"Sloop John B" (originally published as "The John B. Sails") is a Bahamian folk song from Nassau. A transcription by Richard Le Gallienne was published in 1916, and a version was included in Carl Sandburg's The American Songbag in 1927.
Since the early 1950s there have been many recordings of the song with variant titles including "I Want to Go Home" and "Wreck of the John B".
In 1966, the Beach Boys recorded a folk rock adaptation that was produced and arranged by their de facto leader, Brian Wilson.
Released as the second single from their album Pet Sounds, the record peaked at number three in the U.S., number two in the UK, and topped the charts in several other countries.
It was innovative for containing an elaborate a cappella vocal section not found in other pop music of the era, and it remains one of the group's biggest hits.
In 2011, the Beach Boys' version of "Sloop John B" was ranked No. 276 on Rolling Stone's list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time".