Even the most mild Beatles fans tend to agree that Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band was The Beatles’ best album. Obviously, if you don’t feel the same way, everyone’s entitled to their opinion. Personally, I love Revolver the best. Regardless, Sgt. Pepper is an amazing piece of work, and plenty of listeners have been yearning for an album with a similar vibe to this Beatles classic for decades. If that sounds like you, you might just dig the following four recent albums that share a similar sound or vibe with Sgt. Pepper.
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Keep in mind we’re using “recent” liberally here. The following four albums were released in the 21st century, decades after Sgt. Pepper first dropped in 1967.
‘We Will Always Love You’ by The Avalanches (2020)
I’m a big fan of The Avalanches, and this album was the first one that came to mind when I started writing this list. While We Will Always Love You and Sgt. Pepper don’t share much in terms of overall sound (the former is a sample-based dance-pop record, after all), the spirit of collaboration is what really draws the two together. Sgt. Pepper wasn’t just The Beatles at their best. It was the product of tireless work from George Martin and dozens of session musicians. Likewise, We Will Always Love You involved a ton of famous names outside of The Avalanches, from The Smiths’ Johnny Marr to Kurt Vile to Vashti Bunyan.
‘Manipulator’ by Ty Segall (2014)
This 2010s release blends psychedelic sounds with blues, which is quite similar to what Sgt. Pepper did. Manipulator by Ty Segall is also the kind of album that engages you from start to finish. It’s obviously a more modern-sounding record in terms of production, and the overall vibe of Manipulator leans more toward garage rock. But there are similarities between this psych-rock release and Sgt. Pepper that just can’t be ignored. “Tall Man Skinny Lady”, in particular, sounds very reminiscent of a few tracks from Sgt. Pepper.
‘Lightbulb Sun’ by Porcupine Tree (2000)
I love some Porcupine Tree, and this turn-of-the-century prog album matches Sgt. Pepper in terms of blending genres and experimentation. Where Sgt. Pepper blends Indian classic with pop and psychedelia with art rock, Lightbulb Sun blends prog with pop and psychedelia with metal. Neither album can be easily categorized. And both The Beatles and Porcupine Tree appear to have embraced the idea of using a studio as a space for composition, rather than just recording.
‘Tranquility Base Hotel + Casino’ by Arctic Monkeys (2018)
In my research for this list, this album popped up a lot among fans of both The Beatles and Arctic Monkeys. And after a quick listen, I can certainly hear the parallels between Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band and Tranquility Base Hotel + Casino. Both records show their respective bands diving into new inspirations, and also echo the sentiments and musical energies that came about at the close of a decade.
Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
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