5 Things to Know About the Sgt. Pepper Album Cover

Peter Blake designed the cover British pop artist Peter Blake, with his then-wife Jann Haworth, created the collage. The Beatles wanted a carnival parade feel.

It’s a cardboard cutout collage The cover features dozens of cutout figures, from Marilyn Monroe to Karl Marx. Blake and Haworth spent weeks assembling them.

Every living person had to approve their inclusion Blake secured permission from every living person depicted, or their estates. This is why controversial figures like Hitler were left out.

Hitler was excluded for taste reasons The team nixed Hitler’s inclusion deliberately. They decided it was inappropriate for the album’s tone.

It set the standard for album art The Sgt. Pepper cover remains the gold standard for record packaging. Its influence is still felt today.