Good Vibrations

"Good Vibrations" was composed by Beach Boys leader Brian Wilson, who conceived the song while playing piano under the influence of marijuana.^[1] The song was essentially a reflection of his fascination with mysticism, spirituality, and recreational drugs.^{[2][3][nb 1]} The title phrase ("good vibrations" or "good vibes") had originated as local drug slang.^{[5][nb 2]} In a 2007 interview, Wilson mentioned that the song, like "California Girls", had been inspired by his use of LSD (or "acid").^[6] However, in a 2012 interview, he attributed its inspiration to marijuana, saying, "I don't accredit it to LSD, I accredit it to marijuana. I smoked marijuana just before I wrote it."^[7]

Recorded throughout early 1966 and released that May, the Beach Boys' eleventh album, Pet Sounds, had marked a shift in Wilson's creative process. His 1991 memoir, Wouldn't It Be Nice: My Own Story, states, "I had a lot of unfinished ideas, fragments of music I called 'feels.' Each feel represented a mood or an emotion I'd felt, and I planned to fit them together like a mosaic."^[8][9] Similarly, he aimed for "Good Vibrations" to surpass Phil Spector's writing and production on the Righteous Brothers' 1964 hit "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'".^{[10][nb 3]} His brother Carl Wilson commented that "Good Vibrations" initially had "a much rougher sound", and that, rather than amplifying it as Spector might have, "Brian refined it, and got it more even-sounding."^[12][13] The bass riff was also inspired by those in Spector's work.^[7] Beach Boys biographer David Leaf linked the song's rapid changes in mood to Wilson's bipolar disorder.^{[14][nb 4]}

Wilson based the song's theme on a remark from his mother about dogs sensing "vibrations" from people.^{[17][18][nb 5]} He introduced this concept to jingle writer and Pet Sounds lyricist Tony Asher in early 1966, before the album was completed.^[17] Asher recalled, "Brian played for me a bunch of chords that would become "Good Vibrations." He didn't have a title for it ...".^[17] Initially, Wilson had only the basic chorus^[21] and the phrase "I get vibes, I get good vibes".^[22] He proposed the title "Good Vibes", but Asher felt it sounded "trendy" and "lightweight", suggesting "Good Vibrations" instead.^[21] Asher also crafted the chorus lyrics into "Good, good, good, good vibrations" and wrote more words for the verses.^[22]

Due to Wilson's dissatisfaction, Asher's verse lyrics were ultimately discarded in favor of a new set of lyrics penned by bandmate Mike Love.^{[17][23][nb 6]} After some delay, Love completed the lyrics to "Good Vibrations" on August 24, 1966 during a twenty-minute drive to the studio.^{[26][27][nb 7]} He contributed lines for the verses and the chorus hook, "I'm picking up good vibrations / she's giving me excitations".^[28] While Love considered the chorus hook his "musical contribution",^[7] he had adapted its melody from Wilson's existing bass line.^[12][29]

By then, Wilson had recruited session musician Van Dyke Parks as his lyricist for the Beach Boys' forthcoming album, Smile.^[30][31] Parks recalled Wilson asking him to revise Love's words because "he was embarrassed with the 'excitation' part Mike Love had insisted on adding." Parks declined, believing "nobody'd be listening to the lyrics anyway once they heard that music."^[32] Love later remarked, "I'll be the first to acknowledge that excitations is not really a word, but it rhymed."^[33]

Mike Love described his "Good Vibrations" lyrics as "just a flowery poem" similar to the later 1967 hit "San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair)".^[34] "Good Vibrations" begins by describing a woman's "colorful clothes", sunlight on her hair, "the sound of a gentle word", and a breeze carrying her perfume's scent.^[28] These opening verses center on the material senses, which Wilson said was a deliberate contrast to the extrasensory themes later revealed in the chorus.^[35][36]

Tony Asher's original lyrics differed, with the first verse stating, "She's already working on my brain / I only looked in her eyes / But I picked up something I just can't explain", and the second verse, "It's weird how she comes in so strong / And I wonder what she's pickin' up from me".^[37][25] Discussing these early lyrics, music historian Clinton Heylin surmised that it was "clearly a song about a girl who affects the singer just like a certain drug."^{[25][nb 8]} Asher recalled that, when writing the song, he had understood it to be about the "metaphysical, about ESP and picking up non-verbal communication" and, at that early stage, "there was nothing about it that seemed psychedelic; those parts of the thing hadn't been composed yet."^[38]

In Love's revision of the second verse, he wrote, "Softly smile, I know she must be kind / When I look in her eyes / She goes with me to a blossom world we find".^[39] Wilson removed the concluding words "we find" during editing.^[12] Love felt that while he preferred the original rhyme, ending on "blossom world" was enough to evoke the burgeoning peace movement and the euphoria of love.^[12]

Alternative interpretations have been offered. Academic Larry M. Starr suggests that, while relatively conventional, the lyrics of "Good Vibrations" possess an otherworldly quality, especially in such lines as "I don't know where, but she sends me there", references to "a blossom world", and the concept of "good vibrations" themselves.^[40] Lorren Daro, a former acquaintance of Wilson's, wrote in a 2012 blog post that the song was "written about my wife, Lynda", explaining that because he had supplied LSD to Wilson, "Brian could not mention my name in public, or to any of them, except in 'regretting' his LSD experience."^[41] During a 1971 concert, Bruce Johnston introduced "Good Vibrations" as a song that "reflects these really fucked up times".^[42]

"Good Vibrations" is a pop,^[43][44][45] rock,^[46] psychedelic,^[47][48] and R&B song.^[49][50][51] It is more frequently identified as pop rather than rock. Academic Lorenzo Candelaria suggested this is "possibly because it comes across relatively innocent compared with the hard-edged rock we have since come to know."^[52] Wilson acknowledged, "It's a real funny thing—nobody ever really called 'Good Vibrations' a rock 'n' roll record. But it was a rock 'n' roll record. It really rocked."^[53] Biographer Jon Stebbins agreed, noting that the chorus "projects a definite 'rock and roll' energy and feel" unlike Pet Sounds.^[54] Wilson also described the song as "advanced rhythm and blues" and "modern, avant-garde R&B".^[35][55] In his book about Kraftwerk, Steve Tupai Francis cited "Good Vibrations" as an example among pioneering works of electronic music.^[56] Other genres attributed to the song include progressive pop,^[57][58] art pop,^[59][60] pop art,^[61] psychedelic rock,^[62][63] acid rock,^[62][64] psychedelic pop,^[65][43] and avant-pop.^[66][67]

An uncredited writer for Sound on Sound argued in 1997 that the song had subverted traditional pop songwriting practices across all eras by eschewing a consistent groove and incorporating exotic instruments, complex vocal arrangements, and "as many dramatic changes in mood as a piece of serious classical music lasting more than half an hour".^[70] AllMusic reviewer John Bush compared the track to the cut-up technique employed by experimental novelists such as William S. Burroughs.^[71] American Songwriter contributor Tom Rowland described "Good Vibrations" as "a sort of pop version of the classical sonata, consisting of a series of musical movements".^[72]

