On this day in 1966: The Beatles release groundbreaking album ‘Revolver’

It’s been 58 years to the day since The Beatles released one of their most celebrated LPs — widely regarded as one of the most influential albums in rock history.

Revolver was a major artistic turning point for the band. After five records produced in rapid succession, not to mention a string of chart-topping non-album singles, rigorous touring schedules, frenzied live performances (which they could rarely hear over screaming fans), death threats from John’s infamous “more popular than Jesus” quote, and two feature films produced along the way, an exhausted Fab Four decided to quit touring.

This fundamentally changed their approach to songwriting, which was already showing a whole new sophistication and maturity in the previous year’s Rubber Soul.

With no obligation to play the songs live, they had the time and creative freedom to experiment in the studio more broadly, creating sounds that would have been difficult or outright impossible to replicate on the stage at the time.

The album is also celebrated for its diversity: psychedelic soundscapes and Hindustani strings one moment, poignant ballads the next. They even detoured into children’s music with the beloved Ringo-fronted Yellow Submarine.

The sound and studio techniques used on Revolver would massively influence groups such as Genesis, Electric Light Orchestra and Pink Floyd. Even the hip-hop genre can trace its sampling and tape manipulation back to the album’s famous closing track, Tomorrow Never Knows.

Here are just a few of the album’s many high points. Which is your favourite?