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The 1960s band Glenn Frey crowned the best voices in California
Glenn Frey and Don Henley of the Eagles regarded the Beach Boys as the greatest American vocal group, according to the article. Their admiration highlights the Beach Boys’ influence on the Eagles’ close-harmony sound and on California popular music more broadly.
Frey said the Beach Boys, particularly Brian Wilson, influenced all of the Eagles and praised their vocal work. The article also notes Henley’s influences, including the Byrds, Mills Brothers, Four Preps and Four Freshmen, while citing the Beach Boys’ arrangements on songs such as ‘Good Vibrations’ and ‘God Only Knows’.
In short
- Frey and Henley praised the Beach Boys’ vocal harmonies.
- Frey called them America’s greatest vocal band.
- Brian Wilson strongly influenced the Eagles’ sound.
Explained simply
The Beach Boys were an American vocal group formed in California in the early 1960s. They became known for songs about youth and life on the coast, as well as layered harmonies and arrangements shaped in large part by songwriter and producer Brian Wilson.
The Eagles, including Glenn Frey and Don Henley, emerged later in California and built a sound that also featured close vocal harmonies. Their admiration for the Beach Boys reflects the group’s influence on other musicians and on California pop music.