Ryan Gill

COM 286
Dr. Kohl
10/10/16

Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band is without a doubt one of the

greatest albums of all-time. Its also the album that got me hooked into the

Beatles when I was 8. Ive listened to the entire album at least 10 times and

each time Ive listened to it Ive enjoyed it. Each song thats on it is unique in

its own way, which makes listening to the album enjoyable. On top of Led

Zeppelin IV and Ten by Pearl Jam, Sgt. Peppers is one of my favorite albums

to listen to.

When the Beatles released Sgt. Peppers in 1967 theyve just made a

return to the music scene after taking a short break due to tensions within

the band. During this time the Vietnam War was happening, college students

across the country were protesting the war, and drugs became a big part of

the culture. Acid and LSD were being abused by not only young adults, but

by musicians such as the Beatles. Everything about the album screams

psychedelic drugs. Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds is the perfect example.

The lyrics throughout the entire song are very odd, and John Lennon sounds

as if hes on an acid trip. Its a great song but that song is a perfect example

of what the late 60s were like in the world of rock n roll.

If you compare 1967 to 2015 in terms of the way culture is, the times

are completely different. Classic Rock is mostly listened to by adults in the

age group of 38-60 on average. Teens are attracted to the Hip-Hop

movement with the exception of a few people that listen to Classic Rock, like

me. Whats still shocking is that the concept behind Sgt. Peppers is in a way

the same themes that we see in Hip-Hop. Heavy drug use is encouraged by

the lyrics, and album designs are almost as strange as they were back in the

late 60s. The only difference is that young adults in 2016 dont turn to the

Beatles as they once did nearly 50 years ago. Some today sadly dont even

know who Paul McCartney or John Lennon are. 1967 and 2016 might have

some similarities, but the culture is much different today.