Comparing "Good Vibrations" to Wilson's past work, musicologist John Covach traces the song's "intensely experimental quality" to Wilson's lush, quasi-symphonic production of "California Girls".^[73] Musicologist Philip Lambert writes that the "basic feel" of the verses are similar to the Pet Sounds track "Here Today".^[74] Music historian Luis Sanchez writes, "In its conviction and nuance, there is little that distinguishes 'Good Vibrations' from ... Pet Sounds."^[51] Mike Love's first impression of "Good Vibrations" was that it sounded like the "very heavy R&B" associated with singer Wilson Pickett.^[75] In a 1978 interview, Love opined that the song was a logical progression after Pet Sounds, which itself "was rather sequential and logical after 'I Get Around'."^[76] However, in 2012, he recalled feeling apprehensive about the track's "avant-garde" quality, wondering how fans in regions like the Midwest or Birmingham would react, given its departure from earlier hits like "Surfin' U.S.A." and "Help Me, Rhonda".^[7]

Music journalist Jon Savage said it was "saturated in heightened perception", citing its abrupt shifts in mood and texture, in addition to its lyrical imagery of color, scent, and phrases such as "blossom" and "perfume", as an LSD-rooted exploration of nonverbal communication, telepathy, and extrasensory perception.^[77] Biographer Peter Ames Carlin believed Wilson viewed the song as "a smaller, psychedelic version" of George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue.^[47]

"Good Vibrations" cemented Wilson's new method of recording and song composition.^[79][80] Instead of working on whole songs with clear large-scale syntactical structures, Wilson limited himself to recording short interchangeable fragments (or "modules"). Through tape splicing, each fragment could then be assembled into a linear sequence, allowing any number of larger structures and divergent moods to be produced at a later time.^{[81][nb 9]} It also allowed for sections to be reused within the composition. For instance, the instrumental backing for the choruses and the first two verses were identical recordings repeated multiple times.^[83] To conceal tape splices, extensive reverb decays were applied during mixing and sub-mixing stages.^[70]

This approach was unprecedented in record production and popular music,^[79][69][84] including jazz, classical recordings, and soundtracks.^{[69][nb 10]} Mark Linett, who engineered Wilson's recordings after the 1980s, said that although Wilson was not the first to use editing techniques, it was unusual at the time to record a song in several short sections before assembling it, remarking, "In a way, Brian invented the method of modular recording that we take for granted today."^[83]

"Good Vibrations" took longer to record than any previous pop single.^[85] At a time when pop singles were typically recorded in a day or two,^[86] its production spanned approximately 20 recording sessions across four Hollywood studios over seven months.^[47] Wilson explained that this extensive process stemmed from a desire to experiment with different studio sounds, as each facility had its own distinct character, which was crucial to the final sound of the record.^[35] He added that the lengthy production was due to their evolving creative ambitions: "the more we created, the more we wanted to create ... there was no real set direction we were going in."^[87][81] Biographer Mark Dillon compared his method to "a film director finding his story in the editing room". He wrote of the range of ideas attempted for the track,

Brian seemed able to conceive limitless variations on the song's main theme, recording wildly disparate fragments in styles from woodwind-based Eastern mysticism to Sunday morning church service to comical Roaring Twenties jazz. ... The transitions between fragments were sometimes seamless, other times startling in their juxtaposition of tone and tempo.^[88]

To achieve the desired backing tracks, Wilson transcribed his music parts onto sheet music for his usual circle of Hollywood session musicians, a group later known as "the Wrecking Crew".^[7] Reflecting on the sessions, drummer Hal Blaine remarked that the musicians spent half the year recording "Good Vibrations" without knowing what the finished track would sound like, a stark contrast to their swift two-take recording of the seven-minute "MacArthur Park" (1967).^[23] Carlin writes that Wilson occasionally arrived at a session, considered a few possibilities, and departed without recording.^[47] The project consumed over 90 hours of recording tape.^[89][55]

Wilson reported that some bandmates "had resisting ideas" and "didn't quite understand" his use of different studios or his vision for the final record.^{[35][55][nb 11]} Similar tensions had arisen during the Pet Sounds sessions earlier that year.^[55] He recounted objections such as, "'Oh, you can't do this, that's too modern' or 'that's going to be too long a record.'"^{[35][55][nb 12]}

Wilson envisioned using a theremin in "Good Vibrations" early in its production. He recalled, "When 'Good Vibrations' was forming itself in my mind, I could hear the theremin on the track. It sounds like a woman's voice or like a violin bow on a carpenter's saw. You make it waver, just like a human voice. It's groovy!"^[92] On February 15, 1966, he recorded the backing track for the Pet Sounds song "I Just Wasn't Made for These Times", marking his first use of the Electro-Theremin, an electronic theremin-soundalike instrument played by its inventor, Paul Tanner.^[93]

"Good Good Good Vibrations"

Excerpt from a discarded alternate edit of "Good Vibrations" created on March 3, 1966.^[78] Musicologist Philip Lambert noted this version's "driving beat" and "bluesy" vocals, likening it to Motown records.^[74]

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On February 17, Wilson recorded the first version of "Good Vibrations" (logged on the AFM contract as "Untitled #1") at Gold Star Studios.^[10] Tanner was again employed on Electro-Theremin; maintaining a consistent volume on the instrument had proved difficult, requiring 26 takes before a rough mono mix was completed.^[94] On March 3, Brian and Carl Wilson overdubbed vocals,^[78][95] along with additional Fender bass in the chorus and jaw harp.^[78]

A Capitol Records memo dated February 23 indicated plans to include the song, titled "Good Good Good Vibrations", on Pet Sounds.^[92] However, by March 3, the song remained unfinished, and Wilson removed it from the album, to the disappointment of his bandmates.^[96][97] Al Jardine recalled that Wilson instead delivered "Sloop John B" after Capitol had requested a "hit single" for the album.^[97] Jardine considered it "a big mistake", a view shared by Bruce Johnston, who believed including "Good Vibrations" would have increased sales of Pet Sounds.^[98]

In the following weeks, Wilson concentrated on finishing Pet Sounds.^[92] Later in March, he recorded "Here Today", which biographer Mark Dillon called "the most direct precursor [sic] to 'Good Vibrations'".^[99] On April 9, he returned to Gold Star to rerecord "Good Vibrations" from scratch.^[78] This version, lasting two minutes and 28 seconds,^[100] featured an ocarina, accordion, 12-string electric guitar, and a prepared piano with its strings taped, among other instruments.^[78] By the end of the month, Pet Sounds was completed and mastered without "Good Vibrations" in the running order.^[101]

Starting on May 4, with a session held at Western Studio, Wilson began recording "Good Vibrations" in sections rather than as a full take, intending to later splice the fragments together.^[104] This session, logged as "First Chorus", "Second Chorus", and "Fade", focused on the song's choruses, bridges, and outro.^[78] Music historian Keith Badman described this version as "an R&B number that many of the session musicians present will later recall as being as good as the released record."^[105] Western staff engineer Chuck Britz remarked, "That song was [Brian's] whole life's performance in one song. ... Basically, it was a hit song the minute he cut it. But at that period of time, he was striving to do something that was totally different than what he'd done before."^[55]

