The Beach Boys pioneered the concept of "the self-contained band" in the 1960s. Their unique surfer vocal harmonies, along with Brian's skilled ear for studio mastery, challenged the future wave of pop music.

In the early sixties, the Beach Boys scored several top 40 hits such as "I Get Around," and "Don't Worry Baby." After years of touring with the band, Brian retired from the road to concentrate on working in the studio. Brian's major influence was the Beatles. It was the Beatles' 1965 album, "Rubber Soul," that inspired Brian's next endeavor, one that would change the world of pop music forever.

Brian Wilson's most daring Beach Boys vision was the 1966 masterpiece, "Pet Sounds," which can be likened to the Beatles' 1966 "Sgt. Pepper" and Fleetwood Mac's 1979 "Tusk," as a breakthrough album in the arena of pop music. "Pet Sounds" was a very personal album for Brian and broke away from the traditional surfer ideals of previous Beach Boys albums.

Like "Pet Sounds," Fleetwood Mac's "Tusk," moved away from the formula of their previous albums. You can see Lindsey's visionary ideals kicking in, with the influence of Brian Wilson not far behind. "Tusk" did not receive the commercial success of it's predecessor, "Rumours," yet it's mastery put Lindsey on the charts as a studio genius. This was just the beginning of Lindsey's visionary changes in pop music. His 1984 solo album, "Go Insane" continued the theme of "Tusk" with its rawness and untraditional arrangements. On "Go Insane," Lindsey wrote a song titled, "D.W. Suite," which is a three-part tribute to the late Dennis Wilson and includes "a Beach Boys-type chorus and a Scottish flute march." This song is probably a tribute to not only Dennis Wilson, but Brian as well.