The Beach Boys are one of the most critically acclaimed and commercially successful bands of all time, selling over 100 million records worldwide. As of 2022, Wilson and Jardine do not perform with Love's edition of the Beach Boys, but remain official members of the band. In the early 2010s, the original members briefly reunited for the band's 50th anniversary. Following Carl's death from lung cancer in 1998, the band granted Love legal rights to tour under the group's name. Dennis drowned in 1983 and Brian soon became estranged from the group. In the mid-1970s, as their concerts drew larger audiences, the band transitioned into an oldies act. Carl took over as the band's musical leader records from this period later enjoyed a cult following among fans. In the late 1960s, the group's commercial momentum faltered in the US, and despite efforts to maintain an experimental sound, they were widely dismissed by the early rock music press. After scrapping the Smile album in 1967, Brian gradually ceded control of the group to his bandmates. In 1966, the Pet Sounds album and " Good Vibrations" single raised the group's prestige as rock innovators. Starting with 1965's The Beach Boys Today!, they abandoned beachgoing themes for more personal lyrics and ambitious orchestrations. They were one of the few American rock bands to sustain their commercial standing during the British Invasion. In 1963, they had their first national hit with " Surfin' U.S.A.", beginning a string of top-ten singles that reflected a southern California youth culture of surfing, cars, and romance, dubbed the " California sound". The Beach Boys began as a garage band, managed by the Wilsons' father Murry, and with Brian as composer, arranger, producer, and de facto leader.
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They drew on the music of older pop vocal groups, 1950s rock and roll, and black R&B to create their unique sound, and under Brian's direction, often incorporated classical or jazz elements and unconventional recording techniques in innovative ways. Distinguished for their vocal harmonies, adolescent-oriented themes, and musical ingenuity, they are one of the most influential acts of the rock era. The group's original lineup consisted of brothers Brian, Dennis, and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. The Beach Boys are an American rock band that formed in Hawthorne, California, in 1961.