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God Only Knows

Updated: 12/11/2025, 9:47:36 AM Wikipedia source

"God Only Knows" is a song by the American rock band the Beach Boys from their 1966 album Pet Sounds. Written by Brian Wilson and Tony Asher, it is a baroque-style love song distinguished for its harmonic innovation and complexity, unusual instrumentation, and subversion of typical popular music conventions, both lyrically and musically. It is often praised as one of the greatest songs of all time and as the Beach Boys' finest record. The song's musical sophistication is demonstrated by its three contrapuntal vocal parts and weak tonal center (competing between the keys of E and A). Lyrically, the words are expressed from the perspective of a narrator who asserts that life without their lover could only be fathomed by God—an entity that had been considered taboo to name in the title or lyric of a pop song. It marked a departure for Wilson, who attributed the impetus for the song to Asher's affinity for standards such as "Stella by Starlight". Some commentators interpret "God Only Knows" as promoting suicidal ideations, although such an interpretation was not intended by the songwriters. Others have compared the song's advanced harmonic structure to the work of classical composers such as Delibes, Bach, and Stravinsky. Wilson produced the record between March and April 1966, enlisting about 20 session musicians who variously played drums, sleigh bells, plastic orange juice cups, clarinets, flutes, strings, French horn, accordion, guitars, upright bass, harpsichord, and a tack piano with its strings taped. His brother Carl Wilson sang lead, a vocal performance that became regarded as Carl's best ever, with Brian himself and Bruce Johnston providing additional harmonies. The song ends with a series of repeating vocal rounds, another device that was uncommon for popular music of the era. "God Only Knows" was issued as the B-side of "Wouldn't It Be Nice" in July 1966 and peaked at number 39 on the Billboard Hot 100. In other countries, it was the single's A-side, reaching the top 10 in the UK, Canada, Norway, and the Netherlands. Many songwriters, including Paul McCartney and Jimmy Webb, have cited "God Only Knows" as their favorite song of all time. In 2004, it was included in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's "500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll". In 2021, it was ranked number 11 in Rolling Stone's list of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time".

Infobox

A-side
"Wouldn't It Be Nice"
Released
July 18, 1966 (1966-07-18)
Recorded
March 10 – April 11, 1966
Studio
Western and Columbia, Hollywood
Genre
Baroque rock avant-pop
Length
2:55
Label
Capitol
Songwriters
Brian WilsonTony Asher
Producer
Brian Wilson

