On September 26th, 1969, arguably one of the most iconic albums ever was released. Abbey Road by The Beatles is known as one of the most successful albums, and not just because of the revolutionary work of The Beatles. To celebrate the 50th anniversary of this radical album’s release, a remastered “Anniversary Edition” was released with content that never saw the light of day.

The Abbey Road album cover includes the four Beatles members walking across the famous white crosswalk with cars in the background. This image has been alluded to on multiple platforms. For example, The Simpsons featured many spoof album covers based off The Beatles’ albums, including one entitled Flabby Road. This album cover depicts the Simpson family crossing the street, clearly being a twist on the iconic image on the Abbey Road album. Other spoofs on the image include The Other Side Of Abbey Road by George Benson, The Abbey Road E.P. by the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and McLemore Avenue by  Booker T. & the M.G.s. 

The album cover was also subject to the “Paul is dead” theory. Fans theorized Paul McCartney had died due to what they had thought were clues. Things such as Paul not wearing shoes and holding a cigarette in the photo were heavily scrutinized. Fans concluded the members of The Beatles were walking out of a cemetery in a funeral procession. However, Paul McCartney wasn’t dead and soon made a parody album cover for his Paul is Live album. This album responded to the theory by satirizing the many “clues” that pointed fans to Paul McCartney’s so called death.

The Abbey Road album is a masterpiece that has stood the test of time as one of the most revolutionary albums. It was only natural to hold an anniversary party for the well beloved album which Beatles members Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr reunited. With every track, Abbey Road cements itself as arguably the pinnacle of the Beatles’ achievements. This “Anniversary Edition” will hopefully expose younger generations to the amazing work of The Beatles.