Although Prince had released five albums prior to “Purple Rain,” up until that time he had demonstrated only a hint of his true crossover potential.

Needless to say, Sgt. Pepper took the world by storm. Within days of its release, Jimi Hendrix had appropriated the title track for his live set.

It soon became obvious that Brian Wilson would require a broad stroke that would stretch pop’s parameters.

Released on May 1, 1972, Simon’s debut album’s chart success confirmed the fact that Simon was fully capable of succeeding on his own.