Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of the Worlds

For other uses, see Jeff Wayne's The War of the Worlds (disambiguation).

Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of the Worlds
Front cover artwork by Peter Goodfellow
Studio album by
Jeff Wayne
Released9 June 1978 (1978-06-09)
Recorded18 May 1976 – 30 June 1977
StudioAdvision, London
Abbey Road, London (strings)
Wally Heider, San Francisco (Richard Burton's voice)
GenreProgressive rock[1][2]
Length94:54
LabelCBS
ProducerJeff Wayne
Jeff Wayne chronology
Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of the Worlds
(1978) 		Highlights from Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of the Worlds
(1981)
Singles from Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of the Worlds
  1. "Forever Autumn"
    Released: 2 June 1978
  2. "The Eve of The War"
    Released: 18 August 1978[3]
  3. "Brave New World"
    Released: 13 October 1978[4]
  4. "Thunderchild"
    Released: 29 December 1978[5]

Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of the Worlds is a studio double album by American-born British musician, composer, and record producer Jeff Wayne, released on 9 June 1978 by CBS Records. It is an album musical adapted from the science-fiction novel The War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells in a rock opera style with a rock band, orchestra, narrator, and leitmotifs to carry the story and lyrics that express the feelings of the various characters. The album features guest artists David Essex, Justin Hayward, Phil Lynott, Chris Thompson, and Julie Covington, with actor Richard Burton as the narrator.

The album became a commercial success in the UK, debuting at No. 5 on the UK Albums Chart. It won two Ivor Novello Awards, including one for Wayne and main lyricist Gary Osborne for Best Instrumental or Popular Orchestral Work. The album has enjoyed enduring popularity since its release and attracted critical acclaim. It has sold over 2.7 million copies in the UK, and an estimated 15 million copies worldwide. In 2018, it was the UK's 32nd best-selling studio album of all time.

Wayne's adaptation has spawned multiple versions including video games, DVDs, and live stage shows. In 2012, Wayne released a rearrangement of the album, subtitled The New Generation, incorporating more synthesisers and new compositions and dialogue.

  1. ^ Burrows, Alex (26 September 2020). "The story behind Jeff Wayne's The War Of The Worlds". Louder. Retrieved 5 December 2020.
  2. ^ Jones, Josh (30 March 2017). "Hear the Prog-Rock Adaptation of H.G. Wells' War of the Worlds: The 1978 Rock Opera That Sold 15 Million Copies Worldwide". Open Culture. Retrieved 29 May 2019.
  3. ^ "Music Week" (PDF). p. 39.
  4. ^ "Music Week" (PDF). p. 70.
  5. ^ "Music Week" (PDF). p. 43.