"God Only Knows" was issued as the B-side of "Wouldn't It Be Nice" in July 1966 and peaked at number 39 on the "Billboard" Hot 100. In other countries, it was the single's A-side, reaching the top 10 in the UK, Canada, Norway, and the Netherlands. Many songwriters have cited "God Only Knows" as their personal favorite song, including Paul McCartney and Jimmy Webb. In 2004, it was ranked number 25 in "Rolling Stone"s "500 Greatest Songs of All Time" and was included in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's "500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll".