McCartney or Wilson?

DougElevenDollars · Sep 5, 2012

Here's my position. Wilson's greatest compositions ("God Only Knows," "Don't Worry Baby," "Good Vibrations," etc.) are just as good, if not better, than McCartney's greatest compositions ("Eleanor Rigby," "Yesterday," et al). The Beatles, however, are the superior band because they had two, and arguably three, Brian Wilsons in McCartney, Lennon and Harrison.

Either way, The Beach Boys are America's answer to The Beatles. Anyone agree?

Khor1255 · Sep 5, 2012

I don't. And I'm really sorry. I like the Beach Boys. But please don't compare them to The Beatles. The Stones maybe, but The Beatles?

I don't know what America's answer to The Beatles are. Maybe Crack the Sky but that reference is lost on most people so....

Anyway. welcome to the boards.

LG · Sep 6, 2012

I'd rate the Beach Boys harmonies with any band in the world, but the Beatles as Khor pointed out were just a better band, the 2nd half of their discography makes that case by itself.

Crack the Sky was a band that should have been much bigger, kind of a shame they came and went without many people taking notice.

Cosmic Harmony · Sep 6, 2012

The Beach Boys are tied with Simon & Garfunkel in my book for the best harmonies in music. However, as individual singers Paul is better than Brian Wilson and the Beatles are a better band than the Beach Boys. Don't get me wrong the Beach Boys wrote some great pop songs in their heyday and had the Beatles never gone beyond "Help" The Beach Boys probably would be better but the Beatles were far more expansive musically, vocally, and conceptually.

What it boils down to for me is that The Beach Boys are not as timeless or in the same league as The Beatles. On a one on one level for Paul McCartney and Brian Wilson I think they both have written their fair share of bad cheese over their careers but Paul's best songs have better, more distinctive melodies and are much more iconic.

LG · Sep 6, 2012

I'd forgotten about the OP's question Paul or Brian...

I still give Paul the nod his body of work within the Beatles and his best solo albums are first class.

But...I think Brian was more important to the Beach Boys because without him I just couldn't see them ever achieving the heights they did.

Mr. Shadow · Sep 6, 2012

The Beatles' "Sgt. Pepper" drove Brian into a deep depression that almost drove him mad.

Winner: Maca.

TheSound · Sep 6, 2012

McCartney has the most amazing longevity, he's still making great records after almost 50 years, and his world-wide popularity has never diminished for a moment (even after releasing the frog croaking song)...I can't think of a decent Brian Wilson track after Sail on Sailor in about 1975....but having said that, the early Beach Boys music is every bit as timeless as anything The Beatles produced, but McCartney is music royalty, there are artists and bands whose music I like more than McCartney, but there's nobody that I respect more.

Big Ears · Sep 7, 2012

Paul McCartney.

Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys are good, but The Beatles are better. It is clear on Abbey Road that The Beatles were influenced by The Beach Boys, as well as The Byrds (or The Searchers) and Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac. Both The Beach Boys and The Beatles were, in turn, a clear influence on the original progressive rock bands like King Crimson, Yes and Todd Rundgren's Utopia.

Other groups with strong harmonies that I like are Fifth Dimension, The Four Seasons and Manhattan Transfer.

billtjr51 · Sep 10, 2012

McCartney, by miles!

DougElevenDollars · Sep 20, 2012

Personally, I think the comparison is a valid one if, for no other reason, that without Pet Sounds there would be no Sgt. Pepper. I've been blessed to be able to see both McCartney and the Beach Boys in concert (2009 and 2012, respectively). Both were amazing shows.

Basically, my question is not over whose band is/was better or who has endured at the top longer, but over whose best compositions were better. Since "God Only Knows" is my all-time favorite song, it's hard for me to not put Wilson in the discussion.

McCartney or Wilson?

DougElevenDollars

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Khor1255

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LG

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Cosmic Harmony

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LG

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Mr. Shadow

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TheSound

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Big Ears

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billtjr51

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DougElevenDollars

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