Did you know that an Ohio native was a part of a band that made what many consider to be one of the greatest American songs ever made? That native is Lima, Ohio born Al Jardine, and the song is God Only Knows, sung by The Beach Boys, the legendary group that Jardine was a member of.
Jardine was born in Lima and spent the first half of his youth there. His family later moved and lived in several cities, until they settled in Hawthorne, California. It was at the city’s high school that he would meet Brian and Carl Wilson. They, along with several other members, would form The Beach Boys.
The Beach Boys had several hit albums and songs. Their most notable album was Pet Sounds.Pet Sounds was innovative and a big risk when it was made and released in 1966. Resident group producer/mastermind Brian Wilson was looking to push the limits of music production with the album, and did so. The most popular song from the LP is the single God Only Knows. Despite the cut only reaching number 39 on the Pop charts, the song is one of the most acclaimed in world history. The tune is reportedly Paul McCartney’s (of course, a member of The Beatles and The Beach Boys’ main competition for a few years) favorite song of all time (he’s described it as “the greatest song ever written”). It either sits at the top or near the top of Greatest Songs lists and polls. Jardine helped with the making of it and performed it live for years with the band.
One of the greatest compositions of all time was created by a band that had a guy from Ohio in it. That’s something to be proud of, and something that's frankly…groovy.
Miami Valley Music Focus explores the places and people behind the music of Southwest, Ohio. This series is made possible by support from Ohio Arts Council.
