For JSTOR Daily, Ashawnta Jackson examined the history of the concept album and its origin in early 20th century film soundtracks:
While the idea of the concept album seems like it came into vogue during the rock era of the 1960s, it’s firmly rooted in pop music, writes Decker. Concept albums “took well-known hits from the pre-war decades—Tin Pan Alley, Broadway, and Hollywood tunes from the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s—and arranged them in new sonic garb that appealed to adult listeners.”
Producer Norman Granz, who was known for his work with jazz artists such as Stan Getz, Charlie Parker, and Count Basie, was a concept album pioneer. He was behind the 1953 release of The Astaire Story, a four-disc set that paired Fred Astaire with a jazz combo. Astaire provided spoken-word interludes between songs, explaining how each linked to his history. “With the exception of a few instrumentals,” notes Decker, “all feature songs connected to Astaire’s career on the Broadway stage or in Hollywood films between 1924 and 1953.”
Also read: The Development of the Concept Album by Savannah Klein and The Evolution of the Concept Album