It Was Forty Years Ago Today…
…Sgt. Pepper blew the world away.
Yes, today is the fortieth anniversary of the release of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, the album that, essentially, created the album (at least it’s the fortieth anniversary here in the US; in England the album came out June first, the day before). Sure, there were albums before it that were singular, cohesive works and not just a collection of songs (Rubber Soul and Revolver, anyone?), but Sgt. Pepper was the first to be entirely conceived, written, and recorded without the constraints of a future live performance. The previous year, the Beatles had decided to quit touring, and were therefore free to do things in the studio that they wouldn’t have to worry about reproducing in a live show.
The rest, as they say, is history.
Due to the impact this one album had on the music industry, pop culture, and an entire generation of rock fans, people still consider an artist’s masterpiece as “their Sgt. Pepper”.
…which is strange because I don’t think it’s the Beatles’ best album, let alone the greatest album of all time (just in case you’re curious, that would be, on both counts, The White Album, formally, and simply, titled The Beatles). But Sgt. Pepper isn’t held to such high regard for being the best ever, but for being the event that ushered in a new age. To hear people recount the first time they heard it, as cliche as it sounds (and I’m sure some embellishment occurs here), they knew something was different. The world had changed. The same way it changed with Elvis, and would later change with the release of Star Wars and the breakthrough of Nirvana.
So here’s a salute to the Sergeant.
