Sept 26th in Pop History

On this day in: 

• 1969 - The Beatles released Abbey Road.

My favorite Beatles record! My favorite album of any artist. It’s just that good. 

Abbey Road was the eleventh studio album by The Beatles, released on September 26, 1969 by Apple Records🍏. Named after the location of EMI Studios in London, the cover features the group walking across the street's zebra crossing (crosswalk), an iconic image that has become one of the most famous and imitated in popular music. The album's initially mixed reviews were contrasted by its immediate commercial success, topping record charts in the UK and US. The lead singles Something & Come Together were released in October and topped the US charts immediately. 

Many critics have hailed the album as the Beatles’ finest and a contender for the greatest album of all time. Something and Here Comes the Sun are considered among the best songs George Harrison wrote for the group. The album has also been ranked as one of the Beatles' best-selling, including a multi-platinum certification by the RIAA. As of current record sales charts, Abbey Road has sold more than 31 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best selling albums in history. 

EMI Studios was renamed Abbey Road Studios in honor of the album. In 2020, Abbey Road was ranked fifth in Rolling Stone’s list of “the greatest albums of all time.” 

Regarding the iconic Abbey Road album cover, the image was selected by McCartney, the group walking across the street in single file from left to right, with Lennon leading, followed by Starr, McCartney, and Harrison. McCartney is barefoot and out of step with the others. A white Volkswagen Beetle is to the left of the picture, parked next to the zebra crossing, which belonged to one of the people living in the block of flats across from the recording studio. After the album was released, the number plate (LMW 281F) was repeatedly stolen from the car. In 2004, news sources published a claim made by retired American salesman Paul Cole that he was the man standing on the pavement to the right of the picture.

Paul is dead?!! 

Shortly after its release, the cover photograph fueled rumors of Paul McCartney’s alleged death. The album became part of an already growing “Paul is dead” theory that was then spreading across college campuses in the US. According to followers of the rumor, the cover depicted the Beatles walking out of a cemetery in a funeral procession. 

The procession was led by Lennon dressed in white as a religious figure (officiating the funeral service), Starr was dressed all in black as if an undertaker; McCartney, out of step with the others, was a barefoot corpse; and Harrison dressed in denim was the gravedigger. The left-handed McCartney is holding a cigarette in his right hand, indicating that he is an imposter, and the number plate on the Volkswagen parked on the street is 28IF, meaning that McCartney would have been “28 if” he had lived. 

The escalation of the "Paul is dead" rumour became the subject of intense analysis on mainstream radio and contributed to Abbey Road's commercial success in the US. Lennon was interviewed in London by New York's WMCA, and he ridiculed the rumor, but had to concede that it was invaluable publicity for the album’s amazing sales. 

Of course the “amazing album sales” may have had something to do with the fact that the music on the record is unparalleled! The magnum opus of the Beatles catalog! And everyone recognized it the first time they ever heard the album played. The critics can nitpick all they want. They’re just silly or having LSD flashbacks or something. It’s just a great record… perhaps the best album ever recorded. Perhaps. 

Even our adult daughter (you know her as babyglume) grew up with “Baby Road” — see cassette tape below for proof! It helped her get to sleep at nap time. And she is as well adjusted as I am! (Wait…). Well I’m somewhat well adjusted. At least I’m adjusted. 

Your assignment this week is to find 48 minutes sometime and listen to Abbey Road in one sitting (or one drive in your car). (This assignment will be part of your final grade) 

Here it is for free on Spotify: (link below)

Abbey Road by The Beatles 

And continuing on Sept. 26th…

• 1948 - Olivia Newton-John was born in    Cambridge, England

• 1964 - Roy Orbison’s Pretty Woman hits # 1

Also, on this day in… 

• 1987 - Whitney Houston achieved the fifth of seven # 1s in a row with Didn’t We Almost Have It All  

• 1997 - The initial 300,000 units of Elton John's single Candle In The Wind 1997 (the song re-written in honor of Princess Diana) sold out in Japan on the first day of release