"God Only Knows" #39 9/24/1966

If anyone needed further evidence that Brian Wilson is an absolute musical genius, just listen to this record - and he and Tony Asher wrote the song in 45 minutes. The arrangement and recording took far, far longer, but it might be the most perfectly constructed song ever. Critics compared it to classical works by Handel and Chopin. From "Pet Sounds," this was the B-side to "Wouldn't It Be Nice" in the US (causing this to barely make the Top 40 on its own) but the A-side in most other countries. It was a rock music rarity in that it mentions God very prominently. Paul McCartney said this record directly inspired the Beatles' "Here, There And Everywhere." An amazingly beautiful arrangement with numerous Wrecking Crew members involved.