For the past three years, Pop Chart Lab has been producing stellar infographics on a ridiculous range of subjects. Graphics include such topics as beer, kitchen utensils, and superpowers. PCL’s business goal reads, “to render all of human experience in chart form.” Last week, the Brooklyn based company released Volume 3 in their series of infographics about the Beatles, completing a nice little set.
Volume 1 visualizes years 1963-1965. Included are the albums A Hard Day’s Night, Help!, Beatles For Sale, With the Beatles, and Please Please Me.
Volume 2 visualizes years 1965-1967. Included are the albums Rubber Soul, Revolver, Sgt. Peppers, and Magical Mystery Tour.
Volume 3 visualizes years 1968-1970. Included are the albums Abby Road, Yellow Submarine, Let it Be, and The White Album.
You might notice that the graphics gain complexity over the years indicating the group’s increasing experimentation with sound. Volume 3 shows the use of tape loops, sound effects, a flugelhorn, and a Moog synthesizer, to name a few.
Check out their attention to detail in this mashup of John’s transformation over the years.
But of course, Pop Chart Lab is not the only one to graph the Beatles’ career. Designer Michael Deal has also charted Beatles data. His project on Authorship and Collaboration reviews the band’s collection of songs and finds some interesting patterns. Over time the band members transitioned to authoring songs independently rather than as a group.
Although there are many data vis pieces that chart things to untangle the data, to seek patterns, or to offer insight, there are also some charts that are just awesome silliness. For example, Sarah Emerson created this flowchart for the lyrics to Hey Jude. You know, in case some engineers go out to karaoke.
And let’s not forget these John Lennon lyrics that were originally charted at Flapjack Media
