In Hawthorne, Calif., 1961, brothers Brian, Dennis, and Carl Wilson, along with their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine formed the band the Beach Boys.
Inspired by vocal pop groups of the 1950s that specialized in tight harmonies, the Beach Boys first gathered around a piano in the Wilson’s living room. Not long afterward, the band recorded their first demo, released it as a single, and were genuinely surprised when it became a hit on some nearby radio stations. Riding the momentum of early local popularity, they were signed by Capitol Records and quickly scored their first national hit: “Surfin’ USA.”
Hitting the road, the Beach Boys started selling out performance halls, auditoriums, and then concert venues. However, looming large over the early years of the band was Murry Wilson—the father of the Wilson boys and manager of the band—who was often overbearing, controlling, and abusive.
This two-hour documentary has many intriguing segments, but one of the most interesting is when the show explores the push and pull between the Beach Boys and the Beatles—how they inspired each other, competed against each other and were always aware of what the other band was doing—pushing each other to greatness.
Sadly, as the 1960s were ending and the Beach Boys struggled to find footing in a new decade, Murry Wilson, made a tragically short-sighted decision when he sold all the song rights to the highest bidder as a last-ditch effort to make some money off the band before they disappeared from the landscape of popular culture. The fallout of this decision is well known and has resulted in millions of dollars in lost revenue, lawsuits and severed relationships between different band members over the years.
Evolving tremendously over six decades, with different members switching in and out, and still performing today with Mike Love as the sole original member, the Beach Boys have sold an incredible 100 million records and are considered one of the most successful and critically acclaimed bands of all time. Between 1960 and 2020, the band had 37 songs reach the U.S. Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100 chart—with four of those hitting No. 1.
The documentary streaming on Disney + tells the incredible story of the Beach Boys—their rise to fame, family dynamics, chart demise, resurgence, and enduring legacy. (Disney +, Rated PG-13)
About the Author
Sam Gutierrez is the Associate Director at the Eugene Peterson Center for the Christian Imagination at Western Theological Seminary. More of his creative work can be found at printandpoem.com