
* "Somewhere Over Japan"
* "Problem Child"
* "Happy Endings"
* "Don't Worry Baby" (with the Everly Brothers)
* "Hot Fun In The Summertime"
and after this, quite frankly, I lost track, then lost interest. But since Brian did too, I hope I can be forgiven.

This doesn't include solo material, or a bunch of reissued singles that were issued as tie-ins to compilations: "Little Honda" and "Hawaii" and "Graduation Day" (SPIRIT OF AMERICA) and "I Can Hear Music" (the WILD HONEY AND 20/20 twofer) and "Wouldn't It Be Nice" (the SHAMPOO soundtrack).

I think that's all.

I've narrowed it down to these three, great tracks all and utterly different, hence difficult to rate against each other. (I've used Brian's "H&V" as a limp excuse to leave out the BB version. )

* "Wild Honey"
* "I Can Hear Music"
* "It's OK"

Here`s my list for what it`s worth, not in any specific order.

1. Do It Again
2. Cottonfields
3. I Can Hear Music
4. It`s OK
5. Break Away
6. All This is That (it was running over and over in my head one day, so that`s always good to go by)
7. Come Go With Me (there`s really only one Beach Boy doing all the vocals on that one )

That`s only a partial list, but if any more run through my head over and over, I`ll have to add them.

I don`t think 'All This is That' was Top 40, but I never go by that on what I like.

I forgot about Good Timin'. One of my favorites. I also love Come Go With Me.

BTW, RhondaLuvsAlan I have to say that Cotton Fields is probably my favorite song that Al sings.

"Do It Again" probably because that was the first new Beach Boys 45 I ever bought.