Paul McCartney has always been generous in giving credit where it’s due. Throughout his legendary career, he has openly acknowledged the artists who inspired him, but one musician stands out above the rest — Brian Wilson. Wilson’s masterpiece, “God Only Knows,” is a song McCartney once described as “brilliantly done.”
In a 2007 interview with BBC Radio 1, McCartney opened up about why this Beach Boys classic holds such a special place in his heart.
“It’s one of the few songs that reduces me to tears every time I hear it,” McCartney confessed. “It’s really just a love song, but it’s brilliantly done. It shows the genius of Brian.”
Coming from the man who penned “Yesterday,” “Let It Be” and “The Long and Winding Road,” this wasn’t just casual praise — it was the greatest tribute.
McCartney’s admiration for Wilson’s composition went far beyond words. The track directly inspired some of the Beatles’ most beloved songs. “God Only Knows” served as the blueprint for McCartney’s own “Silly Love Songs,” which incorporated the same build-up of vocal counterpoints that made Wilson’s track so alluring.
Wilson himself was humble about the praise. When McCartney first called “God Only Knows” the “greatest song ever written” in the 1970s, Wilson responded, “If that’s true, then what was there left for me to do?”
Originally released in 1966, “God Only Knows” peaked at #39 on the Billboard Hot 100 but achieved top 10 status in several other countries, cementing its place in the Beach Boys’ legendary catalog. However, the song’s impact didn’t stop in the ’60s.
Following Wilson’s recent passing on June 11, 2025, “God Only Knows” has experienced a massive resurgence on social media. TikTok users have been rediscovering the track, with many hearing Wilson’s harmonies for the first time.
The song’s renaissance reached a high when Spin posted a video isolating Wilson’s raw vocals from the track. The viral clip garnered over a million views and left fans stunned by the producer’s talent.
@spin God only knows where music would be without Brian Wilson. 🤍 (🎵 via yt/alexlennon1983, x/Henry_White1996)
♬ original sound – SPIN
“Now I see why Paul McCartney felt threatened by the harmonization,” one user joked in the comments. Another added, “Brian Wilson really said ‘I’m glad you guys liked the decade of silly surf rock songs I made, now here’s the greatest pop album of all time.'”
Comments poured in echoing McCartney’s sentiment, with one fan writing, “‘God Only Knows’ is the best, most honest and genuine love song of all time.” Another called Wilson “the Mozart of our time!”
As new generations discover “God Only Knows,” one thing becomes clear — some songs are truly timeless. And when they can move even McCartney to tears, you know they’ve achieved something revolutionary.
