Various – Jon Savage’s 1967 – The Year Pop Divided (2CD)

Now typified as the year of flower power, 1967 was the year the 60s divided. During those 12 months, the revenues from LP sales in Britain finally overtook those from 45s. It’s also the year when the British singles charts suddenly revealed a vacuum that, in March 1967, was filled by a Top 10 that included Englebert Humperdinck, Petula Clark, Harry Secombe, Vince Hill, the Seekers and other mums and dads records that you will not be hearing on this compilation.

Nevertheless, the single was still king … just. It took a while for albums to take over – this happened with the massive success of “Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” in the summer. Although outlawed on 14 August 1967, the Pirate Radio stations were still operating for much of the year, with their highly eclectic playlists: soul was rampant, and many psychedelicised acts still felt compelled to pour all their ideas into three or four-minute symphonies for the kids.

The album might have been growing in popularity as a format but it was still in its comparative infancy. In 1967, singles cost 7/6d and albums 32/6d – a significant difference to many consumers that brought down volume as opposed to income sales. There were only four UK#1 albums during 1967: “The Sound Of Music”, “Monkees”, “More Of The Monkees” and “Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band”. In the US there was a similar split: only seven albums, including three by the Monkees and one “Greatest Hits” by Diana Ross & the Supremes.