5 Key Facts About the Beach Boys' SMiLE Sessions

The SMiLE sessions took place between 1966 and 1967. These recording dates are the only confirmed period for the album’s creation.

The sessions were intended to produce a follow-up to Pet Sounds. SMiLE was meant to be a more ambitious and experimental project.

The album was never completed or released as originally planned. The sessions were abandoned due to creative tensions and Brian Wilson’s mental health struggles.

The recordings were eventually released decades later in various forms. Compilations like The SMiLE Sessions (2011) showcase the unfinished material.

The sessions are considered a legendary “lost” album in music history. Despite being incomplete, SMiLE remains a highly influential and mythologized project.