Fifty Years of the Concept Album in Popular Music: New Book

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There’s no mistaking the ambition of a new book, Fifty Years of the Concept Album in Popular Music: From The Beatles to Beyoncé, from author Eric Wolfson. The title arrives Feb. 8, 2024, via Bloomsbury Academic, and it’s available to order in hardcover, paperback or Kindle edition in the U.S. here and in the U.K. here.

The book covers five albums from each of the five eras that span the five decades referenced in its title: The Founding Era (1967-1969) that includes such rock classics as The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band and the Moody Blues’ Days of Future Passed; The Golden Era (1970-1974) featuring Jethro Tull’s Thick As a Brick and Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On; The Modern Era (1975-1989) with Iron Maiden’s Seventh Son of a Seventh Son; The Postmodern Era (1990-1999) including Liz Phair’s Exile in Guyville and Radiohead’s OK Computer; and The New Millennium (2000-2016) with Brian Wilson Presents SMILE.

From the publisher’s announcement: The roots of the concept album are nearly as old as the long-playing record itself, as recording artists began using the format to transcend a mere collection of songs into a listening experience that takes the listener on a journey through its unifying mood, theme, narrative, or underlying idea.

Along the way, artists as varied as Jimi Hendrix, Joni Mitchell, The Who, David Bowie, Pink Floyd, Parliament, Donna Summer, Nine Inch Nails, Green Day, and Kendrick Lamar created albums that form an extended conversation of art and music. Limits were pushed as the format grew over the subsequent eras.

Author Eric Wolfson also wrote the critically acclaimed 33 1/3 book From Elvis in Memphis. He is active on Twitter (@EricWolfson) and Instagram (@EricWolfson). He lives in Washington, D.C., and works in the Performing Arts Division of the U.S. Copyright Office.