The Beach Boys’ album Pet Sounds was released in the United States on May 16, 1966.
Produced and largely arranged by Brian Wilson, Pet Sounds was the Beach Boys’ eleventh studio album. Wilson worked with lyricist Tony Asher on much of the material and used unusually rich orchestration, including strings, horns, keyboards, percussion, and unconventional studio sounds. The result moved the group beyond its earlier surf-pop image.
Most of the album was recorded between January and April 1966 at Los Angeles studios including Western, Gold Star, Columbia, and Sunset Sound. Capitol Records released it in the United States on May 16. It initially sold more modestly than several earlier Beach Boys albums, peaking at number 10 on the Billboard album chart, but its artistic influence grew dramatically over time.
The date is sometimes confused with the album’s chart peak, which occurred on July 2, 1966, or with dates from international releases and later reissues. Pet Sounds also includes “Wouldn’t It Be Nice” and “God Only Knows,” songs now widely regarded as landmarks of 1960s popular music.