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Cover of Pet Sounds by The Beach Boys
Cover: Pet Sounds

Song · The Beach Boys

“God Only Knows” by The Beach Boys

From the album Pet Sounds (1966)

“God Only Knows” by The Beach Boys appears on 27 radio countdowns from 11 stations between 2000 and 2026. It was first released in 1966 on the album Pet Sounds. Its best result is #2 on the 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of All Time. In the combined RockLists rankings it is #2,380 alternative song of all time.

27countdowns
11stations
#2best position
0#1 finishes
3top 10 finishes
2000–2026years charted

Watch

The Beach Boys - God Only Knows (Official Music Video)

Video from YouTube (TheBeachBoysVEVO). Pressing play loads YouTube's player. Watch on YouTube

"God Only Knows" sits at the heart of Pet Sounds, the Beach Boys' 1966 album, and it's a love song that dares to put God in the title, something pop wasn't supposed to do. Brian Wilson wrote the music and Tony Asher the words, nudged along by Asher's fondness for old standards like "Stella by Starlight", and the result is baroque and strange, its key never quite settling.

Brian cut it that spring with about 20 session hands: Hal Blaine on drums and bells, Carol Kaye on guitar, Larry Knechtel on harpsichord, Don Randi on a tack piano with its strings taped, plus French horn, accordions, clarinets, flutes and strings. Carl Wilson sings lead as tenderly as he ever did, Brian and Bruce Johnston weave harmonies around him, and it closes on rounds of voices chasing each other. America got it as the B-side of "Wouldn't It Be Nice"; Paul McCartney has named it his favorite song.

Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.

RockLists rankings

Alternative & Modern Rock

Indie & Adult Alternative

Classic Rock

All Rock Formats

All-time and decade countdowns

Year#StationCountdownof
2000 41 John Peel (BBC Radio 1) John Peel's All-Time Festive Fifty (2000) 50
2001 493 Virgin Radio Virgin Radio Top 500 Songs of All-Time (December 2001) 500
2001 252 WFPK WFPK 2001 Greatest Songs of All Time 2000
2004 66 Virgin Radio Virgin Radio Top 500 Songs of All-Time (December 2004) 500
2004 44 WXPN WXPN 885 All-Time Greatest Songs (2004) 885
2005 19 Virgin Radio Virgin Radio Top 500 Songs of All-Time (December 2005) 500
2006 44 Virgin Radio Virgin Radio Top 500 Songs of All-Time (December 2006) 500
2007 33 WTMD WTMD Top 897 Songs of All Time 897
2009 188 WYEP WYEP 913 Essential Songs 913
2009 43 Triple J Triple J Hottest 100 of All-Time (2009) 100
2009 43 WXPN WXPN 885 Desert Island Songs (2009) 885
2012 54 WYEP WYEP Top 500 Songs Countdown 500
2012 359 WXPN WXPN 885 Greatest Rock Songs (2012) 885
2014 22 WXPN WXPN 885 All-Time Greatest Songs (2014) 885
2016 29 WYEP WYEP 913 Countdown 2016 913
2018 13 The Current The Current's 893 Essential Songs 892
2019 176 WYEP WYEP Labor Day Weekend Countdown 2019 1099
2019 176 WYEP WYEP Big Spring Countdown 2019 1017
2020 9 WXPN WXPN 2020 Greatest Songs of All Time 2020
2021 18 WYEP WYEP 2021 Labor Day Countdown 168
2021 841 Q104.3 Q104.3 Top 1,043 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2021) 1043
2022 625 Q104.3 Q104.3 Top 1,043 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2022) 1043
2023 2 90.9 The Bridge 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of All Time 909
2023 35 WYEP WYEP Countdown to Fall 2023 1229
2025 683 Q104.3 Q104.3 Top 1,043 Classic Rock Songs of All Time (2025) 1043
2026 727 KXT KXT 917 Song Countdown 917
2026 5 WYEP WYEP Greatest Songs of All Time 1180

Also listed as: God only knows.

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