The British Invasion rocked the foundations of music during the 1960s. With bands like The Who, The Kinks, The Animals, all the way to The Rolling Stones, music was slowly redefining itself. In the midst of it all emerged one of the most beloved bands of all time, The Beatles. With the 50th anniversary of their final recorded studio album, “Abbey Road,” it is time to take a look at the influence and legacy of both the “The Fab Four” and arguably their most famous work.

With the bubble gum pop sounds of the 1950s slowly moving out of the way, music began to reflect “real life,” i.e. social constructs, heartbreak, war, politics and the like. The British Invasion in particular brought more meaningful music into popularity. The Beatles, while admittedly not the only contributor to the “invasion,” were at the time and continued to be perhaps the most iconic group of all time. 

Though many have tried, there is and was simply no other band that can be compared to The Beatles. They truly had what it took; youth, cleverness and pure natural talent. At the time, their instrumentation was almost undisputedly the best and while American record labels attempted to pawn off bands like The Beach Boys as the “response to The Beatles” there was simply no way anyone could compare. That is in part why they were such a compelling group. From the beginning it was apparent that they would be able to do great things and their albums reflected that. Paul McCartney, John Lennon, Ringo Starr and George Harrison had a certain charisma about them, something people could not quite put their fingers on.

“Beatlemania” was the phrase used to describe the adoring fans who notoriously lost their minds at the very mention of the band. In many ways The Beatles defined what it was to be a rockstar. Their ability to appear as a united front, a real group, made them entirely marketable. This strong bond among the members, while it led to their great success, it also ultimately lead to their demise.

With 10 studio albums, multiple world tours and countless press meetings, The Beatles, by all definitions had made it and it seemed that they would never stop. What the outside world did not see, was the tiny cracks that would soon lead to a divide. With John Lennon looking into beginning his solo career, Paul McCartney looking to spend more time with his family and various other business and personal differences, the band was on its way to becoming a memory. This energy was felt in the making of “Abbey Road.” This album spoke of everything The Beatles had done, hopes for the future and regrets of the past. From the first track “Come Together” all the way to “The End,” The Beatles, despite their differences at the time, were able to build and grow with their sound showing their evolution and what was to come. While the album seemed a bit jumbled, that is exactly what made it the masterpiece that it was, reflecting the progression of not only the band but the individual members. 

“Abbey Road” proved to be perhaps the most quintessential album ever produced by The Beatles, George Harrison was even quoted as saying that there was something different about recording this album, they could feel it. This album symbolizes something to the band members and the world, both the end and the beginning. Even 50 years later, the same energy can be felt. Redefining themselves, while redefining the world of music is what made “Abbey Road” such a timeless classic and one of the most iconic albums of all time.  

Image from The Beatles via YouTube