One June afternoon in 1967, my grandmother was in a taxi cab when she heard something on the radio unlike anything she’d ever heard before. She says she remembers the experience vividly, asking the cab driver what song she was hearing. It was “A Day in the Life, ” the final track from arguably the most significant rock album of the modern era: Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. 

Revolutionary in its sound and concept, Sgt. Pepper was incredibly influential. The Beatles transcended the traditional rock album and created a masterpiece. There wasn’t a single released from the album; it was meant to be listened to and experienced as a whole, a completely new way of looking at music. The band achieved this feat of creating a cohesive work while taking care to ensure that each track was distinctly different from every other track on the album. If that’s not genius, I don’t know what is.

I’m going to further explore my fascination and deep appreciation for the Beatles, as well as their impact on culture during the 1960’s, during my process of researching Sgt. Pepper. Hopefully I can find out the extent to which this album influenced late 1960’s culture and “The Summer of Love”.

Helena