1970s

After spending the 1960s at Capitol Records, The Beach Boys signed with Reprise Records in 1970. Their first album under their imprint Brother Records, was Sunflower, released in 1970. Brian wrote or co-wrote seven of the 12 songs and performed at half of the band’s concerts that year. Sunflower is now regarded as classic. In 1971, the band released the critically-acclaimed Surf’s Up, including the legendary SMiLE title track. The album marked a return to the charts and also included Brian’s “A Day In The Life” and one of his best songs, the haunting “’Til I Die.” 1973 saw the release of one of the band’s most beloved albums, Holland.

1973 also saw the release of the film classic American Graffiti, which featured early Beach Boys’ songs “Surfin’ Safari” and “All Summer Long” in the memorable closing sequence. The release of 1974s compilation album Endless Summer, topped the Billboard charts, selling over three million albums, and further cementing The Beach Boys as “America’s Band.” Brian produced the next two Beach Boys albums, 1976s15 Big Ones and 1977s The Beach Boys Love You, now considered a classic, with Brian writing all the songs and even performing most the instruments. Two more albums rounded out the decade, including “Good Timin’.”