Alan Bradshaw

Fifty years ago the Beatles released a single that sold over 8 million copies–their highest selling 45rpm–”Hey Jude.” While “Hey Jude” made the greater impression, it was the B-side—”Revolution”—in which John Lennon addressed the global political upheaval of 1968 that has the more interesting story. Rare as it was for a pop song to address politics, the message in Revolution attracted fierce resentment within the radical left before re-appearing in 1987 in one of the most seminal and ground breaking advertisements ever made.