History of Good Vibrations in Timeline
"Good Vibrations" is a groundbreaking song by The Beach Boys, released in 1966. Masterminded by Brian Wilson, with lyrics by Mike Love, it achieved international success, topping charts in the US and UK. Celebrated as a "pocket symphony," the song's innovative structure and complex production were unprecedented. It pushed the boundaries of popular music, elevating its artistic status and revolutionizing studio recording techniques. It is widely regarded as one of the greatest songs in rock, pop, and psychedelic music.
1939: Reference to The Wizard of Oz
A reference was made to The Wizard of Oz, stating that Parks suggestion impressed Wilson, leading directly to their collaboration on Smile, and provided the piece with a "signature shot" as crucial as the ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz in 1939.
1963: Chord Progression Comparison
Each section of "Good Vibrations" features a distinct musical texture, partly due to its fragmented recording process. The verse chord progression follows i–♭VII–♭VI–V, a whole-step root movement typical of Wilson's style, as heard in "Lonely Sea" from 1963.
1964: Inspiration from "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'"
In 1964, Phil Spector produced The Righteous Brothers' hit song "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'", which Brian Wilson aimed to surpass with "Good Vibrations".
1965: Chord Progression Comparison
Each section of "Good Vibrations" features a distinct musical texture, partly due to its fragmented recording process. The verse chord progression follows i–♭VII–♭VI–V, a whole-step root movement typical of Wilson's style, as heard in "Don't Hurt My Little Sister" from 1965.
February 15, 1966: Recording "I Just Wasn't Made for These Times"
On February 15, 1966, Brian Wilson recorded the backing track for the Pet Sounds song "I Just Wasn't Made for These Times", marking his first use of the Electro-Theremin.
August 24, 1966: Mike Love Completes Lyrics
On August 24, 1966, Mike Love completed the lyrics to "Good Vibrations" during a twenty-minute drive to the studio. He contributed lines for the verses and the chorus hook, "I'm picking up good vibrations / she's giving me excitations".
September 1966: Production of "Good Vibrations"
Throughout September 1966, Brian Wilson and The Beach Boys produced music fragments for "Good Vibrations" across four Hollywood studios. The song's production consumed over 90 hours of tape and cost tens of thousands of dollars, making it the costliest pop single at the time.
October 10, 1966: Release of "Good Vibrations" Single
On October 10, 1966, "Good Vibrations", a single by The Beach Boys, was released. It was produced and composed by Brian Wilson with lyrics by Mike Love. The song achieved immediate critical and commercial success, topping charts in the United States, the United Kingdom, and other countries.
1966: Alternate mix of "Good Vibrations" released in 1983
An alternate mix of "Good Vibrations" from 1966 was released on the 1983 compilation *Rarities*.
1966: "Good Vibrations" positions the Beach Boys in the psychedelic rock genre
In 1966, "Good Vibrations" positioned the Beach Boys as one of the few bands besides the Beatles to achieve mainstream success with a psychedelic rock song, when the genre was still emerging. It also contributed significantly to the development of the progressive rock and progressive pop genres, and effectively launched the latter style.
1966: Pet Sounds Album and Wilson's Creative Shift
In 1966, The Beach Boys' eleventh album, Pet Sounds, marked a shift in Brian Wilson's creative process. Wilson aimed for "Good Vibrations" to surpass Phil Spector's writing and production on the Righteous Brothers' 1964 hit "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" .
1966: Tony Asher writes lyrics and a different bridge section for Good Vibrations
In 2004, Brian Wilson released a new version of Good Vibrations, and this extended version included lyrics by Tony Asher and a different bridge section, both originally written in 1966.
1966: Collaboration with Tony Asher
In early 1966, Brian Wilson introduced the theme of "vibrations" to Tony Asher. Wilson played a bunch of chords that would become "Good Vibrations" for Asher. Asher crafted the chorus lyrics into "Good, good, good, good vibrations" and wrote more words for the verses.
1967: The Beach Boys stretched the singalong section of Good Vibrations
By mid-1967, The Beach Boys had stretched the singalong section of "Good Vibrations" from six to seven phrases during live performances.
1967: The Beatles respond to "Good Vibrations" with "Strawberry Fields Forever" / "Penny Lane"
In 1967, Beatles biographer Clinton Heylin suggests that the band's double A-sided single "Strawberry Fields Forever" / "Penny Lane" was a direct response to "Good Vibrations".
