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The 1966 album Paul McCartney wanted to live forever: “The classic of this century”
Paul McCartney praised The Beach Boys’ 1966 album Pet Sounds as a record far beyond its contemporaries, describing it as “the classic of this century”. The article presents the album as a major influence on McCartney and The Beatles, particularly for its ambition, songwriting and studio innovation.
Released in 1966 and largely driven by Brian Wilson, Pet Sounds helped redefine what a pop album could achieve artistically. McCartney has repeatedly highlighted its enduring quality, suggesting it was made to outlast its era rather than simply succeed in the charts.
In short
- McCartney called Pet Sounds a defining modern classic.
- The 1966 Beach Boys album influenced The Beatles.
- Brian Wilson’s studio ambition remains central to its reputation.
Explained simply
The Beach Boys were an American pop group whose best-known early hits often featured close vocal harmonies and songs about youth and surfing. By the mid-1960s, songwriter and producer Brian Wilson was taking the group’s music in a more ambitious direction.
Pet Sounds, released in 1966, brought together carefully arranged songs, layered vocals and unusual studio sounds to create a unified album. Its approach helped widen expectations of what a pop record could be, and it is often discussed alongside the Beatles’ work from the same period.
Paul McCartney was a Beatles songwriter and musician, and he has identified Pet Sounds as an important influence on his own work. The album matters because it shows how artists could use the recording studio and the album format to develop musical ideas beyond a collection of singles.
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