Sgt Peppers – The Beatles
There was always a big question hanging in the air as to where The Beatles could go after giving up the road. No other rock band had decided to stop playing concerts, but since Beatlemania had grown too big, it was only a matter of time before they wanted off the touring circuit for good. And while John Lennon was the first to suggest making something a bit more strange, he wasn’t thrilled with the idea of Paul McCartney taking the reins on Sgt Peppers.
While the album is rightfully celebrated as a turning point in popular music, Lennon always felt that the record was the one instance in which he felt stifled creatively. His songs are still among the highlights, but outside of works like ‘A Day in the Life’, Lennon was convinced that most of his tracks were garbage, coupled with McCartney’s ‘granny music’ songs that he despised like ‘When I’m Sixty-Four’ and ‘Lovely Rita’. It’s hard to take Lennon at his word since he badmouthed so many Fab albums, but if he thought that Sgt Pepper was never cohesive, could you imagine what kind of masterpiece we would be in for had it been up to his standards?