One can't talk about The Beatles 11th studio album without acknowledging the furor surrounding the release given rumors of Paul McCartney's death. One of the reasons for the fan hubbub about McCartney was the album's cover photo, which is perhaps the most famous album cover shot in history. In the photo, McCartney is barefoot and out of step with the others.
The rumors about McCartney begin in 1967 but hit their peak in 1969, when Abbey Road was released. The oddities of the album's cover photo were a primary cause for the ongoing debate about McCartney, who many believe had been replaced by a double.
Abbey Road is, I believe, The Beatles best album. And, while the White Album was on heavy rotation on my turntable, it was Abbey Road that I played over-and-over, especially side two, which is one long piece made up of several song fragments.
The album also contains the two best songs written by George Harrison--"Something" and "Here Comes the Sun." Those two songs rank among the band's best and deserve their place among the classics penned by McCartney and John Lennon.
Abbey Road was released in September 1969 and achieved immediate commercial success. Critical success was harder to come by as many critics cited the album's artificial sound. It wasn't until years later that Abbey Road achieved its place, critically, as the best album released by a band that is still the standard for pop music success.
Abbey Road--the best album from the most successful band in music history.
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