Music

Happy Birthday Sgt. Pepper!

On June 1, 2007, The Beatles' "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" turns 40. Many critics still say it's the most important rock album ever; others say it's highly overrated. Check out what critics say, view a slide show, and discover fun facts.

Browse Features by Subject:
Pepper at 40 | Critics | Links | Songs | Did You Know? | Timeline

Soundcheck: Sgt. Pepper at 40

Let me introduce to you...

According to Rolling Stone, "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band is the most important rock & roll album ever made." In honor of the 40th anniversary of the album's release Soundcheck looks at its legacy on May 31.

View a slide show of Sgt. Pepper's revolutionary cover art
WNYC's Soundcheck covers Sgt. Pepper on May 31
Tell us what you think about Sgt. Pepper: Weigh in on our comments section!

? top

The Critics Weigh in on Sgt. Pepper at 40

Is "Sgt. Pepper" overrated or deserving of its reputation? Find out what two prominent critics think. Anthony DeCurtis, contributing editor at Rolling Stone magazine; Allan Kozinn, classical music critic of the New York Times; and Tim Page, chief classical music critic, Washington Post give us their views.

Read the critic's takes here

? top

Sgt. Pepper Links

More Resources on the Web

? top

Sgt. Pepper Song Listing

All songs written by Lennon-McCartney, except where noted

Side One

1. "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" - 2:04
2. "With a Little Help from My Friends" (mistitled on album label as "A Little Help from My Friends" on early pressings) - 2:46
3. "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" - 3:30)
4. "Getting Better" - 2:49
5. "Fixing a Hole" - 2:38
6. "She's Leaving Home" - 3:37
7. "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!" - 2:39

Side Two

1. "Within You Without You" (Harrison) - 5:07
2. "When I'm Sixty-Four" - 2:37
3. "Lovely Rita" - 2:44
4. "Good Morning Good Morning" - 2:43
5. "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)" - 1:20
6. "A Day in the Life" - 5:33

? top

Did You Know?

The song "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" was rumored to be an ode to LSD. John Lennon said it was simply based on a drawing by his son Julian -- a claim that the other Beatles backed up.

Debate continues among critics and fans about the extent of the album's drug references. Some have suggested the fauna on the cover are cannabis plants.

Some believed that the bit of gibberish at the very end of the album held cryptic clues connected to the "Paul is Dead" conspiracy theory.

There is a dog whistle - inaudible to humans - buried on the album's second side.

Paul McCartney claims to have intended the name "Billy Shears" which he announces at the end the title song. Billy Shears was later mentioned in Starr's 1973 hit "I'm the Greatest", written by John Lennon.

Actress Mae West initially refused to have her image on the cover art, famously asking, "What would I be doing in a lonely heart's club?" She relented after the Beatles sent her a personal letter.

There was no hit single to accompany Sgt. Pepper. Although this was not the first major album to be released this way (the Beatles' own Rubber Soul had no singles taken from it) the practice was rare nonetheless.

The album ends with one of the most famous final chords in music history: an E-major chord played on three different pianos. The sound of the chord was manipulated to ring out for nearly a minute.

? top

A Pepper Timeline Sgt. Peppers was conceived in a span of 700 hours over five months. The Beatles began recording on Dec. 6, 1966, and finished the album on April 21, 1967.
November 1966	On a plane from Kenya to London, Paul McCartney came up with the idea of an album by the Beatles in disguise, an alter-ego group that he subsequently dubbed Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.
December 6, 1966	The Beatles begin recording Sgt. Pepper's at Abbey Road Studios with two takes of McCartney's "When I'm Sixty-Four."
June 1, 1967	Sgt. Pepper's is released in the UK. It is released in the U.S. a day later. The album goes on to spend 15 weeks at #1 on the Billboard 200 Chart and 27 weeks at #1 on the UK Albums Chart.
1967	Sgt. Pepper's won four Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year and Best Album Cover.
Aug 27, 1967	Long-time Beatles manager and mentor Brian Epstein dies unexpectedly of an accidental drug overdose.
September 1, 1967	The Beatles announce they are managing themselves from now on and forming their own company, Apple.
1977	A musical film, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, is released starring Peter Frampton and the Bee Gees. The all-star supporting cast includes George Burns and Steve Martin. View the trailer.
June 1, 1987	Worldwide reissue on CD.
1988	The Beatles are inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
1988	British magazine New Musical Express released a tribute album called "Sgt. Pepper Knew My Father." It featured cover versions of all the Sgt. Pepper tracks by various artists including Michelle Shocked, Billy Bragg with Cara Tivey, and Sonic Youth.
June 1, 2007	The 40th anniversary of the release of Sgt. Pepper's. The BBC marks the occasion by organizing rock acts such as Oasis, The Killers and The Zutons to re-record the album. The complete re-recording is aired on BBC Radio 2 on June 2.