Update of the Day: 2016 Version of the Sgt Pepper’s Album Cover Commemorates The Year in Loss

We lost a lot of beloved cultural figures in 2016. It felt like every time our phones lit up, our hearts would sink, thinking about the elderly and not-so elderly heroes we could lose in an instant. Let’s hope next year is better.

But while we look to the future, an updated version of The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band album cover has been making the rounds on the internet. From Bowie to Prince, and Brexit to Toblerone, Sgt. Pepper’s Class of 2016 is stark reminder of the past year.

The piece was designed by artist Chris Barker, who first posted the image to Tumblr over Thanksgiving, but has since updated it to include the George Michael, among others. You can read more about Barker’s process and the experience of going viral over on his Tumblr. For now, sit and think about this absolutely bonkers and terribly sad year that passed.

This is too much now. #ripgeorgemicheal #LastChristmas #sgtpepper2016 #sgtpepper2016 massive thanks to @Carl_Price pic.twitter.com/Gj1bl1MTMM
— christhebarker (@christhebarker) December 26, 2016