50 years ago on June 1, 1967, the Beatles released their eighth album in the UK that would later be considered “the most important and influential rock and roll album ever recorded.”[note] Professor Kevin J. Dettmar, Oxford Encyclopedia of British Literature [/note]
Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band has been regarded as the first art rock album that led to the development of classic rock. It developed from an idea that McCartney had, suggesting that the whole album be a performance by a fictional group called Sgt Pepper’s band. This allowed the Beatles to experiment musically, which can be easily heard in “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds.”
Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band won four Grammy Awards in 1968, including Album of the Year, and was the first rock album to receive this honor. Rolling Stone magazine ranked it number one in its list of the “500 Greatest Albums of All Time,” and it is one of the best-selling albums in history.
So for the “benefit of Mr. Kite, there will be a show tonight” in your studio if you so desire. We’ve compiled the remastered version of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band along with remixes and cover songs from this LP. Enjoy!
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Another iconic album is celebrating the 20th anniversary of its release this spring. I believe that this week’s Friday Favorite is from a more recent release from the same band, who are also featured on this month’s Rolling Stone cover.