This Colorful Art Poster Chronicles the History of the Beatles

Dorothy
Dorothy / Dorothy

As far as music history—or history in general—is concerned, The Beatles are one of the most influential musical groups ever assembled. The venerable English rock band may have had its heyday in the 1960s, but the impact John, Paul, George, and Ringo have had on generations of fans and musicians can't possibly be overstated. As music journalist Chuck Klosterman once wrote about the accuracy of rating bands, "The Beatles are generally seen as the single most important rock band of all time, because they wrote all the best songs. Since both of these facts are true, the Beatles are rated properly."

But simply appreciating the Fab Four's archive aurally doesn't do the band enough justice. Thankfully this poster from UK-based design shop Dorothy Studios has the visuals covered. With an appropriately diverse color palette, "The Colour of The Beatles—Special Edition" features 66 color-inspired references to many of the songs in the legendary group's discography, including "Here Comes the Sun" and "Blackbird."

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However, the poster doesn't focus exclusively on The Beatles's songs; it also includes their albums (like The White Album), their favorite hangouts (like The Cavern Club and The Casbah Coffee Club), and even their Apple record label. And, of course, kaleidoscopic songs like "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds," "Strawberry Fields Forever," "Back in the U.S.S.R.," and "Norwegian Wood" are covered.

Phil Skegg, a designer at Dorothy, says the genesis of the poster came a few years ago when the team was looking at standard paint swatch colors, like Canary Yellow. "We thought it'd be great if they had a range named after songs like 'Yellow Submarine' or 'Sun King'," Skegg tells Mental Floss. "It then just developed from there, taking in songs, albums lyrics, and any other sources we could find."

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The poster, which sells for about $38, is also just one of several Beatles-inspired posters from Dorothy; they also offer zoo-themed character portraits and this pair of "Liverpool Legends" road sign prints. And they say you can't buy me love.