Brian Wilson, the late Beach Boys mastermind, once named Bee Gees co-founder Barry Gibb as the one songwriter he most admired and wished he could have collaborated with. Wilson, renowned for crafting intricate melodies largely on his own, rarely needed outside creative input, but he singled out Gibb's ear for hooks as something he genuinely respected, highlighting how even one of pop's greatest composers looked to others for inspiration.

Wilson recalled meeting Gibb at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997, describing him as "like King Kong" and suggesting the pair could have worked well together. He pointed to Bee Gees songs such as "To Love Somebody" and "How Deep Is Your Love" as examples of the vocal harmonies and melodic construction he admired, noting parallels between Gibb's ballads and his own songwriting style despite their contrasting public images.