1967: The Mamas and the Papas reference "Good Vibrations" in "Creeque Alley"
In 1967, The Mamas and the Papas, who were among the many musicians who moved to California partly due to the Beach Boys' romanticized portrayal of the region, referenced "Good Vibrations" in their autobiographical single "Creeque Alley".
1967: "Good Vibrations" showed that rock could be viewed as serious art
In 1967, according to John Covach's book, "Good Vibrations" along with the Beatles' "Strawberry Fields Forever" and "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" demonstrated that rock could be viewed as serious art.
1967: "Good Vibrations" Appears on Smiley Smile
In 1967, despite Brian Wilson's initial objections, "Good Vibrations" was included on The Beach Boys' album Smiley Smile.
1967: Version from scrapped album Lei'd in Hawaii appeared on 2003 compilation
In 2003, a version of "Good Vibrations" from the scrapped 1967 live album *Lei'd in Hawaii* appeared on the compilation *Hawthorne, CA*.
1967: Mike Love Compares "Good Vibrations" to "San Francisco"
Mike Love described his "Good Vibrations" lyrics as "just a flowery poem" similar to the later 1967 hit "San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair)".
1967: Hal Blaine Contrasts Recording "Good Vibrations" with "MacArthur Park"
Reflecting on the recording sessions, drummer Hal Blaine remarked that the musicians spent half the year recording "Good Vibrations" without knowing what the finished track would sound like, a stark contrast to their swift two-take recording of the seven-minute "MacArthur Park" in 1967.
December 8, 1968: Rehearsal take from London concert included on compilation album
A rehearsal take from the Beach Boys' December 8, 1968, concert at the Astoria Theatre in London was included on the 1998 compilation *Endless Harmony*.
1968: "Good Vibrations" declared "ultimate in-studio production trip"
In 1968, Gene Sculatti declared that "Good Vibrations" was the "ultimate in-studio production trip" and "a primary influential piece for all producing rock artists".
1969: The Beach Boys sold their publishing rights
In 1969, The Beach Boys sold their publishing rights, losing control over how "Good Vibrations" was used in advertisements.
1970: Brian Wilson indicates "Good Vibrations" is his favorite song
In a 1970 interview, Brian Wilson indicated that "Good Vibrations" had remained his favorite song in their catalogue, solely for its use of cello.
1971: "Good Vibrations" anticipated multi-textured soul music
According to Priore, "Good Vibrations" anticipated the multi-textured soul music exemplified by the 1971 releases *What's Going On* by Marvin Gaye and "Theme from Shaft" by Isaac Hayes.
1971: Bruce Johnston's Concert Introduction
During a 1971 concert, Bruce Johnston introduced "Good Vibrations" as a song that "reflects these really fucked up times".
November 1972: Performance featured on "The Beach Boys in Concert" live album
A November 1972 performance of "Good Vibrations" was featured on the 1973 live album *The Beach Boys in Concert*.
1973: "Good Vibrations" influenced "Band on the Run"
Bob Stanley said the single was "modern pop's first multi-movement single", an influence, Rowland felt, was apparent on McCartney's "Band on the Run" in 1973.
1973: Live album "The Beach Boys in Concert" features a performance of "Good Vibrations"
In 1973, the live album *The Beach Boys in Concert* featured a performance of the song from November 1972.
1975: "Good Vibrations" influenced "Bohemian Rhapsody"
Bob Stanley said the single was "modern pop's first multi-movement single", an influence, Rowland felt, was apparent on Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" in 1975.
November 26, 1976: Brian Wilson performs "Good Vibrations" on Saturday Night Live
On November 26, 1976, Brian Wilson appeared as the musical guest on NBC's *Saturday Night* (later *Saturday Night Live*) and performed "Good Vibrations" alone on a piano set in a giant sandbox. Off-screen, his psychologist, Eugene Landy, held cue cards reading "RELAX" and "SMILE".
1976: Brian Wilson Describes Finalizing the Mix
Brian Wilson, speaking in a 1976 interview, described finalizing the mix at Columbia as "a feeling of exaltation" and "artistic beauty", recalling that upon playback of the completed mix, he remarked to himself, "Oh my God. Sit back and listen to this!"
