The world lost two giants from the world of popular music last week, Sly Stone and Brian Wilson. Both artists were 82. To mark their passing, here are a couple of brief excerpts taken from their profiles in MUSIC TITANS – 250 GREATEST RECODING ARTISTS OF THE PAST 100 YEARS —

            One of the best and most influential hybrid bands of the late ’60s-early ’70s was San Francisco’s Sly and the Family Stone. An amalgam of brothers Sylvester and Freddie Stewart’s bands, it was led by older brother Sly (Sylvester) who had grown up a musical prodigy, proficient on keyboards, guitar, bass, and drums before he was a teen. When he and his brother merged, they were not an immediate hit, but one soulful party track, “Dance to the Music,” proved to be their breakthrough. However, with the release of 1969’s Stand! they were arguably pop music’s most important and groundbreaking act. Stand! is representative of the unique blend of R&B, soul, rock, gospel, pop, and funk that Sly and the Family Stone were creating. Not only that, the band was a mix of Black and white, male and female musicians, unheard of in those days. The songs, such as the captivating title track and the peace and equality anthem “Everyday People,” were positive uplifting messages of hope…. In 1969, they played a fiery set at Woodstock, beautifully captured on film and forever cementing their legacy…

            They hailed from Hawthorne, one of countless L.A. suburbs, three teenage brothers, a cousin, and a school friend. In the early ’60s, blending the rock & roll sounds of Chuck Berry with the harmonies of the Four Freshmen, they sang of the endless California summertime fantasy of sun, sand, surf, girls, and cars, catching the wave to musical stardom with a couple of hit singles, “Surfin’ U.S.A.,” “Fun, Fun, Fun,” and “I Get Around.” Soon, the Beach Boys were the most popular American band….1964, however, brought the Beatles and the “British Invasion” wave of English rock bands to American shores. Homegrown acts disappeared overnight; could the Beach Boys compete and survive? In 1966, the Beach Boys answered that question for all time. With the 23-year-old Brian Wilson at the production controls and utilizing arresting melodies; unusual chord combinations; thoughtful, introspective lyrics; their trademark sophisticated falsetto tinged harmonies; and driven by a Phil Spector-like “wall of sound,” the Beach Boys produced their masterpiece, Pet Sounds, whichhas been praised by artists as diverse as Philip Glass and Paul McCartney. The latter claimed it spurred him to respond with Sgt. Pepper. A Mojo Magazine music panel in 1995 voted it the greatest record ever, while Rolling Stonelisted it as the second greatest LP of all time. Individual tracks, “Wouldn’t It Be Nice,” “Sloop John B,” and “God Only Knows” are each considered masterworks….

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