1969 in British Music

The Story of 1969

A year of extremes: the peak of British rock ambition and the beginning of break-up. The Beatles released 'Abbey Road' – their final recorded work, a masterpiece of production and songwriting that ended with the medley, a seventeen-minute suite that felt like a farewell. They'd played their last public show on the Apple rooftop in January. Led Zeppelin released their debut album and 'Led Zeppelin II', the latter containing 'Whole Lotta Love', a blueprint for heavy metal. The Who released 'Tommy', the first rock opera to achieve mainstream success, with 'Pinball Wizard' becoming a hit single. David Bowie scored his first hit with 'Space Oddity', timed perfectly with the Apollo 11 moon landing – Major Tom captured the public imagination. The Rolling Stones released 'Let It Bleed', a dark masterpiece that included 'Honky Tonk Women'. Woodstock happened in America, but Britain had its own festivals – the Isle of Wight Festival drew 150,000 people. The British blues boom continued with Fleetwood Mac's 'Albatross' hitting number one. 1969 ended with the Beatles' split essentially confirmed, but the bands they'd inspired were just getting started.