Matt Knight’s 4:20 HIT of the Day – The Beach Boys “God Only Knows”

Let's give you another "4:20 HIT of the Day." What does this mean? Simply put, it's a song that I think will give you some good vibes, 'spark up' nostalgia or just remind you about a tune that you might love but just haven't heard in a while.

We're going to go back a bit for today's 4:20 Hit of the Day. When I heard that the Beach Boys were doing a Christmas show at the Hard Rock this December, it got me to thinking which of their songs is my favorite and it immediately came back to this one. It's the Beach Boys "God Only Knows."

From the 1966 album Pet Sounds, "God Only Knows" has been praised as not only one of the best Beach Boys songs, but one of the best songs EVER written by any artist. Carl Wilson sang lead vocal, while Brian Wilson & Bruce Johnston provided backing vocals and harmonies. In addition, nearly 20 session musicians variously played drums, sleigh bells, plastic orange juice cups, clarinets, flutes, strings, French horn, accordion, guitars, upright bass, harpsichord, and a tack piano.

Paul McCartney has commented that "God Only Knows" is "the greatest song ever written." “It’s very emotional, always a bit of a choker with me,” said Paul McCartney of the song. The night McCartney and John Lennon first heard Pet Sounds, at a London party, they wrote “Here, There and Everywhere,” which is influenced by “God Only Knows.”

For all the critical acclaim, "God Only Knows" barely broke the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1966, peaking at #39. This was mainly due to many radio programmers in the mid-1960's being scared off by the use of the word “God” in the title.