The Beach Boys timeline
The Beach Boys were a rock group from Hawthorne, California. This timeline chronicles their activities.
Recording sessions and concert performances are omitted unless historically exceptional.
Legend
Type codes
T |
Event type |
B |
Changes to band line-up/name |
L |
Life events (including births, deaths, weddings, and divorces) |
PA |
Performance: audition |
PC |
Performance: concert |
PR |
Performance: radio broadcast |
PT |
Performance: TV broadcast |
RA |
Record release: album |
RE |
Record release: EP |
RF |
Film or video release |
RS |
Record release: single |
S |
Recording music for record release |
SR |
Recording music for radio broadcast |
V |
Recording video (film, TV, video) |
O |
Other events |
Location codes
Event location |
L |
United Kingdom |
UK |
United States |
US |
Other |
O |
Pre-1940
1940s
1950s
Date |
T |
Event |
L |
1958 |
Jun |
20 |
O |
Brian's 16th birthday. He is given a Wollensak tape recorder. |
US |
1960
Date |
T |
Event |
L |
1960 |
|
|
PC |
Brian, Carl, Mike, and friends begin performing at school assemblies under the name Carl & the Passions. |
US |
1961
Date |
T |
Event |
L |
1961 |
Jun |
|
B |
Jardine suggests forming a group with Brian, while Brian keeps in mind the inclusion of Carl and Mike. |
US |
|
1961 |
Nov |
|
RS |
"Surfin'" / "Luau" released on Candix. |
US |
1962
Date |
T |
Event |
L |
1962 |
Jan |
|
O |
Brian meets and begins a songwriting partnership with Gary Usher. |
US |
|
1962 |
Feb |
|
B |
Jardine resigns from the band and is replaced by David Marks. |
US |
|
1962 |
Apr |
19 |
S |
Brian and Usher record four songs (later credited to Kenny & the Cadets) which will lead to a Capitol contract. |
US |
|
1962 |
Jun |
|
RS |
"Surfin' Safari" / "409" released. |
US |
|
1962 |
Sep |
|
O |
Brian receives his first ever production credit with the release of "The Revo-Lution" / "Number One" by Rachel and the Revolvers. |
US |
|
1962 |
Oct |
01 |
RA |
Surfin' Safari released. |
US |
1963
Date |
T |
Event |
L |
1963 |
Sep |
|
PC |
The Beach Boys play their first non-California show in Arizona. |
US |
|
1963 |
Mar |
25 |
RA |
Surfin' U.S.A. released. |
US |
|
1963 |
Apr |
|
RA |
Surfin' Safari released. |
US |
|
1963 |
May |
|
B |
At Brian's request, Al Jardine returns to the band as a semi-permanent member. In the studio, the band are now a 6-piece; on stage, Jardine only acts as a replacement for Brian when he declines live performances. |
US |
|
1963 |
Jun |
20 |
O |
Brian Wilson's 21st birthday. |
US |
1963 |
Jun |
28 |
O |
Bruce Johnston's 21st birthday. |
US |
|
1963 |
Aug |
|
O |
The Ronettes' "Be My Baby" released. |
US |
|
1963 |
Sep |
16 |
RA |
Surfer Girl released. |
US |
|
1963 |
Oct |
07 |
RA |
Little Deuce Coupe released. |
US |
1964
1965
1966
Date |
T |
Event |
L |
1966 |
|
|
O |
Ex-Beatles publicist Derek Taylor is employed by the band in the spring. |
US |
|
1966 |
Feb |
|
O |
Brian and Parks meet again at a lawn party thrown by Terry Melcher. |
US |
1966 |
Feb |
03 |
L |
Carl Wilson marries Annie Hinsche. |
US |
1966 |
Feb |
17 |
S |
Brian begins work on "Good Vibrations". |
US |
|
1966 |
May |
11 |
S |
Brian begins work on "Heroes and Villains". |
US |
1966 |
May |
16 |
RA |
Pet Sounds released. |
US |
|
1966 |
Jun |
27 |
RA |
Pet Sounds released. |
UK |
|
1966 |
Sep |
21 |
S |
"Good Vibrations" completed. |
US |
|
1966 |
Oct |
10 |
RS |
"Good Vibrations" / "Let's Go Away for Awhile" released. |
US |
|
1966 |
Nov |
28 |
S |
Brian begins work on "The Elements: Fire". He is later disturbed that several fires have broke out in the Los Angeles area; the Smile project begins to unravel. |
US |
|
1966 |
Dec |
|
V |
Brian performs "Surf's Up" at his home for the CBS documentary Inside Pop. |
US |
1966 |
Dec |
|
O |
The Beach Boys are voted in a readers' poll conducted by NME as the number one vocal group in the world, ahead of the Beatles with 5,373 votes to 5,272. |
UK |
1967
Date |
T |
Event |
L |
1967 |
Jan |
03 |
O |
Carl Wilson begins his draft battle, claiming conscientious objector status. |
US |
1967 |
Jan |
15 |
O |
Brian misses the Smile deadline he set for Capitol. |
US |
|
1967 |
Feb |
28 |
O |
