The Beach Boys' 50th Anniversary reunion celebration is well underway with a major international tour, and the iconic band has another big reason to celebrate this week with their highest-ever Billboard albums chart debut.
The band's 29th studio album, That's Why God Made the Radio, debuts today at No. 3 on Billboard's Top 200 Albums chart. The new album, released June 5 by Capitol/BRI, sold 61,000 copies in the U.S. during its first week.
While The Beach Boys have achieved Top 10 chart success with several albums, they have never had an album debut in Billboard's Top 10 until now. The band's last new studio album to peak in Billboard's Top 5 was 1965's Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!!), which climbed to No. 2 after its release, and their most recent Top 5 Billboard Albums chart hit was in 1974 for their Endless Summer hits compilation, which topped the chart at No. 1.
Beach Boys Brian Wilson, Mike Love, Al Jardine, Bruce Johnston and David Marks came together earlier this year to record That's Why God Made The Radio, the first studio album of new, original Beach Boys songs to feature all of the band's surviving original members since 1989's Still Cruisin'.
Produced by Brian Wilson and executive produced by Mike Love, the album's 12 new songs illustrate The Beach Boys' unique and evocative West Coast story with the band's timeless signature sound. The Beach Boys' collaborative approach to writing and recording their new music is evidenced throughout the album, with all of the band members participating to create its glorious harmonies, lyrics and arrangements.
The new music video for the album's lead single, "That's Why God Made The Radio," debuts today on VEVO.
Rolling Stone magazine hails the album as "a breezy nostalgia trip" and "deeply touching work," the New York Times describes it as "a reflection on aging and memory, on longing and mortality," and the Associated Press says that "The songs harken back to a simpler time when people wore huarache sandals, polished their surfboards and raced their hot rods."
The Guardian says the album is "easily the best thing Brian Wilson has put his name to in the last 30 years," while People magazine praises the album's "intricately layered, swoon-worthy harmonies," and Time magazine calls the album "immensely satisfying."
The album's closing suite of songs has drawn particularly high critical praise, with the Los Angeles Times calling the suite "a vital piece of the Beach Boys' legacy," and PopMatters saying "It's neither a reach nor hyperbole to say this suite is among the strongest, most affecting music Wilson has ever recorded. It seems right that his old bandmates are a part of it."
Currently traveling across North America on their 50th Anniversary tour, the band's first major outing to include Brian Wilson in more than two decades, The Beach Boys will hit the "Good Morning America" Summer Concert Series stage in New York's Central Park this Friday for a special performance of the new album's title track plus two of their classic hits. Tune in to "Good Morning America" on ABC at 8:30am ET/PT to watch the performance.
p> PBS Beach Boys special to air
A new PBS special, "The Beach Boys: Doin' It Again," begins airing this month in select markets with airdates scheduled through July for PBS stations across the country.
The hourlong special takes viewers along for the exciting ride as the legendary group's members reunite to celebrate their 50th anniversary, with a look back at their career featuring never-before-seen archival concert footage, performances from their anniversary tour, plus a behind-the-scenes look at the recording of their new album.
Visit www.PBS.org for local listings.
