Surfing the Charts: Biggest Hit Songs by the Beach Boys

Special Report

Published: July 20, 2023 9:00 am

For 62 years and counting, the Beach Boys have been honing their unique psychedelic pop sound, characterized by intricate vocal harmonies and experimental songwriting. The California-based band formed in 1961 with a lineup that included brothers Brian, Carl, and Dennis Wilson, along with their cousin Al Jardine and friend Mike Love.

While their first few years of rock and doo-wop inspired recordings centered around a West Coast youth culture of surfing and automobiles, their music eventually embodied a more progressive sound that infused jazz and classical influences with autobiographical lyrics. The band’s ability to evolve and remain commercially viable has helped them to become one of the most popular rock bands of all time.)

To determine the Beach Boys’ biggest hits, 24/7 Tempo reviewed performance data on the Billboard Hot 100 charts. Songs were ranked based on an inverse score wherein a week at No. 1 is worth 100 points, a week at No. 2 worth 99 points, and so on, up to a week at No. 100 worth one point. Chart data is current through the week of July 1, 2023.

Click here to see the biggest hit songs by the Beach Boys

By the time the Beach Boys were inducted into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988, they had dozens of Billboard top 40 hits including three No. 1 songs. Later that year, they released their fourth No. 1, “Kokomo,” which became their first chart-topping song in 22 years.

Although “Little Saint Nick,” the band’s most recent hit to chart, reached the Billboard Top 100 in 2021, the Christmas single was first released in 1963. The majority of the group’s most successful hits, including “Surfin’ USA,” “California Girls,” “Good Vibrations,” and “Sloop John B,” were released in the ‘60s. (Here’s a list of the biggest pop hits of the ‘60s.)

55. “Still Cruisin'”
> Peak position on Hot 100: No. 93 (for 1 week)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 3 weeks
> Entered Hot 100: Aug. 26, 1989

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54. “409”
> Peak position on Hot 100: No. 76 (for 1 week)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 1 week
> Entered Hot 100: Oct. 13, 1962

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53. “Goin’ On”
> Peak position on Hot 100: No. 83 (for 1 week)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 3 weeks
> Entered Hot 100: April 12, 1980

52. “Long Promised Road”
> Peak position on Hot 100: No. 89 (for 2 weeks)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 5 weeks
> Entered Hot 100: Oct. 30, 1971

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51. “California Saga (On My Way to Sunny Californ-i-a)”
> Peak position on Hot 100: No. 84 (for 1 week)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 4 weeks
> Entered Hot 100: May 12, 1973

50. “It’s Getting Late”
> Peak position on Hot 100: No. 82 (for 1 week)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 5 weeks
> Entered Hot 100: Aug. 3, 1985

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49. “Surfin”
> Peak position on Hot 100: No. 75 (for 1 week)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 6 weeks
> Entered Hot 100: Feb. 17, 1962

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48. “Add Some Music to Your Day”
> Peak position on Hot 100: No. 64 (for 1 week)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 5 weeks
> Entered Hot 100: March 7, 1970

47. “Rock’n’roll to the Rescue”
> Peak position on Hot 100: No. 68 (for 1 week)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 6 weeks
> Entered Hot 100: June 28, 1986

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46. “Little Honda”
> Peak position on Hot 100: No. 65 (for 1 week)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 5 weeks
> Entered Hot 100: Oct. 17, 1964

45. “Peggy Sue”
> Peak position on Hot 100: No. 59 (for 1 week)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 6 weeks
> Entered Hot 100: Sept. 9, 1978

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44. “Break Away”
> Peak position on Hot 100: No. 63 (for 1 week)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 6 weeks
> Entered Hot 100: July 5, 1969

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43. “Please Let Me Wonder”
> Peak position on Hot 100: No. 52 (for 1 week)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 5 weeks
> Entered Hot 100: March 6, 1965

42. “Bluebirds Over the Mountain”
> Peak position on Hot 100: No. 61 (for 2 weeks)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 6 weeks
> Entered Hot 100: Dec. 14, 1968

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41. “Little Saint Nick”
> Peak position on Hot 100: No. 29 (for 1 week)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 4 weeks
> Entered Hot 100: Jan. 2, 2021

40. “Friends”
> Peak position on Hot 100: No. 47 (for 2 weeks)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 7 weeks
> Entered Hot 100: April 20, 1968

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39. “Wendy”
> Peak position on Hot 100: No. 44 (for 1 week)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 6 weeks
> Entered Hot 100: Oct. 17, 1964

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38. “Here Comes the Night”
> Peak position on Hot 100: No. 44 (for 2 weeks)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 8 weeks
> Entered Hot 100: March 3, 1979

37. “California Dreamin'”
> Peak position on Hot 100: No. 57 (for 1 week)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 10 weeks
> Entered Hot 100: Sept. 20, 1986

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36. “Ten Little Indians”
> Peak position on Hot 100: No. 49 (for 1 week)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 8 weeks
> Entered Hot 100: Dec. 1, 1962

35. “Wild Honey”
> Peak position on Hot 100: No. 31 (for 2 weeks)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 6 weeks
> Entered Hot 100: Nov. 4, 1967

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34. “God Only Knows”
> Peak position on Hot 100: No. 39 (for 1 week)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 8 weeks
> Entered Hot 100: Aug. 13, 1966

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33. “Good Timin'”
> Peak position on Hot 100: No. 40 (for 1 week)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 10 weeks
> Entered Hot 100: April 28, 1979