The Beach Boys sue Capitol Records for unpaid back royalties and $225,000 for an outdated breakages clause. |
US |
|
1967 |
Apr |
|
O |
Brian is appointed as a board member for the projected Monterey Pop Festival in June. |
US |
1967 |
Apr |
14 |
S |
Van Dyke Parks' final Smile session. |
US |
1967 |
Apr |
26 |
PT |
Inside Pop airs on CBS with Brian's performance from December. |
US |
|
1967 |
May |
02 |
O |
Derek Taylor announces that Smile has been cancelled. |
UK |
1967 |
May |
|
RS |
"Then I Kissed Her" / "Mountain of Love" released. |
US |
1967 |
May |
18 |
S |
The Smile era ends with the final session date for "Love to Say Dada". |
US |
1967 |
May |
27 |
S |
The Beach Boys migrate to Brian's home studio and begin recording Smiley Smile. |
US |
|
1967 |
Jun |
03 |
O |
Brian declares to the Beach Boys that most of the Smile material is now distinctly off-limits. |
US |
1967 |
Jun |
|
O |
The Beach Boys announce that they will not be performing at the Monterey Pop Festival. |
US |
|
1967 |
Jul |
25 |
O |
Capitol executive Karl Engemann circulates a memo discussing a 10-track Smile album to follow Smiley Smile. |
US |
1967 |
Jul |
30 |
RS |
"Heroes and Villains" / "You're Welcome" released. |
US |
|
1967 |
Aug |
|
O |
The Beach Boys, with Brian and without Johnston, travel to Hawaii to record a live album, Lei'd in Hawaii. |
US |
1967 |
Aug |
25 |
PC |
The Beach Boys' first Lei'd in Hawaii date with Brian. |
US |
1967 |
Aug |
26 |
PC |
The Beach Boys' second Lei'd in Hawaii date with Brian. |
US |
|
1967 |
Sep |
11 |
S |
The Beach Boys attempt to record Lei'd in Hawaii as a live-in-the-studio album at Wally Heider Studios. |
US |
1967 |
Sep |
18 |
RA |
Smiley Smile released. |
US |
|
1967 |
Oct |
23 |
RS |
"Wild Honey" / "Wind Chimes" released. |
US |
|
1967 |
Dec |
15 |
O |
The Beach Boys, without Brian, meet Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in Paris. |
O |
1967 |
Dec |
18 |
RA |
Wild Honey released. |
US |
1967 |
Dec |
18 |
RS |
"Darlin'" / "Here Today" released. |
US |
1967 |
Dec |
|
O |
Jann Wenner writes an influential piece in Rolling Stone that derides the Beach Boys for Wild Honey and excludes them from "serious conversation". |
US |
1968
Date |
T |
Event |
L |
1968 |
Jun |
24 |
RA |
Friends released. |
US |
|
1968 |
|
|
O |
Brian admits himself into a psychiatric hospital. |
US |
|
1968 |
Aug |
19 |
RA |
Stack-O-Tracks released. |
US |
1969
Date |
T |
Event |
L |
1969 |
Feb |
20 |
RA |
20/20 released. |
US |
1970
Date |
T |
Event |
L |
1970 |
Aug |
31 |
RA |
Sunflower released. |
US |
1971
Date |
T |
Event |
L |
1971 |
Aug |
30 |
RA |
Surf's Up released. |
US |
1972
1973
Date |
T |
Event |
L |
1973 |
Jan |
08 |
RA |
Holland released. |
US |
1974
Date |
T |
Event |
L |
1974 |
Dec |
23 |
RS |
"Child of Winter (Christmas Song)" / "Susie Cincinnati" released. Brian is credited as producer, his first for the Beach Boys in seven years. |
US |
1975
1976
Date |
T |
Event |
L |
1976 |
Jul |
05 |
RA |
15 Big Ones released. |
US |
|
1976 |
Dec |
|
O |
Landy is fired. |
US |
1977
Date |
T |
Event |
L |
1977 |
Apr |
11 |
RA |
Love You released. |
US |
1978
Date |
T |
Event |
L |
1978 |
Jun |
28 |
L |
Dennis Wilson remarries Karen Lamm. |
US |
|
1978 |
Jul |
|
O |
Brian runs away from home to live as a vagrant in Balboa Park, San Diego.[23] |
US |
1978 |
Jul |
04 |
L |
Carl and Annie Wilson separate. |
US |
1978 |
Jul |
12 |
L |
Dennis files for divorce from Karen Wilson. |
US |
1978 |
Jul |
15 |
L |
Brian and Marilyn Wilson separate. |
US |
|
1978 |
|
|
O |
Brian is hospitalized for several months. |
US |
|
1978 |
Oct |
2 |
RA |
M.I.U. Album released. |
US |
1979
Date |
T |
Event |
L |
1979 |
Jan |
|
L |
Brian and Marilyn finalize their divorce. |
US |
|
1979 |
Mar |
19 |
RA |
L.A. (Light Album) released. |
US |
1980s
Date |
T |
Event |
L |
1980 |
Mar |
24 |
RA |
Keepin' the Summer Alive released. |
US |
|
1981 |
Jan |
|
O |
Dennis Wilson is violently beaten at his home by Stan Love and Rocky Pamplin in hopes that he will stop supplying Brian with drugs. |
US |
|
1982 |
Jan |
|
L |
Gage Dennis Wilson is born to Dennis Wilson and Shawn Love. |
US |
1982 |
Dec |
|
O |
