Editing Pet Sounds (section)

===United States Capitol release===
On March 7, Wilson's first solo record, the "Caroline No" single (B-side "[[Summer Means New Love]]" from ''Summer Days'') was released,{{sfn|Badman|2004|p=124}} igniting speculation about his departure from the Beach Boys.{{sfn|Kent|2009|p=23}} It charted at number 32 during a seven-week stay.{{sfn|Badman|2004|p=124}} The Beach Boys' "Sloop John B" (B-side "[[You're So Good to Me]]" from ''Summer Days''), issued March 21, reached number 3.{{sfn|Badman|2004|p=122}}

After completing ''Pet Sounds'', Wilson played the album for his wife, who later described the experience as profoundly moving and "spiritual", recalling they both cried, while he worried its complexity might alienate listeners.<ref name="Marilyn1997">{{cite AV media notes |chapter=The Observers: Marilyn Wilson |title=The Pet Sounds Sessions |others=[[The Beach Boys]] |year=1997 |publisher=[[Capitol Records]] |type=Booklet |chapter-url=http://albumlinernotes.com/Marilyn_Wilson_Comments.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220427203720/http://albumlinernotes.com/Marilyn_Wilson_Comments.html |archive-date=April 27, 2022}}</ref> Capitol staff reacted with confusion to the album's unconventional style. Producer [[Nik Venet]] believed Wilson "was screwing up", claiming he was "no longer looking to make records" but seeking industry attention and antagonizing his father with unrelatable songs and melodies.{{sfn|Granata|2003|p=186}} Capitol A&R director [[Karl Engemann]] supported Wilson, later recalling that while he recognized the album's departure from the Beach Boys' earlier surf-themed hits, he was swayed by Wilson's enthusiasm. During a sales meeting, marketing personnel reportedly expressed disappointment.{{sfn|Granata|2003|p=186}}{{refn|group=nb|According to Love, "I was with Brian when we went up to Capitol to play the album for Karl. He was a heck of a nice guy, and even though he liked ''Pet Sounds'' a lot, he asked if we couldn't make more records like the old [surf] stuff."{{sfn|Granata|2003|p=186}}}} The executives initially debated rejecting the album but approved it after several meetings, including one where Wilson used a tape recorder with pre-recorded answers to address their concerns.{{sfn|Badman|2004|p=131}}

''Pet Sounds'' was released on May 16, debuting at number 106 on the ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' charts.<ref name=BillboardMay1966 /> It had initial sales of 200,000 copies.{{sfn|Badman|2004|p=134}} In the U.S., it peaked at number 10 on July 2 and remained on the chart for ten months, a moderate commercial performance compared to the band's earlier albums.{{sfn|Granata|2003|p=184}} Total sales were estimated at 500,000 units,{{sfn|Carlin|2006|p=85}} but the [[RIAA]] did not grant it immediate [[gold album|gold]] certification—the first Beach Boys album since 1963 to lack this designation upon release.{{sfn|Badman|2004|p=134}}

[[File:Cashbox27unse 40 0013.jpg|thumb|left|Advertisement for ''Pet Sounds'', published in [[Cashbox (magazine)|Cashbox]] magazine in May 1966. Dennis, Johnston, Melcher, Asher and Britz can also be seen.]]
Granata described the promotional campaign as "halfhearted" and "self-serving",{{sfn|Granata|2003|p=186}} while journalist [[Peter Doggett]] disputed claims of deliberate sabotage, which he called "a pop myth", asserting ''Pet Sounds'' was promoted as heavily as the Beach Boys' prior releases.{{sfn|Doggett|2016|p=372}} Capitol's campaign for the album included full-page ''Billboard'' ads and radio spots that maintained the group's established image without acknowledging the album's new direction. The radio spots featured comedy skits by the band that omitted musical excerpts, depending solely on their name recognition.{{sfn|Butler|2012|pp=231–232}} Johnston and Carl<ref name="Carl1997" /> later criticized Capitol's efforts, alleging insufficient promotion compared to past releases.<ref name="Johnston1997">{{cite AV media notes |chapter=Comments by Bruce Johnston |title=The Pet Sounds Sessions |others=[[The Beach Boys]] |year=1997 |publisher=[[Capitol Records]] |type=Booklet |chapter-url=http://albumlinernotes.com/Comments_Bruce_Johnston.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220513220440/http://albumlinernotes.com/Comments_Bruce_Johnston.html |archive-date=May 13, 2022}}</ref> Carl suggested the label relied on existing airplay instead.<ref name="Carl1997" /> Some observers surmised Capitol viewed the album as commercially risky, targeting older general audiences over the band's core younger female demographic.{{sfn|Jones|2008|p=47}}

Two months after the album's release, Capitol issued the compilation ''[[Best of the Beach Boys]]'', which earned rapid RIAA gold certification{{sfn|Carlin|2006|pp=85–86}} and further hindered ''Pet Sounds''{{'}} commercial performance{{sfn|Granata|2003|p=186}} According to Engemann, the label's marketing team had doubted ''Pet Sounds''{{'}} commercial potential and sought to bolster quarterly sales.<ref>{{cite AV media notes |chapter=The Observers: Karl Engemann |title=The Pet Sounds Sessions |others=[[The Beach Boys]] |year=1997 |publisher=[[Capitol Records]] |type=Booklet |chapter-url=http://albumlinernotes.com/Karl_Engemann_Comments.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211008112204/http://albumlinernotes.com/Karl_Engemann_Comments.html |archive-date=October 8, 2021}}</ref> Contemporary reports state some stores received the compilation instead of ''Pet Sounds'' when ordered.{{sfn|Badman|2004|p=141}} On July 18, the single "Wouldn't It Be Nice" (B-side "God Only Knows") was released, peaking at number 8.{{sfn|Badman|2004|p=142}} ''Billboard'' later ranked the album at number 43 on its "Top Pop Albums of 1966" chart.{{sfn|Rosenberg|2009|p=230}}

In 2000, ''Pet Sounds'' was certified gold and platinum by the RIAA based on verifiable sales data, though Capitol estimated total sales exceeding two million copies.<ref name="Boehlert2000"/>{{refn|group=nb|Capitol executive Mike Etchart speculated the album had likely reached double-platinum status (two million sales) in the U.S., attributing discrepancies to incomplete archival records and complications from licensing agreements with [[Warner Bros. Records|Warner Bros.]] in the late 1960s.<ref name="Boehlert2000">{{cite magazine |last=Boehlert |first=Eric |date=March 10, 2000 |title=Lost Paperwork to Blame for 'Pet Sounds' Meager Sales Numbers |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/lost-paperwork-to-blame-for-pet-sounds-meager-sales-numbers-20000310 |url-status=live |magazine=Rolling Stone |location=New York, New York |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181104050820/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/lost-paperwork-to-blame-for-pet-sounds-meager-sales-numbers-187200/ |archive-date=November 4, 2018 |access-date=December 21, 2016}}</ref>}} Certification required documented shipment records, which Capitol struggled to provide due to lost or scattered paperwork from 1966 to 1985.<ref name="Boehlert2000"/>{{refn|group=nb|The label initially withdrew its certification request when unable to locate historical sales figures but later submitted partial data from the prior 15 years, resulting in a gold certification for approximately 670,000 units sold. RIAA awarded account for shipments to retailers, differing from [[SoundScan]]'s tracking of individual sales, which reported 210,000 copies sold between 1991 and 2000.<ref name="Boehlert2000"/>}}