Still dissatisfied, Wilson continued recording "Good Vibrations" fragments between May 24 and June 2 across four sessions at Western and Sunset Sound Recorders.^[106] These sessions yielded multiple choruses, bridges, and codas.^[78] By May 25, he had conceived the lyric "gotta keep those lovin' good ...".^[107] The late May sessions were labeled "Part C", "Chorus", and "Fade Sequence",^[78] while the June 2 tape was logged as "Inspiration".^[107]

David Anderle, then a talent manager formerly employed by MGM Records, recalled, "When I first got in with Brian, it was right around the time of the fourth [attempt at] 'Good Vibrations'. I heard it, and it knocked me out, and I said, "Uh oh, there's something happening here that is unbelievable."^[108] Later, Wilson told Anderle he had scrapped the song and planned to sell it to Warner Bros. Records as an R&B single earmarked for "a colored group".^{[108][nb 13]} Anderle proposed that Wilson finish the track for one of his clients, singer Danny Hutton, but Wilson declined and ultimately decided to complete it himself.^{[108][110][nb 14]}

On June 12, session musician Jesse Ehrlich overdubbed a cello onto the June 2 "Inspiration" track.^[113][78] Reports differ on who had suggested the cello.^[88] Wilson credited himself with the "triplet thing" and his brother Carl for suggesting the instrument,^[114] while Parks claimed he had proposed both the cello and the triplet phrasing.^[115][116] Parks elaborated that his suggestion impressed Wilson, leading directly to their collaboration on Smile, and provided the piece with a "signature shot" as crucial as the ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz (1939).^[117] On June 16 and 18, Wilson recorded more modules, none of which were included in the final edit.^[78] Afterward, he paused work on the song for nine weeks.^[113]

Carl Wilson told a reporter that "Good Vibrations" had been intended as the Beach Boys' next single, but "didn't turn out the way Brian wanted," leading Capitol to release "Wouldn't It Be Nice" on July 18 instead.^[118] Brian returned to the studio in early August, focusing on "Wind Chimes" and "Look", marking the unofficial start of the Smile sessions.^[119] Though Wilson rarely referenced the Beatles' Revolver,^[120] music journalist Barry Miles writes the album (released in the U.S. on August 8) influenced him to complete "Good Vibrations".^[121] Carlin alternatively suggested that Wilson was galvanized to complete the single after working with Parks on "Wind Chimes".^[122]

Wilson completed at least a dozen versions of "Good Vibrations" before settling on a final edit.^{[12][123][nb 15]} On August 11, after the touring members of the Beach Boys had played a concert at the Civic Memorial Auditorium in Fargo, North Dakota, Carl received a call from Brian, who played a rough mix over the phone. Carl remembered, "He called me from the recording studio and played this really bizarre sounding music over the phone. There were drums smashing, that kind of stuff, and then it refined itself and got into the cello. It was a real funky track."^[124]

Unused "fuzz bass bridge"

Excerpt from a discarded alternate edit of "Good Vibrations" created on August 24, 1966.^[78] Music journalist Dawn Eden characterized this version's fuzz bass as "so distorted that it sounds like a primitive Moog synthesizer".^[125]

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At least two group vocal sessions took place at Columbia Studios between August 24 and September 1.^[78] Mike Love recalled recording "25 to 30 vocal overdubs" for brief sections of the song, "maybe no more than two, three, four, five seconds long!"^[124] A discarded August 24 edit featured a "fuzz bass bridge" that was nearly included in the final mix.^[78] Unsatisfied with the initial recordings, Wilson had the group rerecord their entire vocal performance.^[124]

On September 1, the second (or "church organ") bridge, replacing the earlier "fuzz bass bridge", was recorded at Western.^{[78][nb 16]} That month, the master tapes of "Good Vibrations" briefly went missing before being found in Wilson's home two days later.^[123] The final backing track was compiled from multiple sessions:

• verses: February 17 at Gold Star
• first and second choruses: June 2 at Western
• first bridge: May 4 at Western
• '"church organ" bridge: September 1 at Western
• third chorus: June 2 at Western
• third bridge: May 27 at Western
• chorus fade: May 27 at Western^[78]

Dennis Wilson was originally set to record the lead vocal, but due to laryngitis, Carl took his place shortly before the final vocal sessions.^[123] The group recorded their final vocals on September 12, with an additional overdubbing session, including vocals and an Electro-Theremin part, held on September 21.^[78] This seven-hour session, from 7:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m., also included the final mixdown.^[127] Brian, speaking in a 1976 interview, described finalizing the mix at Columbia as "a feeling of exaltation" and "artistic beauty", recalling that upon playback of the completed mix, he remarked to himself, "Oh my God. Sit back and listen to this!"^[35]

At 3:35, the song exceeded the three-minute limit typically imposed by record executives and radio programmers.^[128][12] Wilson, later in the 1990s, recalled that he initially had no expectation of "Good Vibrations" becoming a hit, and that the band had considered not releasing it, "because it was so bizarre". Capitol Records executives had expressed concerns about its length and preferred to issue a more conventional track like "Barbara Ann" instead. However, after playing the song for friends at home and seeing their enthusiastic reactions, Wilson was encouraged to push back against Capitol's hesitation.^{[53][nb 17]}

"Good Vibrations" was the most expensive single ever recorded,^{[80][85][129]} exceeding the budget of a typical pop album.^[57] Mike Love remarked, "I doubt Brian had any idea about the cost, nor did he care".^[12] Estimates of the total production cost range from $10,000 to $50,000 (equivalent to $100,000 and $480,000 in 2024).^[130][12] By comparison, Pet Sounds had cost an unprecedented $70,000 (equivalent to $680,000 in 2024).^[131][132]

Contemporary advertisements cited a $10,000 cost.^[133] Biographers John Tobler and Timothy White reported $16,000,^[134][135] while Domenic Priore estimated between $10,000 and $15,000.^[136] Other reports claimed up to $75,000 (equivalent to $730,000 in 2024).^[15][137][7] In a 2018 interview, Wilson refuted the $50,000 figure, stating that the actual cost was closer to $25,000 (equivalent to $240,000 in 2024).^{[138][nb 18]}

Each section of "Good Vibrations" features a distinct musical texture, partly due to its fragmented recording process.^[140] It starts with a traditional verse-chorus (or verse-refrain) structure in the key of E♭ minor.^[8][85] The verse chord progression follows i–♭VII^add6–♭VI^add6–V,^[141][142] a whole-step root movement typical of Wilson's style, as heard in "Lonely Sea" (1963) and "Don't Hurt My Little Sister" (1965).^[141] Despite this minor key, the music does not convey sadness.^[142] Carl Wilson sings the word "I" as a triplet eighth note before the first downbeat.^[70] His introductory lead vocal, described by Dillon as "so airy, it could be floating on cloud of marijuana smoke".^[130] is later doubled by Brian on select lines ("I hear the sound of a ..." and "when I look ...").^[78]