Tables

The Beach Boys version
Canada RPM Top Singles
Canada RPM Top Singles
Chart (1966)
Canada RPM Top Singles
Peakposition
4
Finland (Soumen Virallinen)
Finland (Soumen Virallinen)
Chart (1966)
Finland (Soumen Virallinen)
Peakposition
39
France (Music Media Monthly)
France (Music Media Monthly)
Chart (1966)
France (Music Media Monthly)
Peakposition
24
Ireland (Irish Singles Chart)
Ireland (Irish Singles Chart)
Chart (1966)
Ireland (Irish Singles Chart)
Peakposition
6
Netherlands
Netherlands
Chart (1966)
Netherlands
Peakposition
4
Norway (VG-lista)
Norway (VG-lista)
Chart (1966)
Norway (VG-lista)
Peakposition
6
UK Melody Maker
UK Melody Maker
Chart (1966)
UK Melody Maker
Peakposition
2
UK Record Retailer
UK Record Retailer
Chart (1966)
UK Record Retailer
Peakposition
2
US Billboard Top 40
US Billboard Top 40
Chart (1966)
US Billboard Top 40
Peakposition
39
US Cash Box Top 100
US Cash Box Top 100
Chart (1966)
US Cash Box Top 100
Peakposition
38
Chart (1966)
Peakposition
Canada RPM Top Singles
4
Finland (Soumen Virallinen)
39
France (Music Media Monthly)
24
Ireland (Irish Singles Chart)
6
Netherlands
4
Norway (VG-lista)
6
UK Melody Maker
2
UK Record Retailer
2
US Billboard Top 40
39
US Cash Box Top 100
38
The Beach Boys version (2025)
Japan Hot Overseas (Billboard Japan)
Japan Hot Overseas (Billboard Japan)
Chart (2025)
Japan Hot Overseas (Billboard Japan)
Peakposition
13
US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (Billboard)
US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (Billboard)
Chart (2025)
US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (Billboard)
Peakposition
21
Chart (2025)
Peakposition
Japan Hot Overseas (Billboard Japan)
13
US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (Billboard)
21
The Vogues version
US Billboard Bubbling Under the Hot 100
US Billboard Bubbling Under the Hot 100
Chart (1970)
US Billboard Bubbling Under the Hot 100
Peakposition
101
US Billboard Easy Listening
US Billboard Easy Listening
Chart (1970)
US Billboard Easy Listening
Peakposition
21
Chart (1970)
Peakposition
US Billboard Bubbling Under the Hot 100
101
US Billboard Easy Listening
21
Marilyn Scott version
Canada RPM Adult Contemporary
Canada RPM Adult Contemporary
Chart (1977–78)
Canada RPM Adult Contemporary
Peakposition
19
US Billboard Hot 100[full citation needed]
US Billboard Hot 100[full citation needed]
Chart (1977–78)
US Billboard Hot 100[full citation needed]
Peakposition
61
Chart (1977–78)
Peakposition
Canada RPM Adult Contemporary
19
US Billboard Hot 100[full citation needed]
61
BBC Music version
Ireland (IRMA)
Ireland (IRMA)
Chart (2014)
Ireland (IRMA)
Peakposition
77
Israel (Media Forest)
Israel (Media Forest)
Chart (2014)
Israel (Media Forest)
Peakposition
10
Scotland Singles (OCC)
Scotland Singles (OCC)
Chart (2014)
Scotland Singles (OCC)
Peakposition
18
UK Singles (OCC)
UK Singles (OCC)
Chart (2014)
UK Singles (OCC)
Peakposition
20
Chart (2014)
Peakposition
Ireland (IRMA)
77
Israel (Media Forest)
10
Scotland Singles (OCC)
18
UK Singles (OCC)
20
The Beach Boys version · Certifications
New Zealand (RMNZ)
New Zealand (RMNZ)
Region
New Zealand (RMNZ)
Certification
Platinum
Certified units/sales
30,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)
United Kingdom (BPI)
Region
United Kingdom (BPI)
Certification
Platinum
Certified units/sales
600,000‡
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.
Region
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.
Region
Certification
Certified units/sales
New Zealand (RMNZ)
Platinum
30,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)
Platinum
600,000‡
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. The Lovin' Spoonful toured with the Beach Boys in March and April 1966. In addition, Wilson saw them perform in December
  2. Although it has been suggested that it was the first pop song to mention "God" in the title, another song with a similar
  3. Some also appear in Wilson's earlier songs. For example, "California Girls" avoids a root-position tonic and suppresses
  4. He declared, "There is no moment in rock music more harmonically and formally subtle than this transition. It is the ape
  5. A session in which the band also worked on "I'm Waiting for the Day", "Wouldn't It Be Nice", and "I Just Wasn't Made for
  6. Granata surmised that the solo was based on the Four Seasons' music.
  7. Journalist Nick Kent quoted Wilson, "Like, if 'God Only Knows' is the greatest song ever written, then I'll never write
  8. Adam Sherwin wrote in The Independent: "With its message, that the BBC 'owns' the entire musical waterfront and licence-
  9. Garratt 2014, p. 37.
  10. The Record
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  18. Priore 2007, pp. 45, 49: (Wilson saw performance); Boone & Moss 2014, pp. 84, 103: (December 1965; residency).
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  46. Howland 2021, pp. 210–217, 358.
  47. Howland 2021, p. 218.
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  51. Granata 2003, pp. 175–176.
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  58. Granata 2003, p. 117.
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  60. Badman 2004, p. 122.
  61. Granata 2003, p. 37.
  62. Dillon 2012, p. 116.
  63. The Pet Sounds Sessions
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  64. Record Mirror
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  65. Badman 2004, p. 126.
  66. King, Dominic
    https://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/soldonsong/songlibrary/indepth/godonlyknows.shtml
  67. Granata 2003, p. 176.
  68. The Pet Sounds Sessions
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  69. Badman 2004, p. 130.
  70. Badman 2004, p. 134.
  71. Badman 2004, p. 139.
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  74. Badman 2004, p. 142.
  75. Granata 2003, p. 188.
  76. Record World
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  77. Turn, Turn, Turn: Popular Songs Inspired by the Bible
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  79. Badman 2004, p. 148.
  80. Badman 2004, p. 156.
  81. Badman 2004, pp. 130–131.
  82. Badman 2004, p. 131.
  83. Fusilli 2005, p. [page needed].
  84. Kirkey 2019, p. 46.
  85. Badman 2004, p. 155.
  86. Badman 2004, p. 160.
  87. Badman 2004, p. 198.
  88. Badman 2004, p. 200.
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  91. Classic Tracks Back to Back: Singles and Albums
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  95. The Pet Sounds Sessions
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  97. Popular Modernism and Its Legacies: From Pop Literature to Video Games
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  98. Wired
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  99. The New York Times
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  102. Rodriguez 2012, p. 78.
  103. Everett 1999, p. 60.
  104. Leaf 1978, p. 89.
  105. Kent 2009, p. 3.
  106. Far Out
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  107. brianwilson.com
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  108. Mean Street magazine
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  109. Badman 2004, p. 207.
  110. youtube.com
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbeevzNmU1g
  111. Pitchfork
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  112. Popdose
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  113. Paste
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  114. Rolling Stone
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  115. Paste
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  117. The Guardian
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  118. Dillon 2012, pp. 117–118.
  119. Rolling Stone
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  120. The Cincinnati Enquirer
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  121. The Telegraph
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  122. "BBC Music's God Only Knows in aid of BBC Children in Need"
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  124. The Independent
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