This reminds me of Lady Gaga. When I first heard her music, I thought she was just another pop performer. But when I saw her play a live performance, I realized

This reminds me of Lady Gaga. When I first heard her music, I thought she was just another pop performer. But when I saw her play a live performance, I realized that she was playing up the silly pop performer trope while being a serious musician underneath it. Similarly, I think the Beach Boys probably get discounted by many, including myself, because the genre they have chosen, and their style and aesthetic, scream not to be taken seriously. But, if you do anyway, there is some incredible musicianship in there. God Only Knows, cited by another commenter, is a great example. I question what credentials this author has. The premise of their Beethoven series (Why has no musician in the modern era achieved the stature of Beethoven, despite a much higher population of potential artists today?) seems ludicrous on its face. I shouldn't say credentials, when I mean credibility. I haven't heard a single credible thought from the author yet, besides the suggestion to check out the Beach Boys, which was a good one.