‘Abbey Road’ Puts The Beatles Back On Top Of The U.K. Charts As The Fab Four Break Their Own Record
The Beatles’ hit album, Abbey Road, has hit the top of the charts in the United Kingdom for the second time, nearly 50 years after the record was initially released. Specifically, 49 years and 252 days have passed since the album first made it to No. 1, according to The Guardian. The fresh release is one of the new anniversary editions of The Beatles’ rock classics.
“It’s hard to believe that Abbey Road still holds up after all these years. But then again, it’s a bloody cool album,” said Paul McCartney, who was talking about an October 4 trending topic on Bing.
To understand how amazing this accomplishment is requires a look back in history. When Abbey Road was first introduced, The Beatles were nearing the end of their reign as arguably the world’s most famous musical group. In September 1969, John Lennon reportedly told the other Liverpool lads that the Fab Four were no longer a group. However, it was Paul McCartney who publicly made the announcement of the band’s official breakup on April 10, 1970.
Abbey Road, released on September 26, 1969, became The Beatles’ 11th studio album and the final album for which all four of the group’s members participated. Many believe that Let It Be holds that spot since much of that body of work had been recorded prior to Abbey Road‘s release. However, the album was not completed until April 1970, just prior to when the band had officially been dissolved — this was because of major disagreements about its production that caused a significant delay.
Abbey Road‘s trip to the top of the charts in 2019 was not the first time The Beatles have experienced a resurgence that created the “longest gap between number one appearances by the same album,” stated the BBC. The source was quick to point out that the Fab Four were given that same honor for 1967’s Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.
“The sprawling psych-rock masterpiece returned to number one in 2017 courtesy of another anniversary re-release — a mere 49 years and 125 days after its previous spell at the top.”
Besides enjoying a new life for a couple of new generations, Abbey Road has endured among a host of listeners who hailed from the baby boomer generation and who were privy to its songs when the album initially making its debut.
Among the most popular were “Something” and “Octopus’s Garden.” So were “You Never Give Me Your Money” and “The End” — the former a treasured piano ballad from Paul McCartney that blends in some harder-rocking elements in its second half, the latter highlighted by a preeminent Ringo Starr drum solo.
