Abbey Road studios turn 80

The iconic Abbey Road studios in London turned 80 this weekend.

The studios at 3 Abbey Road, St John’s Wood in London were opened in November, 1931 by the Gramophone Company.

The Gramophone Company was the parent company for the His Master’s Voice (HMV) label and merged with Electric and Musical Industries Limited (EMI) that same year.

The name The Gramophone Company was used by EMI right into the 70s and can be found on early prints of Pink Floyd’s ‘Dark Side of the Moon’.

Apart from The Beatles albums, artists who recorded at Abbey Road include Cliff Richard and the Shadows, the Hollies, The Pretty Things, Alan Parsons Project, Kate Bush, Duran Duran, Al Stewart, Radiohead, Adam Ant, U2, Oasis, Mike Oldfield, Panic At The Disco, James Taylor, Sting, James Blunt, The Black Keys and Lady Gaga.

The building was originally at nine-bedroom Georgian townhouse. It was built 100 years earlier in the 1830s.

Happy Birthday Abbey Road.