A repetition of chords on a Hammond organ filtered through a Leslie speaker accompanies Carl's singing, with a two-bar Fender bass melody underneath. This sequence repeats (0:15), adding two piccolos sustaining over a descending flute line.^[140] Percussion includes bongo drums doubling the bass rhythm, while every fourth beat alternates between a tambourine and a bass-drum-and-snare combination.^[140] Though in ⁴
₄, the rhythm has a triplet feel, often called a "shuffle beat" (or "threes over fours").^[70]

A passing D♭ (V) chord at the end of the verse prepares for the key modulation to the chorus.^[8] The chorus (0:25) shifts to the relative major key of G♭ major, functioning as ♭III in context.^[142] Carlin and Starr describe the theremin's introduction as evoking "vibrations" scattering on another plane.^[37][143] Adding to this impression, according to Bush, is "another delicious parallel—between the single's theme and its use of an instrument the player never even touched."^[71] A cello and string bass play a bowed tremolo triplet, an effect Everett calls "exceedingly rare" in pop music^[144] and the first known use of a cello in a rock song.^[55][12] Musician Jace Lasek commented, "In the 1960s, having the cello chug along like that was shocking. It was an innovative use of a classical instrument, but it still sounded like rock 'n' roll."^[22] Wilson likened the cello triplets to a similar effect in the Crystals' "Da Doo Ron Ron" (1963).^[145] Meanwhile, the Fender bass maintains a steady beat, with tom drums and tambourine providing a backbeat.^[70]

The chorus unfolds in four 4-bar sections, gradually building its vocal layers. It begins with the couplet, "I'm picking up good vibrations / she's giving me the excitation", sung by Mike Love in his bass-baritone register.^[70] Wilson likened Love's singing to the bass vocal on the Dell-Vikings' "Come Go with Me",^[146] while Love felt that there were similarities to the work of James Brown and the Famous Flames.^[12] The chorus repeats twice, adding harmonies—first with an "ooo bop bop", then with "good, good, good, good vibrations", each time ascending a whole step from G♭ to A♭ to B♭.^[142][70] The song then resolves to the verse, forming a perfect cadence back to E♭ minor.^[142] Unlike typical arrangements, the second verse and chorus repeat unchanged, without additional instrumentation or harmony layers.^[70]

The abstract structure of "Good Vibrations" complicates formal analysis of the next sections.^[54][40] In a typical song structure, the sections following the second refrain might function as a single extended bridge^[54] or two distinct bridge sections.^[78] Harrison termed it an "episodic digression", arguing that although the first part of the bridge is an unusual but plausible break between the verse and refrain, the second part challenges this interpretation, indicating a structure that evolves independently of standard song forms.^[147] Starr similarly describes its structure as unique and without a definitive classification, calling it as distinctive as the rest of the recording.^[40] He suggests that "development", a term typically associated with classical music, could best describe its form, which he partitions into sections designated as A, B, C, D, and "variations on B".^{[148][nb 19]} Covach, using numerical labels in his formal analysis, states that while the song does not conform to conventional pop forms, it broadly follows a pattern in which contrasting material appears after the second chorus.^[150]

The verse section does not recur for the remainder of the song. According to Starr, this is one of the more "surprising" elements of the formal structure, explaining that it "works because of subtle interconnections that are established among the different musical sections", such as overlapping vocal textures in the bridge (C section) that recall the chorus.^[151] The last chord of the second chorus, B♭, which functioned as a dominant (V), is retained as a tonic (I) in the first part of the bridge. The harmonic progression is ambiguous, interpretable as either I–IV–I (in B♭) or V–I–V (in E♭).^[8] A new texture emerges with tack piano, jaw harp, and a bass accenting strong beats. At 1:55, this is expanded with electric organ, bass harmonica, and sleigh bells on every beat.^[152] The only lyric, aside from non-lexical harmonies, is "I don't know where, but she sends me there," sung in Love's upper-register baritone. This section spans ten measures (6 + 2 + 2), an unusually extended phrase given the song's earlier patterns.^[8] Lambert characterized this passage as the song's "ascent" and "dream sequence", followed by a "meditation" in the next section.^[153]

At 2:13, the song shifts to sustained electric organ chords in F,^[147] with a maraca shaking on each beat,^[154] recalling the organ and percussion featured prominently in the verses.^[143] Sound on Sound describes this cut as the track's "most savage edit" for its unexpected slowdown into a 23-bar "church organ" section. The writer explains, "most people would go straight into a big splash hook-line section. Brian Wilson decided to slow the track even further ... Most arrangers would steer clear of this kind of drop in pace, on the grounds that it would be chart suicide, but not Brian."^[70] Carl Wilson recalled their father's concern over the tempo shift, noting, "He was worried about the bridge section. You know, the time change, 'They can't dance to it.'"^[90] Brian later credited Foster as "a big influence on me, especially the sound of ‘Gotta keep those lovin' good vibrations happenin' with her'".^{[7][nb 20]} The sequence concludes with a choral "ah" sustaining an E♭/F chord, followed by a brief general pause.^[155] This moment of silence creates tension, leading into the final section.^[147]

Following the break, the chorus returns for five measures, moving through a transpositional structure that starts in B♭, shifts to A♭, and concludes with a brief measure in G♭.^[147] This descending progression contrasts with the previous ascending refrains. A short, three-part vocal counterpoint, referenced by Lambert as a fugato,^[156] overlays the refrain's upward transposition before settling in A♭, the song's final key.^[147] This section of the song shares melodic elements with Wilson's "Look", written in the same period, specifically in the march-like pattern and descending line (mostly in whole steps for "Good Vibrations", compressed into half steps in "Look").^[157] Wilson recalled, "As soon as we got to [singing] that [ending choir] part I said, 'This is a masterpiece record.'"^[109] By the song's end, all seven scale degrees of the opening E♭ minor tonic have been engaged^[147] while the key remains destabilized.^[158]

Band publicist Derek Taylor, who had promoted Pet Sounds in the UK, played a key role in marketing "Good Vibrations".^[160][161] He coined the term "pocket symphony", which Wilson felt "encapsulated the record perfectly".^[162] A Billboard ad on July 2, 1966, thanking the industry for Pet Sounds' sales, included an early reference to the single: "We're moved over the fact that our Pet Sounds brought on nothing but Good Vibrations."^[163] That summer, Wilson told journalist Tom Nolan: "Our new single, Good Vibrations, is gonna be a monster. ... Of course, it's still sticking pretty close to that same boy-girl thing, you know, but with a difference. And it's a start. It's definitely a start."^[51][164]

