The Beach Boys' song Barry Gibb said he’s been "competing with" his entire career

5 May 2026, 11:29

The musical majesty of The Beach Boys' music wasn't lost on the Bee Gees' Barry Gibb, who claimed that one song from the album in particular he'd been “competing with” ever since first hearing it. Picture: Getty

By Thomas Edward

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They were the masters of harmony.

There was a time when popular music overlapped with musicians pioneering new sounds, who strived to break convention time after time.

Even with the expectation of what was considered popular, the 1960s littered with artists who tore up the rule book.

One such band was The Beach Boys, particularly with their generational 1966 album Pet Sounds.

Whilst the group were firmly a pop act, it was Brian Wilson's genius who propelled them to greater heights.

Of course, The Beach Boys could've rested on their laurels and churned out surf rock hit after surf rock hit.

That'd be fair enough, and a sure-fire recipe for commercial success, given the litany of chart-toppers they released like 'I Get Around', 'Surfin' U.S.A.' and 'California Girls' that are beloved even to this day.

But with Pet Sounds, guided by Brian Wilson's vision, the band would go on to be regarded as the great songsmiths in the history of popular music.

This certainly wasn't lost on a budding musician named Barry Gibb, who claimed that one song from the album in particular he'd been "competing with" ever since first hearing it.

The Beach Boys' 1966 album Pet Sounds is widely regarded a landmark in popular music. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images). Picture: Getty

What song was the Bee Gees' main man referring to? It was their masterpiece 'God Only Knows'.

Wilson's blissful ballad has been revered by music lovers throughout the decades, with many of his peers citing it as their North Star of songwriting and production.

The Beatles' Paul McCartney called it his favourite song of all time, whilst John Lennon, David Bowie, Elton John, Taylor Swift, Olivia Newton-John, U2's Bono, Stevie Wonder and countless others have praised it.

You can add Barry Gibb to the ever-growing list of devotees. But the Bee Gees shared more similarities with The Beach Boys than most.

Both bands were made up of brothers, which offered them a unique advantage in terms of understanding harmony and blending their vocals together.

Even Brian Wilson recognised this likeness with the Gibb brothers, which he explained after making a rare appearance to induct the Bee Gees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997.

So the appreciation was mutual, much to Barry Gibb's gratitude. But he still felt that Wilson's songwriting was light years beyond his own.

In a quote on the Brian Wilson website, Gibb recalled the first time he heard 'God Only Knows' and said he "blew the top of my head off".

"Who could possibly be doing this?" Gibb added. "This was beyond pop music."

The Beach Boys - God Only Knows (Official Music Video)

Barry continued in his effusive adoration of Wilson's work, adding: "The chord structure, that beautiful voice, the inspiring subject matter. In one giant leap, music had moved to another level.”

In awe of how Wilson had completely changed the complexion of pop music, Gibb thought: "Oh dear, I'm wasting my time, how can I ever compete with that?"

Gibb finished his praise of 'God Only Knows' by stating: "We’ve been competing with that ever since."

Whilst he may have been competing with the lauded masterpiece, Brian Wilson felt that Barry Gibb's songwriting was an equal match, if not elevating pop to a new level himself.

Brian revealed during his induction speech at the Rock and Rock Hall of Fame that he felt the Bee Gees' song 'Too Much Heaven' also transcended.

“I remember when I heard 'Too Much Heaven' for the first time. I thought, 'That's not a song, that's not a record'," he revealed. "'That’s a place where people sing – and I love going to that place'."

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Some years later, Brian recalled the occasion, but also lamented being too shy to strike up a meaningful conversation with Barry and his brothers Robin and Maurice.

"We met at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame back in 1997," he wrote on an Instagram post alongside a photo of Barry playing guitar in 2021.

"I presented them for their introduction. They sang 'To Love Somebody'. Before the show, Barry came down to meet me and he just sat in the room. I heard later that he was nervous. I was nervous too."

Once Barry caught wind of Brian's post, he replied with gratitude and suggested they collaborate.

Sadly, it wasn't to be – Brian died in 2025 having been diagnosed with dementia the year before. 'God Only Knows' what that heavenly collaboration would sound like.