Brian Wilson's legacy as a musical genius lives on to this day

Brian Wilson, the brilliant, troubled, musical genius who co-founded the Beach Boys, has died at 82.

Wilson was a pioneering artist, singer, and songwriter, who beautifully captured the sun and surf culture in The Beach Boys music and in a legacy that continues to influence artists to this day.

Wilson and The Beach Boys formed in Southern California in the early 1960s, and began producing hits like “Surfin’ USA,” “Surfer Girl,” and “I Get Around,” among the band’s 36 Top 40 hits.

But Wilson’s creative spirit was best encapsulated on the band’s 1966 album “Pet Sounds,” routinely ranked by music critics and historians as the first “concept” album, with the songs built around a common theme.

“Pet Sounds” was a departure from the surf pop early work, and gave audiences “Good Vibrations,” a song with multiple movements and a layered sound that created a format borrowed by The Beatles for “Day In The Life,” Elton John’s “Love Lies Bleeding/Funeral For A Friend,” and Wings’ (Paul McCartney’s band after The Beatles) for “Band On The Run,” according to American Songwriter.

“Brian Wilson sort of proved himself to be a really amazing composer. I was into chords and harmonies and stuff at that time, and we ended up with kind of like a rivalry,” McCartney said on The Ronnie Wood Show, per Far Out Magazine.

He added, “He eventually came out with ‘God Only Knows’ on Pet Sounds. I just think it’s a great song: melody, harmonies, words! It’s a great song, I love it. It’s my favorite Beach Boys song.”

Bruce Springsteen also felt Wilson’s influence in his music and praised him in the documentary “Brian Wilson: Long Promised Road," per the Grammy's official website.

"There’s no greater world created in rock and roll than the Beach Boys, the level of musicianship, I don’t think anybody’s touched it yet," Springsteen said, adding later, "[He] just took you out of where you were and took you to another place.”

Weezer, who has performed several tributes to Wilson over the years, also deeply feels the impact of The Beach Boys and Wilson. The band’s frontman Rivers Cuomo said in an interview, "To me, he’s one of the standout talents of the century or of our culture. I think I’m a pea in comparison. But I certainly emulate him as do countless others.”

Countless other artists look back to Wilson’s pioneering work, experimenting with songwriting and recording techniques, making him one of the most influential artists of the 20th century.

The Beach Boys have more than 30 singles in the Top 40 and worldwide sales of more than 100 million. They were voted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988.