The famous Abbey Road photo was taken 40 years ago tomorrow. Jade Wright finds out about its lasting legacy:

IAIN MacMillan's iconic photograph made a star out of a zebra crossing. Taken on August 8, 1969, the cover of The Beatles’ Abbey Road album captured a band in the final throws of its break-up.

Their record label, Apple, said it wouldn't sell because it didn't feature the names of the band or the LP.

But 40 years on and 12 million sales later, the most famous album cover of all time looks as fresh as the day it was designed by Apple Records creative director Kosh.

The design was a spur of the moment decision, taken after the band changed the album’s title.

The album was originally to be titled Everest, and the band wanted a cover photo taken in the Himalayas.

But by the time the group was to take the photo, they wanted it to be over as quickly as possible, and called it Abbey Road, with a rushed picture outside the studio.

Photographer Iain Macmillan was given only 10 minutes at around 11.30 that morning to take the photo.

Little did he know it was to become one of the most famous and most imitated album covers in recording history.

“There’s something quite moving for me about the cover which comes from the realisation that it’s the Beatles last recorded album,” says Jamie Bowman, the Beatles Story’s resident expert.

“Despite the fact that they were at each other’s throats for much of the sessions, they managed to pull themselves together and recorded a wonderful album.

“The cover itself shows them all together for the last time but at the same time they’re literally walking away from Abbey Road Studios, The Beatles and everything they’ve been through in the last six years.