Top 100: Beach Boys songs not by the Beach Boys

Message Bookmarked
Bookmark Removed

100. Sagittarius - My World Fell Down
99. First Class - Beach Baby
98. 10CC - Rubber Bullets

Ari, Thursday, 17 July 2008 05:18 (seventeen years ago)

There's lotsa Jan & Dean tracks, if they qualify. (Co-written/Produced by Brian Wilson, of course.)

Myonga Vön Bontee, Thursday, 17 July 2008 06:28 (seventeen years ago)

"kill surf city," obviously.
also there's the honeys, brian wilson's girl group. they did a surf song to the tune of "old folks at home" -- "we're surfin' down the swannee river..."

tipsy mothra, Thursday, 17 July 2008 06:41 (seventeen years ago)

Yeah, Brian Wilson-related stuff would qualify, as well unrelated folks' homage/pastiche/ripoff songs.

Ari, Thursday, 17 July 2008 07:05 (seventeen years ago)

97. "Weird Al" Yankovic: Trigger Happy
96. "Weird Al" Yankovic: Pancreas

Geir Hongro, Thursday, 17 July 2008 08:15 (seventeen years ago)

95. Let's Hope Nobody Finds Us - Lewis Taylor
94. Lovesick (First Boy in this Town) - Scritti Politti (acapella chorus towards the end)
93. Back in the USSR - Beatles

Phil Will, Thursday, 17 July 2008 09:47 (seventeen years ago)

92. Dr Jones - Aqua

Noodle Vague, Thursday, 17 July 2008 09:48 (seventeen years ago)

91. We Hate You Little Girls - Throbbing Gristle

Noodle Vague, Thursday, 17 July 2008 09:48 (seventeen years ago)

90. Shout at the Devil - Motley Crue

Noodle Vague, Thursday, 17 July 2008 09:48 (seventeen years ago)

89. Starlight - The Tweenies

Mark G, Thursday, 17 July 2008 09:58 (seventeen years ago)

88. Put 'Em on the Glass - Sir Mixalot

Noodle Vague, Thursday, 17 July 2008 09:59 (seventeen years ago)

87. The Knife - Genesis

Noodle Vague, Thursday, 17 July 2008 10:00 (seventeen years ago)

86. David Ackles, Surf's Down
85. The Raspberries, Cruisin' Music
84. Dukes of Stratosphear, Pale and Precious
83. Chris White, Spanish Wine

Tom D., Thursday, 17 July 2008 10:10 (seventeen years ago)

82; Fuck the Millennium - Scooter

Noodle Vague, Thursday, 17 July 2008 10:11 (seventeen years ago)

81. Hal - Play The Hits

the next grozart, Thursday, 17 July 2008 11:59 (seventeen years ago)

80. Fleet Foxes - Red Squirrel

the next grozart, Thursday, 17 July 2008 12:00 (seventeen years ago)

79. High Llamas

Tom D., Thursday, 17 July 2008 12:01 (seventeen years ago)

78. Borstal Breakout - Sham 69

Noodle Vague, Thursday, 17 July 2008 12:03 (seventeen years ago)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dial-A-Song:_20_Years_Of_They_Might_Be_Giants

gabbneb, Thursday, 17 July 2008 12:15 (seventeen years ago)

77. The first song on the Panda Bear record

78. Super Furry Animals - "She's Got Spies" (mid-song vocal breakdown)

Pillbox, Thursday, 17 July 2008 12:27 (seventeen years ago)

76. Gary Lewis and the Playboys-Just My Style

dan selzer, Thursday, 17 July 2008 13:22 (seventeen years ago)

75. I'm Bad - LL Cool J

Noodle Vague, Thursday, 17 July 2008 13:32 (seventeen years ago)

74. Kraftwerk, Autobahn

Tom D., Thursday, 17 July 2008 13:34 (seventeen years ago)

73. The entire recorded output of the Wondermints obvs.

Pancakes Hackman, Thursday, 17 July 2008 13:36 (seventeen years ago)

72. Johnny Paycheck - He Stopped Loving Her Today

The stickman from the hilarious "xkcd" comics, Thursday, 17 July 2008 13:36 (seventeen years ago)

71. Brian Wilson - Alone Again (Naturally)

Mark G, Thursday, 17 July 2008 13:37 (seventeen years ago)

70. Ripgroove - Double 99

Noodle Vague, Thursday, 17 July 2008 13:38 (seventeen years ago)

