The Beach Boys Soar As Fans Mourn Brian Wilson’s Passing

On Wednesday (June 11), the world lost one of its greatest and most creative musicians. Brian Wilson passed away at the age of 82, leaving behind a legacy of feel-good pop anthems and groundbreaking studio techniques. Following the news of his death being shared worldwide, Americans rushed to return to the classics that made the pop band so hugely successful in the 1960s and 1970s, buying them in huge numbers again.

As of the time of writing, The Beach Boys, which he powered for years, fill 17 spaces on the iTunes Top Songs chart in the U.S. Many of the group’s most beloved tunes are surging toward the highest reaches of the ranking, which lists the top-selling cuts on that platform.

The Beach Boys Replace Nicki Minaj at No. 1

At the moment, The Beach Boys replace Lil Wayne and Nicki Minaj at No. 1. The legacy act’s “God Only Knows” shoots to the summit, becoming a bestseller just hours after many people learned of Wilson’s passing. The remix of “Banned From NO,” originally a solo cut taken from Wayne’s latest album Tha Carter VI — but made into a collaboration when Minaj joined — dips to the runner-up space.

The Beach Boys Claim Multiple Top 10s

The Beach Boys occupy a trio of spaces inside the top 10, as “Wouldn’t It Be Nice” and “Good Vibrations” appear at Nos. 6 and 8, respectively. Just below that uppermost tier come several other hits, like “Don’t Worry Baby” (No. 13), “Surfin’ U.S.A.” (No. 16), “California Girls” (No. 17), “Sloop John B” (No. 19), and “I Get Around” (No. 23).

Pet Sounds Reaches No. 1

The Brian Wilson-led outfit also conquers the iTunes Top Albums ranking, and its performance on that tally may be even more impressive than on the songs list. The group fills the highest three spaces on the roster at the same time, running the show with Pet Sounds. Two compilations — The Very Best of The Beach Boys: Sounds of Summer and 50 Big Ones: Greatest Hits — come next at Nos. 2 and 3, respectively. The group’s Endless Summer also soars into the top 10, landing at No. 8 and giving the outfit control over 40% of the uppermost region.