On this day in 2010, Abbey Road studios were heritage listed by the British Government

A week earlier, rumours had circulated that EMI were considering selling the building, a rumour that was quickly confirmed to be false, and within days the building received a Grade II heritage listing. 

Abbey Road was made famous as the studios where much of The Beatles material was recorded, and in return was immortalised as the name of their eleventh album. Abbey Road‘s iconic cover featured a photo of the band walking across the pedestrian crossing outside the building. This shot led to a noticeable increase to tourism in the area as fans started to visit to recreate the famous shot, a trend that continues today. 

The announcement of the buildings listing stated that “the building possessed huge cultural importance and a remarkable and inspiring association with music making”. The buildings are now protected from significant change by the listing, which was extended to include the famous crossing. Today, the building is no longer owned by EMI but continues to operate as a recording studio.