20 Most IMPORTANT Classic Rock Albums Ever Made
8. Pet Sounds - The Beach Boys
The Beach Boys have been known as the pretty boys behind pop classics for half a century now. The Beatles and the Rolling Stones may have taken rock to unknown places, but these guys were a safe bet if you wanted to hear care-free party songs, with topics about young love, surfing, and fast cars. It seemed like the band could play their pop rock forever, but Brian Wilson had a bit of a different plan in mind.
After hearing the Beatles' album Rubber Soul, Wilson was so amazed by the musical experiments that he was determined to make an album that was equally as adventurous. Though it may not have hit the exact heights as the Fab Four, Pet Sounds is easily one of the greatest albums of the 60's, with songs that make the listener feel like they're floating on air.
Most of the songs are still about young love, but the brilliant performances from session band the Wrecking Crew make the tracks feel so much bigger than they might have been otherwise. "God Only Knows" may have already been a great song, but with the bells and whistles added, it turned into one of the greatest love songs ever created. Pet Sounds blew the doors wide open in terms of what could be done in a studio, and you better believe every other rock band was going to follow suit.