How the Beatles' 'Abbey Road' Cover Became a Cultural Obsession
Out of all of The Beatles’ albums, the cover of Abbey Road from 1969 is by far the most memorable. In fact, the iconic cover photo has impacted pop culture in a number of surprising ways. So, what’s the story behind it?
The photo on the cover of Abbey Road shows John Lennon, Ringo Starr, Paul McCartney, and George Harrison walking along a crosswalk outside of EMI studios in London, England, on Abbey Road. The band had recorded the majority of their career recording there, so it was only fitting to make the scene part of the album.
The photo is a fascinating piece compositionally. Paul McCartney is shoeless, everyone is wearing a designer suit except for a denim-clad George Harrison, and the vibe is just unreal.
Surprisingly, the photo wasn’t the result of a tireless photo shoot that was aiming for perfection. Rather, the shot was snapped during a few-minute break on August 8, 1969.
That very day, the band was recording the songs “Oh! Darling”, “The End”, and “I Want You (She’s So Heavy)” in the nearby studio. During a break in between sessions, the Fab Four walked outside to be photographed by Iain Macmillan. He only took six photos in the entire shoot, which only lasted a few minutes. The group only crossed the road three times before the shoot was over. McCartney looked at the contact sheet and decided that the fifth frame was the best. And the rest is history!
The Legacy of ‘Abbey Road’ by The Beatles
The Beatles are actually walking away from the studio in that photo, which is apt. Abbey Road wasn’t their last album, but it was the last album they had recorded together before calling it quits. It makes sense why the photo became such a focus of pop culture obsession.
Source: americansongwriter.com