On August 26, Brian and Carl Wilson met Paul McCartney and George Harrison at Taylor's home,^[27] where Brian played an acetate of the song. Taylor recalled that McCartney was impressed and requested a copy, but Wilson declined, saying he was still unhappy with the mix.^[165][166] After the record's completion, Wilson and his assistant Michael Vosse appeared on a local TV show, possibly It's Boss with Sam Riddle^[167] or Lloyd Thaxton's dance program.^[168] Wilson brought out a large basket of vegetables and spoke about the benefits of roughage, confusing the host.^[168] In Anderle's recollection, Wilson previewed the record while eating carrots, embracing his "vegetable thing" with Riddle.^[167] Wilson also appeared on KHJ-TV's Teen Rock and Roll Dance Program, introducing the song to the show's in-studio audience and presenting an exclusive preview of the completed record.^[169] Van Dyke Parks recalled watching the record's television debut on one of these programs, and that when the song slowed in tempo, the teenagers paused their dancing, prompting a nearby A&R executive to remark, "A promotion man's nightmare!"^[170]

The "Good Vibrations" single, backed with the Pet Sounds instrumental "Let's Go Away for Awhile", was released in the U.S. on October 10, 1966.^[171] In Britain, it was issued on October 28 with "Wendy" from All Summer Long as the B-side.^[172] Shortly afterward, Wilson told a reporter, "I'm most proud of "Good Vibrations". It exemplifies a whole era. It's a whole, involved piece of music that says something."^[173][174]

On October 21, 1966, eleven days after its release, the Beach Boys performed "Good Vibrations" live for the first time at the Michigan State University in East Lansing. The next day, the band performed two shows at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. Wilson supervised rehearsals and attended both shows as an audience member.^[175] At the second performance, he joined the band onstage for the encore, "Johnny B. Goode", earning a standing ovation.^[175] Returning to Los Angeles, he instructed his wife to gather as many friends as possible for an impromptu photoshoot at LAX.^[176] The resulting images became notable among fans for their perceived symbolic significance.^[177][178]

Without Wilson, the group embarked on a three-week European tour, marking their first performances in the United Kingdom.^[179] On October 26, they mimed "Good Vibrations" for the French television program Tilt Magazine, which aired in January—their only European TV appearance during the tour.^[172] Reviewing their late October concert in Paris, Melody Maker's Mike Hennesy wrote that the Beach Boys had struggled to replicate their studio sound live, and that "Good Vibrations" sounded "a little thin" compared to the record.^[172] Concerned about their performance quality, the group canceled scheduled appearances on Ready Steady Go! and Top of the Pops in November.^[172]

As "Good Vibrations" climbed the charts, the band's touring revenue neared $2 million annually (equivalent to $19.4 million in 2024).^[180] Capitol promoted the song with a two-page magazine ad declaring, "'Good Vibrations'—No. 1 in the USA, No. 1 in England."^[181] On November 6, the Beach Boys played their first UK concerts at the Finsbury Park Astoria in London, with attendees including Brian Epstein, Spencer Davis, John Walker, the Shadows, and Cathy McGowan.^[182] Ray Coleman of Disc & Music Echo wrote that "Good Vibrations" was less successful live than their other songs, adding, "nobody expected them to sound as good 'live' as on record. And this was where they fell down. Their stage act was nil."^[182]

Four promotional films were produced for "Good Vibrations".^[171] The first, filmed on October 23, 1966, depicts the band asleep at a fire station before sliding down poles and chasing a moving firetruck through Los Angeles.^[183] It aired on Top of the Pops on November 24.^[184] The second, showing the group recording in the studio, aired on the French news program Cinq Colonnes à La Une in February 1967.^[184]

The third and fourth films were edited from footage originally shot for Peter Whitehead's documentary The Beach Boys in London. Both feature candid moments from the band's November UK tour. A shorter edit aired on Top of the Pops on November 10 and Beat Club in Germany on December 31. The extended version includes scenes of Al Jardine and Dennis Wilson visiting Portobello Road, the band traveling to an EMI press conference on November 7, and clips from their November 14 concert at the Hammersmith Odeon. This version aired on Top of the Pops on November 17.^[184]

"Good Vibrations" sold over 293,000 copies within its first four days.^[171] It debuted at number 62 on Cash Box (October 22)^[171] and number 38 on the Billboard Hot 100 (October 28).^[187] By late November, it had become the Beach Boys' first million-selling single^[46][167] and topped the UK charts for two weeks.^[57] On December 3, it was certified silver by the BPI.^[188] The single also peaked at number 1 in France, number 2 in Canada and Australia, and number 4 in Germany.^[189]

On December 10, 1966, "Good Vibrations" reached number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, replacing the New Vaudeville Band's "Winchester Cathedral" and becoming the Beach Boys' third U.S. number-one hit after "I Get Around" and "Help Me, Rhonda".^[190] It was their first single to top both the U.S. and UK charts.^[191] On December 21, it was certified gold by the RIAA.^{[186][nb 21]} The song spent seven weeks in the top ten (two at number one) before being displaced by the Monkees' "I'm a Believer".^[193] With over two million copies sold, it began dropping from the charts in January 1967.^[194]

In June 1976, Capitol reissued "Good Vibrations" with "Wouldn't It Be Nice" as the B-side, peaking at number 18.^[195] As of 1997, it remained the Beach Boys' best-selling UK single.^[196] It was also Wilson's last composition to reach the U.S. top 10.^{[197][nb 22]}

Music journalist Peter Doggett described "Good Vibrations" as "universally" hailed upon its release as the most adventurous pop recording yet.^[199] Conversely, biographer Steven Gaines suggested that U.S. reactions were mixed.^[75] The record elicited few detractors, one being San Francisco jazz critic Ralph J. Gleason.^{[200][nb 23]} According to David Leaf, some radio programmers initially hesitated to play the song, considering it "too long and too progressive".^[167] Bruce Morrow, a prominent disc jockey in New York, reportedly disliked it. Mike Love said that Morrow "hated" the record "because it was so different. He wanted to hear 'I Get Around' or 'Surfin' U.S.A.' one more time, or 'California Girls Part Two'."^[76] White noted skepticism among some Los Angeles disc jockeys, though they "immediately made it the Pick Hit of the Week".^[135]

On October 15, 1966, five days after the single's U.S. release, Billboard predicted a top 20 placement, calling it "a sure-fire hit" with an "off-beat and intriguing rhythm".^[202] Cash Box praised its "catchy, easy-driving" sound,^[203] Record World described it as "highly imaginative",^[204] and Teen Set deemed it "the most fantastic pop single to date".^[174] Ahead of the band's November 18 concert in Indianapolis, Variety reported that the song was the most popular among local high school students.^[205] Jon Stebbins, then a teenager, initially mistook the song for a new psychedelic band, later realizing it was the Beach Boys and concluding, "Man, those guys have really freaked out."^[44] James B. Murphy, author of the 2015 biography Becoming the Beach Boys, recalled listening to the record with his older brother as a ten-year-old in The Bronx: "We didn't speak [as we listened together]. It was like a sacred experience. ... We must have played ‘Good Vibrations' fifty times in a row."^[206]

Among the early rock journalists in America, Crawdaddy! founder Paul Williams raved in his magazine, "No matter what you've heard, all the BEACH BOYS sing on 'GV'; the instrumental work, however is done by studio musicians. Some of the stranger sounds are from a theremin [sic]; now Brian wants a cathedral organ for the next album."^[207] In Britain, reviews were overwhelmingly positive. New Musical Express (NME) called the record "technically brilliant" and "impeccably performed",^[172][208] while The Sunday Express proclaimed, "They've Found the New Sound at Last!"^{[89][167][209]} Melody Maker also gave it a favorable review.^[210]

