Brian Wilson and the bliss of bubble-gum pop

CLEAN-CUT, SMILING, wholesome—the Beach Boys ruled the American airwaves in the early 1960s. Their music was as sunny as a Southern California morning: easy to sing along to, but underlaid by complex harmonies and instrumentation that reward relistening. Brian Wilson—who died on June 11th, aged 82—was one of three brothers in the group and wrote most of their songs. Bob Dylan joked that he should “will [his ear] to the Smithsonian” and Paul McCartney called “Pet Sounds”, the band’s baroque masterpiece, his favourite album. Here are five essential tracks.

“Surfer Girl” (1963)
The pining (“Do you love me? Do you, surfer girl”), extravagant promises (“I will make your dreams come true”) and gently modulated harmonies make the Beach Boys sound like the coolest doo-wop group on the quad. Anyone who listens closely to the spiky guitar in the middle section and the wailing vocals at the end will hear a group that both embraced and winked at convention.