Pet Sounds: Most Overrated Album of All Time?

Pet Sounds is not overrated at all. It was one of the few albums at its time that was visioned as a complete work. Before that time, only Sinatra (another performer not recognized for his musical smarts) was putting together thematic albums. The genius of the work is one of those things that you either get or not get or more importantly, like or not like.

Part of considering any album from 40 years ago is understanding what was going on at the time. The Beach Boys were primarily a singles group doing surfer ballads and pop and they came up with a symphonic type work that lit a fire under the Beatles. Look at the top 15 Cash Box Albums for 1966 to see what was popular at the time (source Lillian Roxon's "Rock Encyclopedia"):

1. Sound of Music - Soundtrack
2. Whipped Cream - Herb Alpert
3. Going Places - Herb Alpert
4. Dr. Zhivago - Soundtrack
5. South of the Border - Herb Alpert
6. Best of Herman's Hermits
7. Best of the Animals
8. What Now My Love - Herb Alpert
9. Lonely Bull - Herb Alpert
10. Why Is There Air - Bill Cosby
11. Fiddler on the Roof - Original Cast
12. If You Can Believe Your Eyes & Ears - Mamas & Papas
13. Big Hits - Rolling Stones
14. My Name is Barbra, Two - Barbra Steisand
15. September of My Years - Frank Sinatra ...
33. Pet Sounds - Beach Boys

Regards,

Rich

Jim:

To the question that you posed to Jaybo ... how does record sales correlate to the quality and/or influence of the music? Look at the answer that I posted fifth from the top as to what sold big in 1966. It is interesting to note that the Dr. Zhivago and Sound of Music soundtracks were #'s 1&2 in 1967.

I have tons of great albums that didn't sell well, the pubic didn't get, etc. Look at 1975 (year of release), Olivia Newton John's "Have You Ever Been Mellow" (#3) outsold Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here" (#14), Dylan's "Blood on the Tracks" (#29), and Springsteen's "Born to Run" (#31). Do you think the "Velvet Undergound & Nico" or "Loaded" ever charted?

It still gets down to your personal preference. Back then, I preferred "Pet Sounds" to "Sgt. Pepper" ... still do. It doesn't detract from either work's quality.

Regards,

Rich

Audiohifila:

Do you feel the same way about opera or classical or big bands or Dylan?

It's a lot like sports. If you are a student of the game, you appreciate the legends of yesteryear and recognize that the stars of today are walking down the path paved by their forebears. Same with music. Music appreciation and music knowledge are not mutually exclusive.

Regards,

Rich