10 Things You Didn't Know About Foster The People

1. The Beach Boys' Influence

If you're a band from California, or a band full stop, The Beach Boys will have an influence on your music. They have written some of the most timeless pop songs, and their album Pet Sounds is frequently seen as one of the best albums in music history. But, The Beach Boys had a very strong influence on Foster the People, and particularly, Mark Foster.

Stating that The Beach Boys are one of his favourite groups, with Brian Wilson being one of his particular favourite song-writers, the interesting connection between the two groups comes from Mark's love of one song in particular; the stunning God Only Knows.

In an interview with NME, Foster - along with other artists - was asked to name the greatest song of all time. Where other artists hesitated, Foster answered immediately with The Beach Boys' God Only Knows. He said that whenever he speaks about the song he 'wells up' and that he believes it is 'the greatest written pop song ever'.

When you listen closely to Foster the People, the influence is there; harmonies, pop melodies and of course the California sunshine vibe. But, it's incredible to hear Mark Foster say how much of a profound impact The Beach Boys have had on him.

Are there any interesting facts we missed about the band? Let us know in the comments!