Wild Honey Songs Ranked

Wild Honey is the 13th studio album by American rock band the Beach Boys, released December 18, 1967 on Capitol Records. It was the group’s first foray into soul music and was heavily influenced by the R&B of artists such as Stevie Wonder. The album was the band’s worst-selling at that point, charting at number 24 in the US. Lead single “Wild Honey” peaked at number 31, while its follow-up “Darlin'” reached number 19. In the UK, the album peaked at number seven. Wild Honey was later credited with pioneering DIY pop and with anticipating a back-to-basics trend followed by other acts of the era, including the Beatles. Most critics initially viewed the album as inconsequential, but after the mid–1970s, there was a greater appreciation for the record’s simplicity and charm. In 1979, the track “Here Comes the Night” was redone by the group as a disco single. In 2017, a complete stereo mix of Wild Honey was released for the first time on the rarities compilation 1967 – Sunshine Tomorrow. In 2020, Wild Honey was ranked number 410 on Rolling Stone’s list of the greatest albums of all time. Here are all of Wild Honey songs ranked.

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11. Mama Says

“Just as in ‘Smiley Smile’ a weak amputated version of ‘Vega-Tables’ called ‘Vegetables’ was included, precisely the beautiful amputated part is included here as an a cappella theme, with the problem that it is therefore lengthened by making games that they are not entirely flattering on the subject. However, it was only fair that this melody was published at the time.”

10. How She Boogalooed It

“This song is completely out of the sound that has been heard on the album, the reason is that it is a collaborative composition by Carl Wilson, Mike Love, and for the first time, Al Jardine and Bruce Johnston, giving rise to a very more rock n roll and fast sung by Carl with a very different jovial tone even within this same album, the organ is played impressively, literally a very different theme within the band’s repertoire.”

9. Let the Wind Blow

“Stylistic hints of ‘Smile’ reappear, however in that languor a certain vagueness is brewing in the style of the song and its interpretation between Mike, Brian and Carl. Yet the chorus has glimpses of epic.”

See more: The Beach Boys Albums Ranked

8. Here Comes the Night

“Brian interprets this song also being influenced by the Rolling Stones, although the product of this is an excellent set of verses, and an instrumental base full of flavor and surprises, the chorus becomes quite weak and chaotic in the purest ‘Smiley Smile’ style.”

7. I’d Love Just Once to See You

“Performed by Brian Wilson with a much more personal tone as rarely heard, including the fact that it is a subject dominated by the acoustic guitar. This new perspective on Brian is tremendously welcome.”

6. Darlin’

“As in the best moments of the band, this song has the participation of Hal Blaine on drums, and is by far one of the most beautiful and best songs performed by Carl Wilson, so much so that it stands the test of time and seems to be taken out of a After a decade, the arrangements, despite their simplicity, fill everything and make this song a true hymn with choral arrangements that, although they have this new soul trail, recall the greatest achievements of the band in their career.”

5. A Thing or Two

“Performed between Mike, Brian and Carl, this track is messy and very similar in style to the experiments done to fill ‘Smiley Smile’, the chorus is simply the worst of the track.?

See more: The Beach Boys Songs Ranked

4. Country Air

“It is a quite emotional song that is battled between predominantly instrumental sections and others sung by the entire band without interrupting the rather meditative flow of the song, achieving something beautiful but not very memorable.”

3. I Was Made to Love Her

“It is a cover of Stevie Wonder interpreted by Carl Wilson, his emphasis on imitating Wonder’s soul in the voice is notorious, however there is an excess in forcing how much the band can emulate this sound, added to the instrumental accompaniment it does not have the force and deep complement of the original, resulting in a much more monotonous cover despite trying a complete similarity.”

2. Aren’t You Glad

“Although the song enters as a song from ‘Smile’, Mike’s soft voice demonstrates a new style of song that is much more personal and intimate that will begin to be more and more common in the band. Brian interprets the choruses in the same soul and rock emphasis as Carl beginning to leave behind the peculiar and angelic vocal timbre that characterized him during the first half of the decade.”

1. Wild Honey

“The instrumentals are this is just amazing. The vocals are also quite good, but I feel also are a bit too covered up for my liking. Still, the psychedelic baroque pop style of this one is just wonderful and incredibly smooth sounding. This is The Beach Boys done right.”