A Brief History of Abbey Road Studios

Fashioned out of a sixteen-room residence at 3 Abbey Road, St. John's Wood that EMI bought in 1929, Abbey Road Studios opened in 1931
Hudson / Getty Images

The Beginning
Fashioned out of a sixteen-room residence at 3 Abbey Road, St. John's Wood that EMI bought in 1929, Abbey Road Studios opened in 1931, with several different sized studios to accommodate the different kinds of music that were being recorded at that time: orchestra, string quartets, choral works and instrumental soloists and singers. The first custom-built studio complex of its kind, the studio in its early years was used frequently by Sir Edward Elgar, left, one of England's most pre-eminent composers to record some of his famous pieces.

Get the Latest Photos from Time.com
Get TIME photos and pictures of the week delivered directly to your inbox.