1976: Todd Rundgren records a cover version of Good Vibrations
In 1976, Todd Rundgren recorded a nearly identical cover version of "Good Vibrations" for his album *Faithful*. Released as a single, it peaked at number 34 on the Billboard Hot 100. Brian Wilson praised Rundgren's version.
1976: Todd Rundgren's Cover Version
In 1976, Todd Rundgren's cover version of "Good Vibrations" reached number 34 on U.S. charts.
1978: "Good Vibrations" licensed for Sunkist advertising campaign
In 1978, Sunkist licensed the song "Good Vibrations" for a U.S. advertising campaign promoting its orange soda.
1978: Mike Love's 1978 Interview
In a 1978 interview, Mike Love opined that the song "Good Vibrations" was a logical progression after the album Pet Sounds, which itself "was rather sequential and logical after 'I Get Around'."
1980: Sunkist becomes best-selling orange soda in the U.S.
By 1980, the Sunkist advertising campaign that featured "Good Vibrations" had made Sunkist the best-selling orange soda in the U.S.
1983: Alternate mix of "Good Vibrations" included on "Rarities" compilation
In 1983, an alternate mix of "Good Vibrations" from 1966 was included on the compilation album *Rarities*.
1984: "I'm picking up good vibrations" quoted in "She Bop"
In 1984, the lyric "I'm picking up good vibrations" is quoted in Cyndi Lauper's single "She Bop".
1991: Publication of Wilson's Memoir
In 1991, Brian Wilson's memoir, Wouldn't It Be Nice: My Own Story, was published, in which Wilson stated that he had a lot of unfinished ideas, fragments of music I called 'feels.' Each feel represented a mood or an emotion I'd felt, and I planned to fit them together like a mosaic."
1993: "Good Vibrations" causes the exile of Leon Theremin
In 1993, Steven M. Martin's documentary *Theremin: An Electronic Odyssey*, revealed that the attention being paid to the theremin due to "Good Vibrations" caused Russian authorities to exile its inventor, Leon Theremin.
1993: Recording of the band's second public performance of "Good Vibrations" released
In 1993, the box set *Good Vibrations: Thirty Years of the Beach Boys* contained a recording of the band's second public performance of the song alongside several outtakes from the original studio sessions.
1996: "Universal Frequencies" released as an homage to Good Vibrations
In 1996, experimental rock group His Name Is Alive released an homage titled "Universal Frequencies" on their album *Stars on E.S.P.*
1997: "Good Vibrations" represents the most successful convergence of commercial appeal
In 1997, Daniel Harrison stated in *Understanding Rock* that it represented the "most successful" convergence of the Beach Boys' commercial appeal with Wilson's artistic ambitions.
1997: "Good Vibrations" voted greatest single of all time by Mojo magazine
In 1997, a panel of artists, producers, and music industry figures, surveyed by *Mojo* magazine, voted "Good Vibrations" the greatest single of all time.
1997: Sound on Sound Writer's Argument
In 1997, an uncredited writer for Sound on Sound argued that "Good Vibrations" had subverted traditional pop songwriting practices across all eras.
1998: Rehearsal take of Good Vibrations released in Endless Harmony
In 1998, a rehearsal take from the band's December 8, 1968, concert at the Astoria Theatre in London was included on the compilation Endless Harmony.
2001: "Good Vibrations" featured in "Vanilla Sky"
In 2001, the song was used prominently in a scene with Tom Cruise, Tilda Swinton, and Kurt Russell in the psychological thriller *Vanilla Sky*.
2003: "Good Vibrations" changed the course of rock and pop music
In 2003, Mark Prendergast, author of *The Ambient Century: From Mahler to Moby*, acknowledged that "Good Vibrations" had "changed the course of rock and popular music" and earned Wilson the reputation of being "one of the great sound-shapers of the century, influencing The Beatles and the whole production of rock and pop from then on."
2003: "Good Vibrations" version from Lei'd in Hawaii released on compilation album
In 2003, a version from the scrapped 1967 live album *Lei'd in Hawaii* appeared on the compilation *Hawthorne, CA*.
2004: "Good Vibrations" called Wilson's most brilliantly successful work under drug influence
In 2004, *The Pleasure of Modernist Music* stated that "Good Vibrations" was Wilson's first and "unquestionably most brilliantly successful" work under heavy drug influence.
