ABSTRACT
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band is widely regarded as the first true concept album in popular music. Despite the recurrence of the title track, there is little evidence of the kinds of melodic or harmonic relationships one would normally expect in an extended form. The resulting album can thus be viewed as the first step in a two-year process of experimentation that culminates with the extended form of the Abbey Road Medley. The album can thus be viewed as the first phase in a two-year period of formal experimentation that culminates with the extended form of the Abbey Road Medley. Despite the significance of the preceding musical elements, Sgt. Pepper's key innovation lies in the integration of recording technology into the compositional process. The Beatles' next release following Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band was Magical Mystery Tour (1967).
