You call yourself a music lover, music consumer or better yet, a true aficionado? Are you in London or planning a trip there sometime soon? Jaded Londoners need not continue reading but those who have not been to Abbey Road and the famous “zebra crossing” should add it to their itinerary.

You see, the famed Abbey Road studios are reportedly up for sale by it’s cash-strapped and over-leveraged owner, EMI records. This old Georgian house in north London ranks up there with Graceland, The Whisky A Go Go, Motown’s old HQ and Memphis’ Sun Studios as ‘hallowed ground’.

The Beatles recorded 95% of their recorded output here, including the classic Abbey Road album which features the band casually crossing the road in front of the studio during a mid afternoon tea break.

Legend has it that the album was set to be titled Everest but the lads couldn’t be bothered to travel to the Himalayas for a photo shoot. The iconic album cover was the first not to feature the name of the album or the name of the band. In hindsight, those 7 or 8 photos taken that day seem quaint given today’s PR machine world of choreographed photo opps and behind the scenes DVD extras.

Let’s not forget that Pink Floyd laid down Dark Side of the Moon here also, which begs the question, why is this place not already a protected heritage site in the UK?

Walking across that street is a surreal experience and is something that every music lover should do. Steps away is Abbey Road Studios and the graffiti festooned walls surrounding the garden out front.

Make your plans now.  Take the tube to St. John’s Wood and walk north about 10 minutes, you’ll be glad you did.

And remember, the love you take is equal to the love you make.