Some contemporaries offered tempered praise.^[43] The Who frontman Pete Townshend feared that the single would lead to a trend of overproduction, telling a Disc & Music Echo reporter, "'Good Vibrations' was probably a good record but who's to know? You had to play it about 90 bloody times to even hear what they were singing about."^[187] Record producer and singer Jonathan King called it "computerized pop" and opined, "With justification, comments are being passed that 'Good Vibrations' is an inhuman work of art ... impressive, fantastic, commercial—yes. Emotional, soul-destroying, shattering—no."^[211] Asked about "Good Vibrations" in a 1990 interview, Paul McCartney said it was "a great record" before adding, "it didn't quite have the emotional thing that Pet Sounds had for me".^[212][43]

In 1967, one month after Jann Wenner had launched Rolling Stone magazine, he praised "Good Vibrations" as "an honest-to-God monster" and "a song you can bathe in".^[213] That year, Cheetah contributor Jules Siegel wrote that the song had "marked the beginning of a new era in pop music", however, among the majority of American music critics, "everybody agreed that Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys were still too square. It would take more than 'Good Vibrations' and Pet Sounds to erase three and a half years of 'Little Deuce Coupe'".^{[214][nb 24]}

In December 1966, "Good Vibrations" was voted the best single of the year by readers of Disc & Music Echo and Valentine.^[216] The Beach Boys also topped the NME readers' poll as the world's number one band, ahead of the Beatles, the Walker Brothers, the Rolling Stones, and the Four Tops.^[217][216] Billboard said that the NME's result was probably influenced by the success of "Good Vibrations" when the votes were cast, together with the band's recent tour, whereas the Beatles had neither a recent single nor had they toured the UK throughout 1966; the reporter added that "The sensational success of the Beach Boys, however, is being taken as a portent that the popularity of the top British groups of the last three years is past its peak."^{[218][nb 25]} The Beach Boys were also voted the top vocal group in polls across Russia, Western Europe, Japan, and the Philippines.^[187] In Denmark, Brian Wilson became the first American to win "Best Foreign-Produced Recording" in a national newspaper poll.^[220]

At the 9th Annual Grammy Awards, "Good Vibrations" was nominated in four categories: Best Performance by a Vocal Group, Best Contemporary (R&R) Group Performance, Vocal or Instrumental, Best Contemporary (R&R) Recording, and Best Arrangement Accompanying a Vocalist(s) or Instrumentalist(s).^[221] It lost Best Rock Song to "Winchester Cathedral", despite the latter not being a rock song.^{[46][222][nb 26]}

Following "Good Vibrations", Wilson faced a personal and professional decline.^{[225][80][nb 27]} Harrison writes that Wilson had felt compelled to outdo himself and, given the scope of his ambitions, "an extremely dangerous phase" was inevitable to follow.^[226] He planned to apply his modular recording techniques to an entire album, Smile, which was to include "Good Vibrations".^{[7][227][228][nb 28]} Capitol designed the LP sleeve with "Good Vibrations" inscribed three times on the front cover^[230] and their advance advertisements promised "other new and fantastic Beach Boys songs" consistent with its sound.^[231] Band publisher Murry Wilson, father of the Wilson brothers, told a reporter in late 1967 that Brian had "lost a lot of confidence" after "Good Vibrations", fearing he could never write anything better. ^{[232][nb 29]} Anderle's account differed, saying that Brian saw "Good Vibrations" as a beginning rather than a peak.^[167]

From late 1966 through mid-1967, "Heroes and Villains" and "Vegetables" were planned follow-up singles, with Wilson aiming to surpass "Good Vibrations".^[234] However, delays stretched to eight months due to Wilson's indecision and other issues.^{[235][236][nb 30]} Some Smile sessions included improvisational comedy sketch recordings, including one premise involving Wilson's colleagues ordering from a psychedelic ice cream truck playing a "Good Vibrations" jingle, simulated by Wilson on piano.^[239] In Stebbins' description, "Brian was given carte blanche for a short time. He exploited the opportunity by moving full speed ahead into the avant garde."^[240] Heylin echoes, "Wilson no longer knew when to stop, the success of 'Good Vibrations' having turned any largesse from the label into a license to never let go."^[241]

Ultimately, "Heroes and Villains" was released in July 1967 and failed to match "Good Vibrations" in critical and commercial success.^[242][243] Smile remained unfinished, and in September, the Beach Boys released Smiley Smile, which included "Good Vibrations" at Capitol's insistence.^[244] Wilson opposed its inclusion but was outvoted by his bandmates for the first time.^[245][246] Anderle explained, "[S]omething [Brian] never wanted to do is put a single onto the album, but he was forced to do that. For sales. That was another, I'm sure, a minor tragedy for him."^[247] The Beach Boys would not enjoy another number-one hit until 1988's "Kokomo", created without Wilson's involvement.^{[248][249][250]}

"Good Vibrations" had an immediate and lasting impact on popular culture.^[29] The song became closely associated with the youth culture and its surrounding movements of the era,^[251] anticipating the Summer of Love^[7] and the flower child movement by several months.^{[252][nb 31]} It also popularized the slang term "vibes" in the context of intuitive feelings or atmosphere.^{[254][nb 32]}

Jon Savage, in his book 1966: The Year the Decade Exploded (2015), wrote that the single's international success briefly positioned Los Angeles as "the centre of pop", superseding London, until the city's cultural prominence was itself challenged by San Francisco's music scene.^[255] Carlin wrote that while the Beach Boys had found themselves "near the leading edge" of the youth movement, most critics were ultimately hesitant to place them in the same artistic realm as figures such as Bob Dylan, viewing them as "candy-striped tools of consumerism."^[209] Leaf writes that while the song had encapsulated the "almost-acid generation", the title phrase "soon became a cliched byword."^[167]

"Good Vibrations" revolutionized pop music production, especially for singles,^[173] and Wilson's unorthodox recording methods soon became standard practice.^[79][81] Alongside the Beatles' Revolver, "Good Vibrations" was a prime proponent in shifting rock music from live performances to studio creations that could not be recreated in a natural acoustic setting.^[256] Musicologist Marshall Heiser explains that it had set a precedent by challenging listeners to accept the recording as its own unique sonic reality.^[81] Similarly, musicologist Charlie Gillett called it "one of the first records to flaunt studio production as a quality in its own right, rather than as a means of presenting a performance".^[257] Mark Brend, in Strange Sounds: Offbeat Instruments and Sonic Experiments in Pop (2005), writes:

Other artists and producers, notably the Beatles and Phil Spector, had used varied instrumentation and multi-tracking to create complex studio productions before. And others, like Roy Orbison, had written complicated pop songs before. But "Good Vibrations" eclipsed all that came before it, in both its complexity as a production and the liberties it took with conventional notions of how to structure a pop song. Crammed into its three and a half minutes are previously untried mixes of instruments, unexpected jumps from one section to another, and of course, unparalleled harmony pop vocals. Yet in all of this, the real triumph of the recording is that it fits together as a catchy, hummable, radio-friendly pop song.^[258]

