Abbey Road turns 50

On September 26th 1969, The Beatles released their last recorded album - Abbey road

It is commonly thought that The Beatles knew that Abbey Road would be their final album, and wanted to present a fitting farewell to the world. However, the group members denied that they intended to split after its completion, despite a realization that their time together was drawing to a close.

McCartney explained how the album got its name after the recording studio they had spent so much time in, creating music:

"While we were in the studio, our engineer Geoff Emerick always used to smoke cigarettes called Everest, so the album was going to be called Everest. We never really liked that, but we couldn't think of anything else to call it. Then one day I said, 'I've got it!' ( - I don't know how I thought of it - ) 'Abbey Road!' It's the studio we're in, which is fabulous, and it sounds  a bit like a monastery."

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50 years on from its release, Abbey Road finds itself in the number one spot of the official album charts. Are we surprised? Personally, no! My opinion may be considered biased since The Beatles are my favourite band, but I truly believe Abbey Road to be one of the most iconic albums ever released.

The album opens up with Lennon singing 'Come Together' which he describes as one of his favourite Beatles tracks; "It's funky, it's bluesy, and I'm singing it pretty well. I'd buy it!". We soon are welcomed by Harrison's song 'Something', which was written during The White Album but wasn't finished till some time after. 'Something' was the first of Harrison's songs to be on an album and was named "the greatest love song ever written" by Frank Sinatra.

'Maxwell's Silver Hammer' comes afterwards with McCartney's vocals, as well as 'Oh! Darling' which was originally attempted by the band during the Get Back sessions, but was eventually released as an album track on Abbey Road. Starr's 'Octopus's Garden' which was his second composition for The Beatles which Harrison described as "a really great song, because on the surface, it just like a daft kids' song, but the lyrics are great".

To complete side A of the record comes Lennon's 'I Want You (She's so heavy)' which was the first be recorded for the album, and was wrote for Lennon's wife Yoko Ono. Side B then begins with Harrison's second song on the album - 'Here Comes The Sun' which was written on an acoustic guitar at Eric Clapton's house in Ewhurst, Surrey which expressed Harrison's relief at being away from the tensions within the band.

'Because' soon begins with Lennon, McCartney and Harrison on vocals and was inspired by Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata. Harrison also stated "I think this is possibly my favourite one on the album". 'You Never Give Me Your Money' next with McCartney on vocals. The song plays out with a selection of tape loops, with which the song segues into 'Sun King' sung by Lennon, to which he describes as "A piece of garbage I had lying around".

'Mean Mr Mustard' next with once again, Lennon on vocals. The song is based on a miserly man, John Alexander Mustard, Lennon read about in the Daily Mirror on June 7th 1967. Mustard, a 65-year-old Scotsman, had been taken to a divorce court by his wife due to his meanness. Lennon on vocals again following this with 'Polythene Pam', which was recorded as one with McCartney’s 'She Came In Through The Window'. It was the only time two separate songs by the two writers were recorded as one.

With McCartney on vocals, 'She Came In Through The Bathroom Window' is believed to be based on an incident involving some fans who took a ladder from McCartney’s garden, climbed into his house in Cavendish Avenue, London, and stole a precious picture, possibly of his father. Following this, McCartney continues with 'Golden Slumbers', a song which Lennon doesn't feature on - possibly because at the time he was in hospital recovering from a road accident in Scotland.

Last but not least (aside from the 23 second 'Her Majesty') comes 'The End' sang by McCartney once again, a fitting song to almost say farewell to the fans. It comes as no surprise that McCartney would be the one to write and perform the track which concludes the album since Lennon didn't really like the Abbey Road medley, and at one point wanted his and McCartney's songs to be on separate sides!

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50 years have gone by, and Abbey Road remains one of the most influential records ever produced. I hope that in 50 years to come it still gets the recognition it got when it came out, on September 26th 1969.