I’ll start with the music side first. Sgt. Pepper was arguably the first concept album; was the first rock record to include lyrics; gave birth to album-oriented rock, prog rock, and extensive use of the studio; and set new standards for production and orchestration. It was a unique combination of popular music and high art, was ground-breakingly eclectic (including Indian, Victorian dance hall, classical, and avant-garde), and distinctly spoke for its generation and time.
It spent 27 weeks at #1 in the UK and 15 in the US. It was the first rock LP to win a Grammy, has sold 32 million copies overall, was voted the #1 album of all time by Rolling Stone … and blew a lot of people’s minds.
The critical reception at the time actually kind of beggars belief at this point:
- “the most famous album in the history of popular music”
- “the most important and influential rock-and-roll album ever recorded”
- “a historic departure in the progress of music – any music”
- “a defining moment in the history of music”
- "a decisive moment in the history of Western civilisation”
- “the closest Western Civilization has come to unity since the Congress of Vienna”
It was compared to Schumann, Schubert, and Mozart.
Now for the art. Based on a rough idea from Paul, the concept came to life under the direction of Pop artist Peter Blake and his wife Jann Haworth.
Blake was also a genuine artist, playing a major role in British art during the ‘60s and especially in Pop art:
Needless to say, the cover generated its own list of accolades:
- “one of the best-known works that pop art ever produced”
- "the most famous album cover of all time”
- “one of the iconic images of the 20th century”
Such an iconic cover undoubtedly has its share of homages and parodies. Here are a few of my faves:
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