The 2004 book Analog Days: The Invention and Impact of the Moog Synthesizer describes it as "one of the most influential pop singles of all time",^[259] while Rikky Rooksby's Inside Classic Rock Tracks (2001) calls it "a landmark in the development of popular music" particularly for its "unpredictable transitions and exotic instrumentation".^[149] Larry Starr, in his 2006 book American Popular Music: From Minstrelsy to MP3, argues it "may well be the most thoroughly innovative single" of the 1960s and marked "an important milestone" in music production. Starr elaborates, "Virtually every aspect of the record is unusual, from the vocal arrangement to the instrumentation, from the chordal vocabulary to the overall form."^{[151][nb 33]}

According to White, "every producer in town was talking about the 45" upon its release due to its multi-part structure and novel production.^[135] Among the musicians who felt its influence was Blood, Sweat and Tears founder Al Kooper, who said, "I stole millions of things from that song. It just changed my whole outlook of what you could do."^[261] Singer-songwriter Jimmy Webb credited "Good Vibrations" with redefining the scope of the three-minute record, proving that songs could seamlessly incorporate shifts in tempo, instrumentation, and vocal arrangements.^[262] Ambient musician Max Eastley described it as a revelatory experience that ended his folk career, likening its impact to being struck by lightning.^[263] The Mamas and the Papas, who were among the many musicians who moved to California partly due to the Beach Boys' romanticized portrayal of the region, referenced "Good Vibrations" in their autobiographical 1967 single "Creeque Alley".^[264]

Many musicians and groups created songs that attempted to match "Good Vibrations" in the late 1960s.^[257] Gene Sculatti declared in 1968 that it was the "ultimate in-studio production trip" and "a primary influential piece for all producing rock artists".^[260] Mark Prendergast, author of The Ambient Century: From Mahler to Moby (2003), acknowledges that the single had "changed the course of rock and popular music" and earned Wilson the reputation of being "one of the great sound-shapers of the century, influencing The Beatles and the whole production of rock and pop from then on."^{[265][nb 34]} Further to the single's impact on the Beach Boys' rivals, Beatles biographer Clinton Heylin suggests that the band's 1967 double A-sided single "Strawberry Fields Forever" / "Penny Lane" was a direct response to "Good Vibrations".^{[267][nb 35]}

"Good Vibrations" positioned the Beach Boys as one of the few bands besides the Beatles to achieve mainstream success with a psychedelic rock song in 1966, when the genre was still emerging.^{[63][nb 36]} It contributed significantly to the development of the progressive rock^[269] and progressive pop genres, and effectively launched the latter style.^[58] PopMatters contributor Scott Interrante decreed that the single's impact on psychedelic and progressive rock "can't be overstated".^[270] Bill Martin, author of books about progressive rock, suggested that the Beach Boys had cleared a pathway toward the genre, writing, "The fact is, the same reasons why much progressive rock is difficult to dance to apply just as much to 'Good Vibrations' and 'A Day in the Life.'"^[269] John Covach, in his book What's That Sound? An Introduction to Rock and Its History (2006), writes that "Good Vibrations", together with the Beatles' "Strawberry Fields Forever" and Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967), demonstrated that rock could be viewed as serious art.^{[271][nb 37]}

Author and Saint Etienne founder Bob Stanley said it was "modern pop's first multi-movement single",^[273] an influence, Rowland felt, was apparent on "A Day in the Life", McCartney's "Band on the Run" (1973), and Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" (1975).^[72] Priore wrote that the song anticipated the multi-textured soul music exemplified by the 1971 releases What's Going On by Marvin Gaye and "Theme from Shaft" by Isaac Hayes, both of which he identified as among "the most historically important R&B music ever pressed."^[50]

Although "Good Vibrations" does not contain a theremin, it is the most frequently cited example of the instrument in pop music.^{[274][nb 38]} Authors Trevor Pinch and Frank Trocco credited "Good Vibrations" with linking "far-out, electronic sounds" to rock music in the public consciousness.^{[275][nb 39]}

The song revived interest in theremins and increased awareness of analog synthesizers.^[276] To replicate its sound live, Wilson first asked Paul Tanner to perform with the Beach Boys, but Tanner declined due to other commitments.^[258] The band then approached Walter Sear, who worked with Robert Moog to develop a ribbon controller that mimicked a guitar fretboard. Sear recalled marking fret-like lines on the ribbon "so they could play the damn thing." Moog later mass-produced theremins, and demand from pop music fans quickly depleted his inventory.^[276]

In Steven M. Martin's 1993 documentary Theremin: An Electronic Odyssey, in which Wilson makes an appearance, it was revealed that the attention being paid to the theremin due to "Good Vibrations" caused Russian authorities to exile its inventor, Leon Theremin.^[277]

"Good Vibrations" was frequently performed live by the band, with the arrangement simplified due to practical constraints on instruments and voices. The organ-based midsection was repeatedly lengthened and embellished in concert and rehearsal recordings, adding extra vocal lines and an audience sing-along feel. They stretched the singalong section from six to seven phrases by mid-1967, and to ten phrases by the early 1970s.^[278] On November 26, 1976, Wilson appeared as the musical guest on NBC's Saturday Night (later Saturday Night Live) and performed "Good Vibrations" alone on a piano set in a giant sandbox.^[279][280] Off-screen, his psychologist, Eugene Landy, held cue cards reading "RELAX" and "SMILE".^[281] White characterized the performance as "less a performance than a pointedly exploitative skit about a singer suffering from clinical stage fright", calling it "live television at its most distressing" and part of a series of ill-conceived media events orchestrated by Landy.^[281]

Additional alternate mixes and live performances of the song have been released across several of the band's albums. The 1973 live album The Beach Boys in Concert featured a performance from November 1972.^[282] The 1983 compilation Rarities included an alternate mix from 1966.^[283] The 1993 box set Good Vibrations: Thirty Years of the Beach Boys contained a recording of the band's second public performance of the song^[284] alongside several outtakes from the original studio sessions.^[285][286] The song was also the opening track in the box set's attempt to approximate a completed version of Smile.^[287] The 1998 compilation Endless Harmony included a rehearsal take from the band's December 8, 1968, concert at the Astoria Theatre in London.^[288] A version from the scrapped 1967 live album Lei'd in Hawaii appeared on the 2003 compilation Hawthorne, CA.^[278]

As a solo artist, Wilson rerecorded "Good Vibrations" as the closing track on his 2004 album Brian Wilson Presents Smile.^[289][290] This extended version included lyrics by Tony Asher and a different bridge section, both originally written in 1966.^[191][278] Asher was initially uncredited for his contributions.^[291] According to Carlin, using a different lyric set publicly slighted Mike Love and led to a dispute between Wilson's wife and manager, Melinda, and Asher, who had never signed a publishing contract for his share of the song.^[292] Asher's credit was later restored.^[293]

