With each new single and album they recorded, the Beatles—John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr—strived to advance their sound, to open themselves to new ideas and influences, and, above all else, to not repeat themselves. In 1968, the band released The Beatles—better known as "The White Album" for its distinctive cover—and it was a nexus for the group, a connection point between their present and the future. This is the story of how that classic album came to be made, and what it represents in Beatles' history.