Iconic musician Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys has died at 82, with the band having sold their intellectual property for $64 million in 2021 despite early financial missteps

David Muir remembers the life and legacy of music icon Brian Wilson, who died at age 82, and the summer anthems he wrote that helped define an era.

The Beach Boys mastermind has been the subject of pop scholarship and major boxed sets, but some corners of his oeuvre remain unreleased.

"Caroline, No" was released as the first solo Brian Wilson song in 1966, and then appeared as the closing track on the legendary Beach Boys album Pet Sounds. The melancholy lyrics and creative instrumentation—including harpsichord, vibraphone, a tambourine hit with a wood block and a water jug hit with a mallet—is classic Wilson.

Brian Wilson, the prodigious visionary engine behind the Beach Boys, composer of “teenage symphonies to God,” the big, gentle, sweet-voiced soul whose music touched generations, has died at 82. It’s a staggering loss,

Brian Wilson, who as leader of the Beach Boys and a founder of California rock invented a massively successful pop sound full of harmonies and sunshine, has died at the age of 82.

Brian Wilson's musical legacy influenced some of the biggest artists today, including Paul McCartney and Bruce Springsteen.

Our time here in comparatively short, and we all want to know that we made a difference in our lives, that our lives mattered, and that someone noticed.

The late Beach Boys co-founder left behind a legacy in music. Learn about Brian's life and career here.

Wilson's ambition stoked a creative rivalry with The Beatles, redefining the artistic potential of popular music.