To commemorate its 40th anniversary, the Good Vibrations: 40th Anniversary Edition EP was released. It contained "Good Vibrations", four alternate versions, and a stereo mix of "Let's Go Away for Awhile".^[294] The artwork replicated the original single sleeve. In 2016, the EP was reissued as a 12" record for the song's 50th anniversary.^{[citation needed]}

The eight-track master tape of "Good Vibrations" has remained lost since the 1980s, preventing the creation of a true stereo mix.^[83] The first official stereo mix, created with approval from Brian Wilson and Mark Linett, was included in the 2012 reissue of Smiley Smile. It used digital technology developed by Derry Fitzgerald to extract individual instrumental and vocal elements from the mono master.^[295][296]

"Good Vibrations" became widely used in commercial jingles, television and film.^[297][298] Stebbins opined that the "duplicated, cloned, commercialized, and re-fabricated" usages of the song had the ultimate effect of "completely diluting the genius of the original".^[298]

In 1978, Sunkist licensed the song for a U.S. advertising campaign promoting its orange soda.^[299][300] Badman stated that since the Beach Boys' manager Murry Wilson had sold their publishing rights in 1969, they had no control over how "Good Vibrations" was used in advertisements.^[300] In his 2016 memoir, Good Vibrations: My Life as a Beach Boy, Love wrote that the band had "an agreement with Sunkist Orange Soda, in which the company paid us $1.5 million to use 'Good Vibrations' in its commercials and to put the phrase on its packaging and in-store displays."^[299] By 1980, the campaign had made Sunkist the best-selling orange soda in the U.S.^[301] Love enjoyed the campaign but disliked the product, reportedly telling a Sunkist executive, "If I was driving my Range Rover through the Mojave Desert, and it broke down, I would first drain my radiator fluid and drink that before I had a Sunkist."^[302]

The lyric "I'm picking up good vibrations" is quoted in Cyndi Lauper's 1984 single "She Bop".^[303] In 1996, experimental rock group His Name Is Alive released an homage titled "Universal Frequencies" on their album Stars on E.S.P.; frontman Warren Defever reportedly listened to "Good Vibrations" repeatedly for a week before deciding that the song "needed a sequel".^[304] In 2001, the song was used prominently in a scene with Tom Cruise, Tilda Swinton, and Kurt Russell in the psychological thriller Vanilla Sky.^[305][306] A live version of the song, from the album Live in London, appears as a playable track in the 2010 video game Rock Band 3.^[307] In 2019, the song was used prominently in a scene for Jordan Peele's psychological horror thriller film Us.^[308][309]

Despite its popularity, relatively few artists have covered "Good Vibrations" due to the intricacies of its arrangement.^[71] Versions of the song range from faithful recreations to reimaginings in the style of punk, synth-pop, electronic, jazz, hip-hop, doo-wop, Latin, orchestral, bluegrass, and country.^[310] Artists who have covered the song include Groove Holmes, the Troggs, Charlie McCoy, Psychic TV,^[71] the Cowsills, Kenny Rogers and the First Edition, the Shadows, the King's Singers, Nina Hagen, Aika Ohno, the Chambers Brothers, and the Langley Schools Music Project.^[310]

In 1976, Todd Rundgren recorded a nearly identical cover version for his album Faithful. Released as a single, it peaked at number 34 on the Billboard Hot 100.^[311] Wilson praised Rundgren's version, stating, "Oh, he did a marvelous job, he did a great job. I was very proud of his version."^[312] Rundgren explained that while he had always appreciated the Beach Boys' sound, he became especially interested with Pet Sounds and "Good Vibrations". He aimed to replicate the record as accurately as possible, "because in the intervening 10 years, radio had changed so much. Radio had become so formatted and so structured that that whole experience was already gone."^[313]

In 2012, Wilson Phillips, a trio featuring Wilson's daughters Carnie and Wendy along with John Phillips' daughter Chynna, released an album of Beach Boys and the Mamas & the Papas covers titled Dedicated.^[314] Their version of "Good Vibrations", with Carnie on lead vocals, was released as a single and reached number 25 on Billboard's A/C chart.^[315]

Regularly featured on "greatest-of-all-time" critics' rankings, "Good Vibrations" is widely recognized as one of the most important compositions and recordings of the rock era.^[316] It is commonly regarded as one of rock's greatest "masterpieces"^[317] and among the finest pop records in history,^[44][45] as well as Brian Wilson's magnum opus.^[85] In 1997, a panel of artists, producers, and music industry figures, surveyed by Mojo magazine, voted it the greatest single of all time.^[318]

Walter Everett, author of The Foundations of Rock (2008), decreed that Wilson is "rightly praised" for his "monumental" achievements with "Good Vibrations".^[319] In Waiting for the Sun: A Rock 'n' Roll History of Los Angeles (2009), Barney Hoskyns described it as the city's ultimate 1960s psychedelic pop record, pushing pop production to its limits while remaining accessible.^[65] In Understanding Rock (1997), Daniel Harrison stated that it represented the "most successful" convergence of the Beach Boys' commercial appeal with Wilson's artistic ambitions.^[320] The Pleasure of Modernist Music (2004) stated that it was Wilson's first and "unquestionably most brilliantly successful" work under heavy drug influence.^{[321][nb 40]}

Creem editor Ben Edmonds viewed the song as proof that "fun could be art".^[3] On the single's fiftieth anniversary, Billboard contributor Andrew Unterberger praised "Good Vibrations" for its pervasive brilliance, "essentially unprecedented for a Top 40 hit at the time", and compared it favorably to "the Fallingwater of pop music", though he felt that its perceived lack of emotional depth, in contrast to the "proto-emo anthems" of Pet Sounds, kept some rock fans at a distance. He concluded, "That's kind of the point, though: "Good Vibrations" finds its power through communicating love's elemental inarticulateness."^{[43][nb 41]} In his 2014 33⅓ book on Smile, Luis Sanchez observed that its massive success propelled the Beach Boys "into an ambit of pop beyond any obvious explanation of how such an event should have happened."^[51]

Among the band members, Jardine remarked, "Brian was absolutely at his peak back then. God, he was just like a freight train. We were hanging on for dear life."^[7] Brian, in a 1970 interview, indicated that "Good Vibrations" had remained his favorite song in their catalogue, solely for its use of cello.^[325]

The details in this section are adapted from The Smile Sessions liner notes, which includes a sessionography compiled by band archivist Craig Slowinski,^[78] and the website Bellagio 10452, maintained by music historian Andrew G. Doe.^[95]

The Beach Boys

• Al Jardine – backing vocals
• Bruce Johnston – backing vocals
• Mike Love – lead and backing vocals
• Brian Wilson – lead and backing vocals, tack piano (choruses), overdubbed tambourine (choruses)
• Carl Wilson – lead and backing vocals, electric rhythm guitar (choruses and chorus fade), shaker (second bridge)
• Dennis Wilson – backing vocals, Hammond organ (second bridge)

Additional players

Technical staff

• Chuck Britz – engineer
• Cal Harris – engineer
• Jim Lockert – engineer

• Limbic resonance
• Brian's Back (song)