In 50 years, an album can either fade from memory, or create an unforgettable legacy. Today, we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the release of the album “Abbey Road” by the Beatles.
What does that legacy look like for this iconic farewell album of the 1960s?
Featuring hits “Here Comes the Sun,” “Come Together” and “Something,” “Abbey Road” ushered in the final days of a band beloved by generations of music lovers. Despite the group’s fateful split less than a year after the album’s release in September 1969, its musical and cultural significance lives as an epoch in music history, and is worth remembering on this day, 50 years later.
While “Abbey Road” rose to the top of the charts in the United Kingdom and the United States, it still received mixed reviews upon release. Some pinned the album as “inauthentic” and disapproved of its “artificial effects.” However, time was on its side as it became known as one of the greatest albums of all time. “Abbey Road” sold 4 million copies in the first two months of its release, and more than 800 million copies worldwide since then.
In 1995, it was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, which “(honors) recordings of lasting qualitative or historical significance that are at least 25 years old.” Even more, “Abbey Road” was the top selling album of 2011, which indicates its proven longevity amidst the rising popularity of vinyl records in the 2010s.
Aside from the singular music of “Abbey Road”, its cover has become more memorable than the songs inside.
The cover, devoid of any band name or title text, shows the Fab Four wearing black, blue, white and denim suits trekking across the crosswalk outside “Abbey Road” Studios, where they recorded the album. Unknowingly, they took a photo that would reach universal recognition for decades to come.
Millions of visitors to London jump at the chance to take a photo walking down the iconic zebra crossing outside “Abbey Road” Studios each year. In 2010, the crossing was given Grade II Listed Building status by English Heritage, which protects the site as one of historical significance. For residents of London, the area has become a traffic nightmare congested with tourists pilgrimaging to the relic of a site.
During the late 1960s, hype surrounding the distinct photo caused many conspiracy theorists to point out hidden imagery scattered across the front and back cover. Many claimed band member Paul McCartney had died, pinning his public persona as a look-alike imposter. The barrage of rumors surrounding McCartney led to claims related to his appearance on the cover (barefoot and with a cigarette dangling between his fingers), the license plate on a background car, the positioning and clothing of his fellow band members and other imagery on the cover. McCartney, understandably, was frustrated by this fake Beatles fanaticism.
Nonetheless, the cover remains as a token image of the final years of the Beatles.
The cover has gone from being a symbol of the band’s last album to a pop culture phenomenon. Bands like the Red Hot Chili Peppers have replicated the famous crosswalk scene, and popular figures in the television and historical world have been swapped in place of the four singers; including the Muppets, the Simpsons, Charles Schulz’s Peanuts characters and even the Founding Fathers.
For Beatles fans today, McCartney has collaborated with Apple Corps in creating a limited edition anniversary album and box set, which will include remixed tracks from the original album, session recordings and demos, a Blu-ray disc, CDs and a hardbound book containing a foreword by McCartney himself.
Even more, a music video for the well-known George Harrison composition “Here Comes the Sun” will premiere on Sept. 26, which can be viewed here. Directed and produced by Trunk Animation’s Alasdair Brotherston, Jock Mooney and Maria Manton, “Here Comes the Sun” will be given new life after existing without a face for 50 years.
With everything new coming for this cherished musical monument, Beatles fans everywhere can celebrate. It would be no surprise if in another 50 years, people are still talking about the one and only “Abbey Road.”