The Beach Boys deceive Brian to get him back under the care of Eugene Landy. |
US |
|
1983 |
Jan |
02 |
O |
Brian is admitted to a hospital for a two-week-long physical and subsequently embarks with Landy to Honolulu, Hawaii. |
US |
1983 |
Jul |
28 |
L |
Dennis Wilson marries Shawn Love. |
US |
1983 |
Dec |
28 |
L |
Dennis drowns in California. |
US |
|
1985 |
Jun |
10 |
RA |
The Beach Boys released. |
US |
|
1989 |
Aug |
28 |
RA |
Still Cruisin' released. |
US |
1990s
Date |
T |
Event |
L |
1992 |
Feb |
04 |
O |
Brian telephones collaborator Andy Paley for a new recording project. |
US |
1992 |
Aug |
03 |
RA |
Summer in Paradise released. |
US |
|
1995 |
Nov |
|
O |
Carl walks out on a session for a new Beach Boys studio album of original material. It is the last time the group enters the studio to record a new original song with Carl. |
US |
|
1998 |
Feb |
06 |
L |
Carl Wilson dies of lung and brain cancer. |
US |
|
1996 |
Aug |
19 |
RA |
Stars and Stripes Vol. 1 released. |
US |
2000s
2010s
Notes
References
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| | | Studio albums | |
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| Live albums | |
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| Compilations | Hits | |
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| Themed | |
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| Rarities | |
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| Box sets | |
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| Documentary films | |
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| Associated places | |
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| Influence | |
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| Other media | |
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| Related articles | |
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| Personnel | |
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| Businessmen | |
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| Bands | |
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| Musicians/ songwriters | |
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| Touring members | |
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| Writers | |
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| Other | |
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| 1960s | 1961 | |
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| 1962 | |
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| 1963 | |
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| 1964 | |
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| 1965 | |
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| 1966 | |
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| 1967 | |
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| 1968 | |
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| 1969 | |
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| 1970s | 1970 | |
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| 1971 | |
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| 1972 | |
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| 1973 | |
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| 1974 | |
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| 1975 | |
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| 1976 | |
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| 1977 | |
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| 1978 | |
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| 1979 | |
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| 1980s | 1980 | |
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| 1981 | |
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| 1985 | |
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| 1986 | |
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| 1987 | |
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| 1988 | |
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| 1989 | |
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| 1990s | |
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| 2010s | |
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