You can bottle down most pop music acts by reciting how many hits they have had and how many millions of albums they have sold. These conventional measures fall short when you’re assessing the impact of The Beach Boys. To be sure, this band has birthed a torrent of hit singles and sold albums by the tens of millions, but the band’s greater significance lies in the fact that it changed the musical landscape so profoundly, that every pop act since has been in its debt.
The Beach Boys were formed in California in 1961, and it was a family affair – brothers Brian, Carl, and Dennis Wilson were joined by their cousin Mike Love, and a friend Alan Jardine. Their distinctive sunny vocal harmonies are one of the signature sounds of modern pop music, making them the number one selling American band of all time, and were second only to the Beatles, in terms of success and popularity. Their most successful hits included “Good Vibrations”, “God Only Knows”, “California Girls”, “Wouldn’t It Be Nice”, “I Get Around”, “Help Me Rhonda”, “Barbara Ann”, “I Can Hear Music”, “Surfin’ USA”, and “Surfer Girl”.
Their lyrics reflected a southern Californian youth culture of cars, surfing, girls, and romance. They were America’s first and best rock band. The group had 36 US Top 40 hits, 56 Hot 100 hits, including four number one singles. Rolling Stone magazine listed The Beach Boys at number 12 in the 100 Greatest Artists Of All Time. Their first live paid performance was on New Year’s Eve 1961 at the Richie Valens Memorial Dance in Long Beach, which was headlined by Ike and Tina Turner. The Beach Boys have been responsible for some of the most perfect harmonies and melodies in rock and roll history, and it is for this vast accumulation of timeless music, that they will always be celebrated. Don’t miss this unique concert with an evening of summer sounds and timeless music with The Beach Boys At The Royal Theatre Castlebar on Saturday, June 26 2010! Tickets are available from €49.50 to €59.50 on www.ticketmaster.ie as well as from The Royal Box Office on 0818 300 000. For further information check The Royal Theatre and Event Centre website on www.theroyal.ie or www.ticketmaster.ie
