Noel Gallagher didn’t hold back. He declared The Beach Boys “the most overrated group of all time.” That’s a bold claim. And there’s a story behind every line.

Why Noel Hated the Beach Boys

In a 2011 interview on Hoppus on Music, Noel responded to a question about his favorite albums in a frank way. When asked about Pet Sounds, he fired:

“Don’t you think they’re the most overrated group of all time? The only reason that they’re anyway successful is because they’re next to The Beatles in alphabetical order and Paul McCartney likes them. That’s it. Barbershop quartet music. Fking rubbish.”

He didn’t soften in the years after. In a 2017 interview, when asked if his album Who Built the Moon? compared to Brian Wilson’s work, he exploded:

“Fkin’ hell — I hate Brian Wilson! And you know what? If there’s a more overrated person in the music business than me, it’s that guy.”

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The “Cabbage” Insult

Noel once went even further. Speaking to The Age in 2005, he said:
“I fking hate the Beach Boys — I think Brian Wilson is a cabbage.”
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Given how revered Brian Wilson is in music circles, that was a sharp barb.

But time changes things. In 2020, Noel joined Matt Morgan on the Funny How? podcast and admitted something surprising: he had begun to enjoy The Beach Boys. He said:

“I’m not sure if I should say this… I’ve spent a life… dismissing this fking group… ‘Not interested. Fking dog shit… I’m not having it.’ I’ve started listening to, and actually enjoying, The Beach Boys.”
Then he admitted: “They’ve got about 12 tunes that I really f**king like.”

Noel Gallagher is never shy. His barbs towards The Beach Boys sparked controversy. But even he came around. He admitted he now likes some of their songs.

So, the most overrated band in history, according to Noel Gallagher, has long been The Beach Boys. Yet even that view softened with time.