32. “Sail on Sailor”
> Peak position on Hot 100: No. 49 (for 1 week)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 17 weeks
> Entered Hot 100: Feb. 24, 1973

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31. “Heroes And Villains”
> Peak position on Hot 100: No. 12 (for 2 weeks)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 7 weeks
> Entered Hot 100: Aug. 5, 1967

30. “It’s O.K.”
> Peak position on Hot 100: No. 29 (for 2 weeks)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 10 weeks
> Entered Hot 100: Aug. 21, 1976

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29. “The Little Girl I Once Knew”
> Peak position on Hot 100: No. 20 (for 1 week)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 8 weeks
> Entered Hot 100: Nov. 27, 1965

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28. “Darlin'”
> Peak position on Hot 100: No. 19 (for 2 weeks)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 9 weeks
> Entered Hot 100: Dec. 23, 1967

27. “Do You Wanna Dance?”
> Peak position on Hot 100: No. 12 (for 1 week)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 8 weeks
> Entered Hot 100: Feb. 27, 1965

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26. “I Can Hear Music”
> Peak position on Hot 100: No. 24 (for 1 week)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 10 weeks
> Entered Hot 100: March 8, 1969

25. “Don’t Worry Baby”
> Peak position on Hot 100: No. 24 (for 1 week)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 10 weeks
> Entered Hot 100: May 30, 1964

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24. “Do It Again”
> Peak position on Hot 100: No. 20 (for 2 weeks)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 10 weeks
> Entered Hot 100: July 27, 1968

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23. “In My Room”
> Peak position on Hot 100: No. 23 (for 1 week)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 11 weeks
> Entered Hot 100: Nov. 2, 1963

22. “Getcha Back”
> Peak position on Hot 100: No. 26 (for 2 weeks)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 12 weeks
> Entered Hot 100: May 25, 1985

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21. “Little Deuce Coupe”
> Peak position on Hot 100: No. 15 (for 1 week)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 11 weeks
> Entered Hot 100: Aug. 17, 1963

20. “When I Grow Up (to Be a Man)”
> Peak position on Hot 100: No. 9 (for 2 weeks)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 10 weeks
> Entered Hot 100: Sept. 5, 1964

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19. “Wouldn’t It Be Nice”
> Peak position on Hot 100: No. 8 (for 1 week)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 11 weeks
> Entered Hot 100: July 30, 1966

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18. “Shut Down”
> Peak position on Hot 100: No. 23 (for 1 week)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 13 weeks
> Entered Hot 100: April 27, 1963

17. “Dance, Dance, Dance”
> Peak position on Hot 100: No. 8 (for 2 weeks)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 11 weeks
> Entered Hot 100: Nov. 7, 1964

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16. “Come Go With Me”
> Peak position on Hot 100: No. 18 (for 2 weeks)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 15 weeks
> Entered Hot 100: Nov. 21, 1981

15. “Barbara Ann”
> Peak position on Hot 100: No. 2 (for 2 weeks)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 11 weeks
> Entered Hot 100: Jan. 1, 1966

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14. “Be True to Your School”
> Peak position on Hot 100: No. 6 (for 1 week)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 12 weeks
> Entered Hot 100: Nov. 2, 1963

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13. “Fun, Fun, Fun”
> Peak position on Hot 100: No. 5 (for 1 week)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 11 weeks
> Entered Hot 100: Feb. 15, 1964

12. “California Girls”
> Peak position on Hot 100: No. 3 (for 2 weeks)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 11 weeks
> Entered Hot 100: July 24, 1965

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11. “Sloop John B”
> Peak position on Hot 100: No. 3 (for 1 week)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 11 weeks
> Entered Hot 100: April 2, 1966

10. “Surfer Girl”
> Peak position on Hot 100: No. 7 (for 2 weeks)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 14 weeks
> Entered Hot 100: Aug. 3, 1963

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9. “Surfin’ Safari”
> Peak position on Hot 100: No. 14 (for 2 weeks)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 17 weeks
> Entered Hot 100: Aug. 11, 1962

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8. “The Beach Boys Medley”
> Peak position on Hot 100: No. 12 (for 2 weeks)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 18 weeks
> Entered Hot 100: July 25, 1981

7. “Help Me, Rhonda”
> Peak position on Hot 100: No. 1 (for 2 weeks)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 14 weeks
> Entered Hot 100: April 17, 1965

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6. “Good Vibrations”
> Peak position on Hot 100: No. 1 (for 1 week)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 14 weeks
> Entered Hot 100: Oct. 22, 1966

5. “Wipeout (with Fat Boys)”
> Peak position on Hot 100: No. 12 (for 2 weeks)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 19 weeks
> Entered Hot 100: July 11, 1987

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4. “Rock and Roll Music”
> Peak position on Hot 100: No. 5 (for 1 week)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 17 weeks
> Entered Hot 100: June 5, 1976

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3. “I Get Around”
> Peak position on Hot 100: No. 1 (for 2 weeks)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 15 weeks
> Entered Hot 100: May 23, 1964

2. “Kokomo”
> Peak position on Hot 100: No. 1 (for 1 week)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 28 weeks
> Entered Hot 100: Sept. 3, 1988

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1. “Surfin’ U.S.A.”
> Peak position on Hot 100: No. 3 (for 1 week)
> Total weeks on Hot 100: 25 weeks
> Entered Hot 100: March 23, 1963

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