40th Anniversary of Abbey Road photo

Beatles fans flocked to a certain crosswalk in London today to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the taking of the photo that appeared on the cover of the Beatles album Abbey Road, released in 1969. The photo shoot happened on August 8, 1969, just a few weeks before the group finished recording the record. The photographer was only given about ten minutes to take the picture of the four Beatles crossing the street that appeared on the front cover of the album, and has since become one of the most famous and copied images of a record album cover.

The album itself was released in September of 1969. It was the last album the Beatles recorded. Let it Be, which was released in 1970, was actually recorded before the Abbey Road sessions, but disagreements held up its release until 1970. Besides being such a fantastic composed photo, some of the images on the cover were used as "clues" in the infamous "Paul is dead" rumors that sprang up. While the photo is celebrated today, it will be another month and a half before the album itself is forty years old. Then the music can be added to the picture.