Paul McCartney Said 1 Beach Boys Song ‘Thrills’ Him

Paul McCartney said one of The Beach Boys’ songs thrills and inspires him. He wants his music to have the same impact on people. The Beach Boys’ tune performed differently in the United States than it performed in the United Kingdom.

Paul McCartney said that 1 of The Beach Boys’ songs makes him go ‘Wow!’

During a 2020 interview with Uncut, Paul was asked what music uplifted him. “Something like ‘God Only Knows,'” he said. “It’s just … Wow!

“The thrill it gives me, the inspiration, and the solace — whatever you want to call it — it makes me feel great,” he said. “I want my songs to have that effect, too.” “God Only Knows” is widely admired for its dense and complex orchestration.

Paul McCartney says his songs have helped people cope with having cancer

Paul discussed his music having the same impact on others that “God Only Knows” has on him. “I’ve always tried to put some kind of positive spin on most things,” he said. “Then I’ll think, ‘You know what, that’s enough optimism. Let’s get weary for a change.’ But I know the effect music has on me and the effect it can have on other people.

“People come up to me in the street saying, ‘I had cancer. I’m cured now, but your music really helped me get through it,'” he added. “I’m so proud that the music that we made has had this effect on people — and appears to be still having! C’mon, man! This was supposed to be a little rock ‘n’ roll band that lasted 10 years if that. It’s mind-blowing.”

How The Beach Boys’ ‘God Only Knows’ performed on the pop charts

While The Beach Boys were huge for a few years in the 1960s, “God Only Knows” didn’t do much for them commercially. The tune only reached No. 39 on the Billboard Hot 100, staying on the chart for eight weeks.

The tune appeared on the album Pet Sounds. That record peaked at No. 10 on the Billboard 200 and remained on the chart for 47 weeks. While it wasn’t a monster hit, Pet Sounds is now often cited as one of the best records ever made, garnering numerous comparisons to The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, another classic psychedelic pop album from the late 1960s.

According to The Official Charts Company, “God Only Knows” was a bigger hit in Paul’s native United Kingdom. In the U.K., the tune peaked at No. 2 and remained on the chart for 14 weeks. Meanwhile, Pet Sounds climbed to No. 2 and stayed on the chart for 39 weeks. One can only speculate why British audiences liked the track more than American audiences.

“God Only Knows” went on to impact popular culture. It inspired a cover by avant-garde singer and songwriter Daniel Johnston. In addition, the tune appeared in the trailers for the A24 horror film Lamb.

“God Only Knows” wasn’t one of The Beach Boys’ biggest hits but it meant a lot to Paul.