The Beatles and The Beach Boys had a relationship of love and respect, even if the two were musical rivals during the 1960s. Their competitive spirits fueled their music, as one band tried to one-up the other whenever they released new projects. Brian Wilson was a fan of The Beatles but was frustrated when they achieved certain musical moments before he did. One album by the band made Wilson break down in tears when he heard it for the first time.
Brian Wilson ‘broke down in tears’ after hearing ‘Revolver’
The Beatles rose to fame in the U.K. in the early 1960s. At the same time, The Beach Boys were starting to make waves in America. In 1964, The Beatles made their first trip to the U.S., where Americans showed up in droves to see them, sending Beatlemania into the stratosphere. Still, The Beach Boys were doing well on the charts, even if they weren’t hitting the same heights as their friends from across the Atlantic.
In 1966, The Beatles released their seventh album, Revolver. It went No. 1 on the charts and contained several Beatles classics, such as “Yellow Submarine,” “Eleanor Rigby,” and “Here, There, and Everywhere”. According to Medium, the album profoundly affected Wilson, who first heard it in his car. Revolver caused Wilson to break down as he realized The Beatles had beat him to the punch.
“In 1967, when Brian Wilson first heard the song, he pulled over in his car, broke down in tears and said, ‘They got there first,’” Medium wrote.
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In a 2021 interview with Spin magazine, Wilson shared five albums he couldn’t live without, and Revolver was one of them. Regarding the record, he said: “What the heck is not to love? It’s some of Paul’s best work. His vocals are amazing.” The singer-songwriter also selected 1967’s Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, so Wilson was clearly a passionate fan of The Beatles.
Wilson once caused Paul McCartney to become emotional
While The Beatles made Brian Wilson tear up, he had the same power over the rival band. The Beach Boys’ response to Revolver was 1966’s Pet Sounds. Often regarded as the band’s best album, it initially wasn’t a massive hit, as it peaked at No. 10 on the Billboard 200. However, it featured many excellent songs, such as “God Only Knows”.
This track is a favorite among many musicians, including The Who’s Pete Townshend, Fleetwood Mac’s Christine McVie, John Lennon, and Paul McCartney. McCartney once had the opportunity to perform “God Only Knows” with Wilson at a benefit concert. In an interview with Rolling Stones’ guitarist Ronnie Wood, the former Beatle admitted to getting emotional during rehearsals. Fortunately, he held it together during the performance.
“I got to sing it with Brian once when we did a benefit [show] together,” McCartney shared. “I was okay at the actual performance, I held it together. But at the rehearsal, at the soundcheck, I lost it, because it’s very emotional, this song, I find it… ‘Oh my god, I’m singing with Brian,’ it just got me, I couldn’t. So all it is, it’s little vibrations reaching your music, it’s only little vibrations, little words, and little things. There is this powerful effect, you know.”
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