Rockin’ shots: The stories behind music’s most iconic photos: No. 2

The second photo in our series on music’s most iconic photographs is possibly the most recognisable album cover in pop music history. It is certainly the most parodied. The Beatles’ Abbey Road album cover still draws fans to the road decades after the photo was taken.

The album’s working title was Everest. It was named after the cigarettes smoked by sound engineer Geoff Emerick. The packets had a silhouette of Mount Everest on them and The Beatles liked the imagery. Originally they planned to take a private plane to the foothills of Mount Everest to shoot the cover photograph.

The shoot

As they became eager to finish the album Paul McCartney suggested they just go outside. He proposed they take the photo there and name the album after the street. The photo was taken at around 11:30am on the morning of 8th August 1969 outside EMI Studios on Abbey Road.

Photographer Iain Macmillan was given only ten minutes to take the photo. He stood on a step-ladder while a policeman held up the traffic.

Symbolism and conspiracy

The photograph has generated mountains of speculation about its symbolic meanings. Every detail has been investigated and tracked. The American tourist in the back corner has been identified. Even the number plate from the VW Beetle now resides in a museum.

Some people have speculated that John represents the preacher, Ringo the undertaker, George the gravedigger and Paul the corpse. Paul is barefoot in the image. Conspiracy theorists suggest that McCartney actually died in 1966 and was replaced by an imposter. They believe the symbolism here confirms this.