2004: Brian Wilson rerecorded "Good Vibrations" for Brian Wilson Presents Smile
In 2004, as a solo artist, Brian Wilson rerecorded "Good Vibrations" as the closing track on his album *Brian Wilson Presents Smile*. This extended version included lyrics by Tony Asher and a different bridge section, both originally written in 1966.
2006: "Good Vibrations" seen as serious art in "What's That Sound? An Introduction to Rock and Its History"
John Covach, in his 2006 book *What's That Sound? An Introduction to Rock and Its History*, writes that "Good Vibrations", together with the Beatles' "Strawberry Fields Forever" and Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967), demonstrated that rock could be viewed as serious art.
2007: Brian Wilson's 2007 Interview
In a 2007 interview, Brian Wilson stated that the song "Good Vibrations", like "California Girls", was inspired by his use of LSD.
2008: "Good Vibrations" praised for monumental achievements in The Foundations of Rock
In 2008, Walter Everett, author of *The Foundations of Rock*, decreed that Brian Wilson is "rightly praised" for his "monumental" achievements with "Good Vibrations".
2009: "Good Vibrations" described as the city's ultimate 1960s psychedelic pop record
In 2009, Barney Hoskyns described "Good Vibrations" as the city's ultimate 1960s psychedelic pop record in *Waiting for the Sun: A Rock 'n' Roll History of Los Angeles*.
2010: "Good Vibrations" appears in Rock Band 3
In 2010, a live version of the song, from the album *Live in London*, appeared as a playable track in the video game *Rock Band 3*.
2012: Lorren Daro's Blog Post
In 2012, Lorren Daro wrote in a blog post that the song "Good Vibrations" was "written about my wife, Lynda".
2012: Mike Love Recalls Feeling Apprehensive
In 2012, Mike Love recalled feeling apprehensive about the "avant-garde" quality of "Good Vibrations", and wondering how fans would react to it.
2012: Wilson Phillips releases "Good Vibrations" cover
In 2012, Wilson Phillips, a trio featuring Brian Wilson's daughters, released an album of Beach Boys and the Mamas & the Papas covers titled *Dedicated*. Their version of "Good Vibrations", with Carnie on lead vocals, was released as a single and reached number 25 on Billboard's A/C chart.
2012: First official stereo mix of "Good Vibrations" released
In 2012, the first official stereo mix of "Good Vibrations" was included in the reissue of *Smiley Smile*. It used digital technology developed by Derry Fitzgerald to extract individual instrumental and vocal elements from the mono master.
2012: Brian Wilson's 2012 Interview
In a 2012 interview, Brian Wilson attributed the inspiration for "Good Vibrations" to marijuana, stating, "I don't accredit it to LSD, I accredit it to marijuana. I smoked marijuana just before I wrote it."
2014: "Good Vibrations" massive success propelled The Beach Boys
In 2014, in his *33⅓* book on *Smile*, Luis Sanchez observed that the massive success of "Good Vibrations" propelled the Beach Boys "into an ambit of pop beyond any obvious explanation of how such an event should have happened."
2016: "Good Vibrations: 40th Anniversary Edition" reissued as a 12" record
In 2016, the *Good Vibrations: 40th Anniversary Edition* EP was reissued as a 12" record for the song's 50th anniversary.
2016: Mike Love mentions the agreement with Sunkist in his memoir
In his 2016 memoir, *Good Vibrations: My Life as a Beach Boy*, Mike Love wrote that the band had "an agreement with Sunkist Orange Soda, in which the company paid us $1.5 million to use 'Good Vibrations' in its commercials and to put the phrase on its packaging and in-store displays."
2018: Wilson Refutes Production Cost Figure
In a 2018 interview, Brian Wilson refuted the $50,000 figure for the production cost of "Good Vibrations", stating that the actual cost was closer to $25,000.
2019: "Good Vibrations" used in Jordan Peele's film "Us"
In 2019, the song "Good Vibrations" was used prominently in a scene for Jordan Peele's psychological horror thriller film *Us*.
2024: Estimated Production Cost Comparison
In 2024 equivalent values, estimates of the total production cost range from $100,000 to $480,000. By comparison, Pet Sounds had cost an unprecedented $680,000 in 2024 equivalent value.
2024: Production Cost Estimates
Reports in 2024 equivalents claimed that the cost of the song was up to $730,000. In a 2018 interview, Wilson refuted the $50,000 figure, stating that the actual cost was closer to $240,000 in 2024 equivalent value.
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