3 Songs That the Beach Boys’ Mike Love Loves (And Might Just Help You Out of Your Winter Depression)

Founding member of The Beach Boys, Mike Love, is one of the most revered classic rock vocalists of all time. And while Brian Wilson often gets all the credit for the surf rock outfit’s top hits, one can’t deny Love’s talent; and his excellent music taste. Let’s take a look at just a few songs that Mike Love has said are his favorites for pulling himself out of a rough mood. These tunes might just pull you out of your winter depression!

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1. “Barbara Ann” by The Regents

Speaking with Red Bull for an interview about his favorite and most joyful go-to songs, Mike Love was pretty direct about his love for “Barbara Ann” by The Regents. The Beach Boys actually covered this tune, with Brian Wilson taking on the arrangement. The pre-Pet Sounds song was quite a hit for them, and both The Regents version and The Beach Boys version are delightful, uplifting pieces of work.

“We didn’t even expect it to be a hit record for us, but it was,” said Love. “It was high on the charts, just before ‘Pet Sounds’ came out.”

2. “Devoted To You” by The Everly Brothers

It’s only natural that The Everly Brothers would make it to our list of Mike Love’s favorite songs. This rock duo inspired dozens of rock and country bands that followed their heyday in the 1950s and 1960s. Brian Wilson even spoke about how much the brother-and-brother duo inspired The Beach Boys, especially when it came to their otherworldly harmonies. 

“The Everly Brothers did many beautiful songs, but this one is particularly close to my heart,” said Love of “Devoted To You”.

3. “In The Still Of The Night” by The Five Saints

If you’re a fan of doo-wop, this song by The Five Saints is probably already your go-to when you’re feeling gloomy. Mike Love is a fan as well. And one can’t deny that there’s a little bit of The Five Saints in The Beach Boys’ music, especially when it comes to their smooth tones and warm atmosphere that made them a must-listen during summer.

“We [The Beach Boys] would actually sing that and many others,” said Love of “In The Still Of The Night” in the Red Bull interview. “I would take on the bass part, Brian the high parts, and we had a lot of fun that way. ‘In The Still Of The Night’ was one of the great songs of that era.”

Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney

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