Richard Hamilton (design) explained: 'Paul McCartney requested the design be as stark a contrast to Sgt. Pepper’s Day-Glo explosion as possible… he got it.' 

The 45-year-old artist came up with the plain white cover with the words The Beatles embossed on it, and a serial number to indicate a limited edition pressing although there seems to be some question as to whether two or five million albums featured the serial number! While the album has no title, it was immediately dubbed to the 'White Album'.

The inner-gatefold was a bit more conventional, with song titles listed on the inner-left gatefold, on the lower right, and four black and white portraits on the lower portion of the inner-gatefolds right side. (click image to enlarge / use back to return)

As the music contained within was less a collaboration and more the result of three distinct songwriters in John, Paul, and George, so too did Hamilton’s design, with its utilization of solo shots of each band member, focus on the Beatles as individuals rather than a group.

The album was delivered with a poster. The front side depicts Richard Hamilton’s full-color photo montage.

The lyrics to all thirty songs were printed on its reverse side.

The Beatles' White Album has a minimal design in black & white. Here are the 'fab four' in colour! Original shoot by John Kelly.

NO. 1 Trivia;

While John Lennon apparently claimed the album with the number No. 0000001 as his own, “because he shouted the loudest” explained Paul, it was Ringo Star who actually put the unique album up for sale in an American auction house in 2015.

Note: Because of the different numbering systems used by various plants, there are several copies of the White Album with a No. 0000001 stamp.

The Beatles were an English rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960. With members John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, they became widely regarded as the foremost and most influential act of the rock era.

Rooted in skiffle, beat, and 1950s rock and roll, the Beatles later experimented with several genres, ranging from pop ballads and Indian music to psychedelia and hard rock, often incorporating classical elements in innovative ways. Their finest and most innovatieve material include 'Rubber Soul' (1965), 'Revolver' (1966), 'Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band' (1967) and Abbey Road (1969).

After their break-up in 1970, they each enjoyed successful musical careers. Lennon was shot in December 1980, and Harrison died of lung cancer in November 2001.

Rubber Soul | Revolver | Abbey Road | Sgt. Peppers | Ballads