The Beach Boys leader, whose death was announced on Wednesday, was a brilliant writer, arranger and producer whose ambitions propelled his band — and contemporaries like the Beatles — into the future.

If you enjoy most any kind of pop music, you’re a cork in Brian Wilson’s ocean. The principal songwriter and sonic architect of the Beach Boys, he bottled the vibes of Southern California — and really ...

A hitmaker elevated and burdened by the label of genius, he transcended the breezy surf genre to create complex harmonies and intricate soundscapes in the studio. Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys in the ...