User Score
Generally favorable reviews- based on 522 Ratings
User score distribution:
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Positive: 398 out of 522
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Mixed: 39 out of 522
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Negative: 85 out of 522
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StephenBDec 28, 2004Quite simply, the greatest Pop/Rock album of all time. Nothing else even comes close!
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tommygOct 27, 2004Beautiful. Warm. A down-filled concept record that dosen't weigh you down. Harkens back to when times were a little bit better, less confused, but still looks forward with confidence and opitimism. Absolutely gorgeous. California chamber pop.
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SeanJSep 28, 2004No doubt, it's extremely good. However, after all the years of hype, I can't help but feel a bit disappointed? All this fuss for this?! It doesn't come anywhere near Pet Sounds in terms of sheer genius. It's certainly one of the best albums of the year, but the Arcade Fire's "Funeral" is miles beyond this.
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MikeCSep 29, 2004Glorious sonic fireworks. Amazing!
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wartSep 29, 2004I can't stop listening to it.
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davekNov 16, 2005I have been waiting for this along time ..I just wish it was done by the beach boys of the 60's
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JMoskalNov 25, 2005Couldn't have been better
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KentGJan 14, 2005
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SteveHJan 14, 2005Brilliant! Worth the wait
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PaulAJan 16, 2005Perfection
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RyanBJan 21, 2005Incredible, soak it in.
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GeorgeKJan 21, 2005The most unique record that I have ever listened to
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FernandoMJan 27, 2005This album is amazing, makes me give a smile every time that I put om my cd player. Strongly recomended
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EdwardBJan 27, 2005Puts to rest any reservations that Mike Love's an idiot. The Beach Boys became irrelevant as a result of this betrayal. Justice and Brian Wilson triumphs at long last. A great visonary work of immense importance.
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SharonDFeb 13, 2005Excellent. One of the greatest albums ever made. A true masterpiece.
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ScottHApr 26, 2005
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JustinKApr 29, 2005If you don't like this, you don't like music!
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CarlosBMay 18, 2005ROCK AND ROLL produced only TWO GENIUS until today : one white, BRIAN WILSON, and one black , JIMI HENDRIX. Listen to this album and you will have a demonstration of what I said.
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JackHOct 23, 2006Simply the best album since Abbey Road.
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PaulWMay 19, 2006
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IainSJun 23, 2006Saw this track by track in 2004, had the experience of Pet Sounds before that TWICE; Brian Wilson is THE living pop genius. If you can't appreciate the genius of Pet Sounds, Smile or Brian Wilson then there really is no hope for you :)
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JohnLAug 19, 2006
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danhJan 11, 2007This album is better than pet sounds. It is amazing but would have been better if the other living beach boys were on it.
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MichaelT.Nov 3, 2007This album more than lives up to its own hype. The only slight dissapointment is I don't think the vocal harmonies are as good as the original Beach Boys whould of been but I think his new group do a stella job anyway.
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AbrahamR.Nov 8, 2007
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RickFeb 19, 2007
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EliEMay 29, 2007Any flaws you could point out in Brian's vocals compared to the original tapes are drastically outweighed by the faithful attempt at reconstructing this greatest of lost pop albums.
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EvanWJun 16, 2007
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kevinkJun 22, 2007all of to say is pretty much what the last three people have said except the exact opposite. in the world of pop music brian wilson is god SMiLE is the bible
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liorsJul 13, 2007it's really wonderful , buy this album if you have listened to "pet sounds" before, buy this album if you are willing to give "smile" a chance to be finished and not stay an inflated myth. do not buy this album only because it got a good rating on metacritic , music is a matter of taste not grades.
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JoséLuisSJul 28, 2007The best of the best... Brian Wilson is a true genius!!!
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LeeC.Sep 23, 2007i think, this is better than 'pet sounds'.
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CarlPNov 7, 2008
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AlexTFeb 12, 2008
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TimothyM.May 28, 2008The best American album ever.
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ChrisSJan 12, 2009
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JoeS.Jul 18, 2009'Tis very good, yeah!
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LuCindiMDec 26, 2004The world is finally ready for Brian Wilson-the complex Brian. He gave us his joy, his sadness, his dreams, his hopes, his fears, his dismay and we are all lucky to finally be able to thank Brian..thank you for your (audio/visual) "Smile".
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JohnFDec 31, 2004The finest collection of gumball jamz this side of the Baltic Ocean, hands down.
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ZapRDec 13, 2005Simply the greatest album ever released -- it transcends pop music to create something both new and old -- part Americana, part whimsical escapism, part pure pop, part symphony. The lyrics are both non-sensical and lucid, and Wilson's compositions are breathtakingly, beautiful, such as "Wonderful." This is music to make us smile.
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EvaBNov 29, 2006
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JustinBDec 29, 2007Wondrous!
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ruggeroruggeroNov 16, 2009
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Jan 24, 2011
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Feb 24, 2012Smile was and is a landmark in pop music. Building on his masterful work on Pet Sounds, Brian Wilson creates a complex, moving and bewildering flow of music.
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Mar 21, 2011The greatest album of all time. Without a doubt. Despite being 37 years old, and with Brian's voice not being anywhere near what it used to be... it's is still astonishing. A tapestry of sounds, imagery, words, ideas and spiritual energies. You have to be fairly bright to "get it".. but my god, if you do.
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Sep 29, 2011
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Nov 10, 2011
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Apr 9, 2012Surf's up is possibly the best song ever made and Smile is possibly one of the best albums ever made/not made. 2nd only to Pet Sounds, Smile in its newest most complete incarnation is ecstasy.
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Apr 2, 2019A missing Beach Boys album that could have just become a holy grail of lost content if not for Brian Wilson's reimagining much later. Great on its own the layered accapella vocals are near perfect beach music.
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Sep 17, 2014
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Oct 22, 2014
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Aug 9, 20169.0
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz -
Nov 18, 2021Smile is simply one of the greatest albums of all time. There's something that really warms my heart when I listen to this. Wilson's old yet smooth voice is relaxing to say the least. Please, listen to this album.
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Sep 2, 2021Really emotional, a brilliant masterpiece. Take a moment of your time to listen this album, donĀ“t listen this album as your background sound, you will miss a lot of excellent stuff and ruin your entire experience.
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Aug 15, 2021
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Jun 11, 2022It took a while for me to really "get" this album, but when it did I was speechless.
Better than Seargent Pepper? Absolutly, this is a masterpiece.
Way better than I thought it would be, I am stunned. -
Aug 20, 2023I enjoyed listening to the album. It reminded me of old rock albums. I think it is definitely a timeless album that will never get old.
Awards & Rankings
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Smile is quite simply the greatest triumph in the history of pop music.
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Smile's post-adolescent utopia isn't disfigured by Brian's thickened, soured 62-year-old voice. It's ennobled--the material limitations of its sunny artifice and pretentious tomfoolery acknowledged and joyfully engaged.
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Los Angeles Times"Smile" emerges as a beautiful and cohesive work, at times deeply moving, at others oddly whimsical, at still others eerily disturbing but celebratory. [27 Sep 2004]