Simon Frith , in his overview of 1967 for '' The History of Rock '' , said that '' Sgt. Pepper '' had " defined the year " by conveying the optimism and sense of empowerment at the centre of the youth movement . He added that the Velvet Underground 's '' The Velvet Underground & Nico '' , an album that contrasted sharply with the Beatles ' message by " offer ing no escape " , had become more relevant in a cultural climate typified by " the Sex Pistols , the new political aggression , the rioting in the streets " during the 1970s . In a 1987 review for '' Q '' magazine , Charles Shaar Murray asserted that '' Sgt. Pepper '' " remains a central pillar of the mythology and iconography of the late '60s " , while Colin Larkin states in his '' Encyclopedia of Popular Music '' : " it turned out to be no mere pop album but a cultural icon , embracing the constituent elements of the 60s ' youth culture : pop art , garish fashion , drugs , instant mysticism and freedom from parental control . " In '' The Oxford Encyclopedia of British Literature '' , Kevin Dettmar writes that '' Sgt. Pepper '' achieved " a combination of popular success and critical acclaim unequaled in twentieth-century art ... never before had an aesthetic and technical masterpiece enjoyed such popularity . " Through the level of attention it received from the rock press and more culturally elite publications , the album achieved full cultural legitimisation for pop music and recognition for the medium as a genuine art form . Riley says that pop had been due this accreditation " at least as early as '' A Hard Day 's Night '' " in 1964 . He adds that the timing of the album 's release and its reception ensured that " '' Sgt. Pepper '' has attained the kind of populist adoration that renowned works often assume regardless of their larger significance – it 's the Beatles ' ' Mona Lisa ' . " At the 10th Annual Grammy Awards in 1968 , '' Sgt. Pepper '' won in the categories of Album of the Year , Best Album Cover , Graphic Arts , Best Engineered Recording , Non-Classical and Best Contemporary Album . Its win in the Album of the Year category marked the first time that a rock LP had received this honour
10th Annual Grammy Awards
10th Annual Grammy Awards
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band