69. Too Drunk to Fuck - Dead Kennedys

Noodle Vague, Thursday, 17 July 2008 13:42 (seventeen years ago)

60. rhythm of love: yes

akm, Thursday, 17 July 2008 13:46 (seventeen years ago)

'Buzzbomb'/'Buzzbomb From Pasadena' - Dead Kennedys

BlackIronPrison, Thursday, 17 July 2008 13:55 (seventeen years ago)

urgh - 59 - 'Buzzbomb'/'Buzzbomb From Pasadena' - Dead Kennedys

BlackIronPrison, Thursday, 17 July 2008 13:55 (seventeen years ago)

58. John Cale, "Mr. Wilson"

Joe, Thursday, 17 July 2008 15:07 (seventeen years ago)

I wonder if "Be My Baby" by the Ronettes qualify? To me, I hear a strong kinship to "Don't Worry Baby".

Joe, Thursday, 17 July 2008 15:09 (seventeen years ago)

87. The Knife - Genesis

???

Joe, Thursday, 17 July 2008 15:09 (seventeen years ago)

some of you are going to surf.....

Mark G, Thursday, 17 July 2008 15:10 (seventeen years ago)

57. FM, "One O'Clock Tomorrow"

Joe, Thursday, 17 July 2008 15:10 (seventeen years ago)

56. "The Best Day Ever" - SpongeBob SquarePants

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bHcRd5hhN88

I DIED, Thursday, 17 July 2008 15:18 (seventeen years ago)

55. "Near Wild Heaven" - R.E.M.

Pancakes Hackman, Thursday, 17 July 2008 15:34 (seventeen years ago)

54. Raspberries-"Drivin' Around"

C. Grisso/McCain, Thursday, 17 July 2008 15:48 (seventeen years ago)

A couple Norwegian ones:

53. Bakklandets Bassangforening: Gamle Gule Plata Til Beach Boys
52. Vazelina Bilopphøggers: Surfbrett

Geir Hongro, Thursday, 17 July 2008 15:59 (seventeen years ago)

51. The Wondermints: Tracy Hide

kornrulez6969, Thursday, 17 July 2008 16:14 (seventeen years ago)

50. Electric Light Orchestra - Jungle

Doctor Casino, Thursday, 17 July 2008 17:45 (seventeen years ago)

Do we count "cue Beach Boys-esque bit here for irony purposes" items? I'm thinking of the intro of "So Much For The Afterglow" by Everclear, although it seems there must be dozens of such examples...

Doctor Casino, Thursday, 17 July 2008 17:46 (seventeen years ago)

48. Freiheit: Give People a Chance

Geir Hongro, Thursday, 17 July 2008 22:54 (seventeen years ago)

Also quite some bits by Jellyfish although their harmonies probably sounded more like Queen.

Geir Hongro, Thursday, 17 July 2008 22:55 (seventeen years ago)

47. some Jesus & Mary Chain song

bamcquern, Thursday, 17 July 2008 23:53 (seventeen years ago)

everything by David Scott since 1995

keythkeyth, Friday, 18 July 2008 00:11 (seventeen years ago)

I seriously think about this thread weekly.

46. California Jam - Klaatu
47. Above the Clouds - ELO

PappaWheelie V, Friday, 18 July 2008 00:14 (seventeen years ago)

uh, or whatever numbers I should've typed

PappaWheelie V, Friday, 18 July 2008 00:15 (seventeen years ago)

Love Generation - Montage from How Sweet It Is (I knew that you knew)

my cool cucumbered non commital speech, that i wrote while hanging out at the beach!

cherry blossom, Friday, 18 July 2008 00:16 (seventeen years ago)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-jqEj1Hvnc
skeet surfin!

Philip Nunez, Wednesday, 13 January 2010 05:40 (sixteen years ago)

66. His Name Is Alive, "Universal Frequencies"
65. The Apples in Stereo, "Silver Chain"

if I don't see more dissent, I'm going to have to check myself in (Matos W.K.), Wednesday, 13 January 2010 06:01 (sixteen years ago)

64. Roy Wood - Why Does A Pretty Girl Sing Those Sad Songs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l9To94tvjrA
63. Roy Wood - Forever
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8V-F4cXKRA
62. They Might Be Giants - The World Before Later On

PaulTMA, Wednesday, 13 January 2010 10:24 (sixteen years ago)

three weeks pass...

