The Blue Album (1967–1970)

1967–1970 is most commonly referred to as The Blue Album. Like its companion release, 1962-1966 (The Red Album), it is a compilation of greatest hits from the Beatles during a specific period. It became a number one seller in the United States, and number 2 in the UK after its release on April 19, 1973. The two albums together represent the first real retrospective compilation of Beatles music since the group disbanded almost three years before. Allen Klein, the manager of the Beatles and Apple Records executive, selected the songs for this collection, with approval of the final pick from the former band members. By this time, the Beatles had no recorded cover songs, but several solo performances had been recorded. Klein chose to include only those tracks in which all band members participated. The album cover has the same artwork as the cover for The Red Album: the Beatles in the stairway of EMI's headquarters building in London, arranged in a pose similar to that used for their very first LP with Parlophone in 1963, Please Please Me.

In all, 28 songs appear on the two-disc LP. Total duration is just shy of one hour and forty minutes. The longest track is Hey, Jude at 7:08. Sgt. Pepper is the shortest at 2:02. Distribution was accomplished in the UK by Parlophone and in the US by Capitol Records. The UK and US versions are identical.