61. "I've Got a Tiger in My Tank"- The Intimates (pre-VU Lou Reed co-write)

Next one's #23!

Hardcore Homecare (staggerlee), Tuesday, 9 February 2010 01:09 (sixteen years ago)

^Whoops, that's The Beach Nuts, altho it looks like there might have been an Intimates version. (Why cover a song so unutterably shitty?)

Hardcore Homecare (staggerlee), Tuesday, 9 February 2010 01:12 (sixteen years ago)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VdOl2yXNFOg

ian zamboni, Tuesday, 9 February 2010 01:47 (sixteen years ago)

three years pass...

64. Roy Wood - Why Does A Pretty Girl Sing Those Sad Songs

Mind blowing that all of the vocals and playing on this track is by Roy Wood - how the fuck did he do it??!?!?

Eats like Elvis, shits like De Niro (Tom D.), Sunday, 12 January 2014 15:02 (twelve years ago)

I was just going to correct the person who posted that by saying it's more Neil Sedaka, then realised I posted it

anyway

61. XTC - Humble Daisy

23. World Party - Kuwait City

PaulTMA, Sunday, 12 January 2014 21:44 (twelve years ago)

83. Chris White, Spanish Wine

Took me a long time to put 2+2 together and realise this was the guy from the Zombies

Eats like Elvis, shits like De Niro (Tom D.), Tuesday, 14 January 2014 09:55 (twelve years ago)

one year passes...

22. Cleaners From Venus - Pearl

21. Chris Rainbow - Dear Brian (and lots of other Chris Rainbow stuff)

soref, Saturday, 19 September 2015 21:56 (ten years ago)

(Numbers 68-61 are as yet unused. 78 was used twice, but Noodle Vague sucked up a handful of numbers with his high-larious "deconstructivist" humour entries.)

lol at this btw

soref, Saturday, 19 September 2015 21:57 (ten years ago)

none of them are by the high llamas

polyphonic, Saturday, 19 September 2015 23:56 (ten years ago)

20. The Wondermints - Ride
19. The Wondermints - So Nice
18. Lisa Mychols - Lost Winter's Dream
17. Louis Philippe - Roll Back the Years

scarlett bohansson (unregistered), Sunday, 20 September 2015 00:33 (ten years ago)

16. Jeffrey Foskett - Thru My Window

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSezk43b8_E

(basically a rewrite of "I Know There's an Answer')

scarlett bohansson (unregistered), Sunday, 20 September 2015 00:54 (ten years ago)

15. Buster - We Love Girls

https://youtu.be/LttFMLHBNJM

soref, Sunday, 20 September 2015 01:07 (ten years ago)

14: Racing in the Streets by Springsteen. Sonically it's nothing like, but I can totally hear it structurally. And I imagine it in Mike Love's voice.

(Doo-doot, un-doo-doot, un-doo-doot, un-doo-doot)
I got a 59 Chevy with a 396, fuelly heads and a Hurst on the floor
(Ooh-woo-ooh-ooh)
She's waiden tonight down at the parkin lot ...

hardcore dilettante, Sunday, 20 September 2015 02:46 (ten years ago)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIpNP-qmpU8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRchHnGSzew

hunangarage, Sunday, 20 September 2015 04:41 (ten years ago)

four years pass...

83. Chris White, Spanish Wine

Took me a long time to put 2+2 together and realise this was the guy from the Zombies

It isn't! It's an entirely different Chris White!

I've Got A Ron Wood Solo Album To Listen To (Tom D.), Friday, 13 December 2019 01:54 (six years ago)

"I've Got a Tiger in My Tank"- The Intimates (pre-VU Lou Reed co-write)

lmao @ Lou being responsible for this

billstevejim, Friday, 13 December 2019 02:08 (six years ago)

13. Tom Petty: "Hung Up and Overdue" (bonus points for having one of Carl Wilson's final recorded harmonies)

a bevy of supermodels, musicians and Lena Dunham (C. Grisso/McCain), Friday, 13 December 2019 02:31 (six years ago)

69. Andrew W.K. - Party Mindset

Mazzy Tsar (PBKR), Friday, 13 December 2019 03:36 (six years ago)

12. Flo and Eddie - Keep It Warm

☮ (peace, man), Friday, 13 December 2019 10:45 (six years ago)

11. The Who - Bucket T.

Briania, Friday, 13 December 2019 11:56 (six years ago)

came here to say Keep It Warm

YOU CALL THIS JOURNALSIM? (dog latin), Friday, 13 December 2019 12:33 (six years ago)

I can't believe no one said it in 11 years! Keep it warm, dl.

☮ (peace, man), Friday, 13 December 2019 12:43 (six years ago)

it's a fantastic song

YOU CALL THIS JOURNALSIM? (dog latin), Friday, 13 December 2019 13:57 (six years ago)

five years pass...

The Tradewinds - I Believe in Her

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uF61kAXle34

I love this song just about as much as I love anything by the Beach Boys

budo jeru, Thursday, 27 March 2025 17:35 (eleven months ago)

oops that's #10

budo jeru, Thursday, 27 March 2025 17:35 (eleven months ago)

this is nice!

DLC Soundsystem (dog latin), Thursday, 27 March 2025 17:36 (eleven months ago)

9. The Rolling Stones - "What To Do" (though it's not actually very good)

Halfway there but for you, Thursday, 27 March 2025 17:40 (eleven months ago)

8. ELO - Across the Border

Several ELO songs previously listed, but none of the are this one, which blatantly cops the melody from Heroes and Villains

Hideous Lump, Thursday, 27 March 2025 17:44 (eleven months ago)

7. The Shins - Weird Divide

jaymc, Thursday, 27 March 2025 17:48 (eleven months ago)

6. Manic Street Preachers - So Why So Sad (actually sounds more like Pinkerton's Assorted Colours)
5. XTC - Wrapped in Grey

you can see me from westbury white horse, Friday, 28 March 2025 00:15 (eleven months ago)

4. The Shins - Phantom Limb
3. Wilco - I'm Always in Love

birdistheword, Friday, 28 March 2025 00:27 (eleven months ago)

2.5 Big Sur, the Thrills

at your swervice (Ye Mad Puffin), Friday, 28 March 2025 00:36 (eleven months ago)

oh yeah that's a good one. always reminded me of early high llamas, but that's functionally the same thing.

jaymc, Friday, 28 March 2025 01:19 (eleven months ago)

2.25 Tears for Fears - "Brian Wilson Said"

Halfway there but for you, Friday, 28 March 2025 01:23 (eleven months ago)

came here to say Keep It Warm

I read this while scrolling up and thought it meant the Black Sabbath song

Halfway there but for you, Friday, 28 March 2025 01:25 (eleven months ago)

2.125 Elton John - "Better Off Dead"

Halfway there but for you, Friday, 28 March 2025 01:26 (eleven months ago)

Wrapped in Grey is really more of a Bacharach thing, don't you think?

Hideous Lump, Friday, 28 March 2025 05:28 (eleven months ago)

2.126 The Raspberries - Overnight Sensation

They should have covered it, would have been perfect for Carl on lead vocals.

2.127 Chicago - Wishing You Were Here

It even has actual Beach Boys on harmonies. One of the few Chicago singles I actually enjoy.

birdistheword, Friday, 28 March 2025 06:40 (eleven months ago)

whoops, should be the other way:

2.124

2.123

birdistheword, Friday, 28 March 2025 06:40 (eleven months ago)

2. Coloursound – Jack Lemmon

Alba, Friday, 28 March 2025 23:04 (eleven months ago)

seven months pass...

Not gonna touch that numbering system

10cc: "Fresh Air For My Momma"

Lithium Just Madison (C. Grisso/McCain), Sunday, 9 November 2025 21:34 (three months ago)

Erasure's 'A Little Respect' melody is pure Brian Wilson

PaulTMA, Sunday, 9 November 2025 22:22 (three months ago)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWgrGNS6RWo

PaulTMA, Sunday, 9 November 2025 22:23 (three months ago)

Paul Revere & the Raiders - "Good Thing"

Lee626, Monday, 10 November 2025 04:14 (three months ago)

2.125 Elton John - "Better Off Dead"

― Halfway there but for you, Thursday, March 27, 2025 9:26 PM (seven months ago) bookmarkflaglink

great call - i can't imagine this is a Love lead.

My homies buttthole surfers' record sounds like a f (Western® with Bacon Flavor), Monday, 10 November 2025 04:44 (three months ago)

"Russian Hill", Jellyfish

Vast Halo, Monday, 10 November 2025 09:36 (three months ago)

John C. Reilly - Black Sheep

Siegbran, Monday, 10 November 2025 11:52 (three months ago)


You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.