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Rick Wakeman — The Six Wives of Henry VIII

What the critics heard when these records were new. Original reviews, release anniversaries and chart histories.

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First release · United Kingdom
Album cover: Rick Wakeman — The Six Wives of Henry VIII (Original 1973 UK release, A&M Records AMLH 64361 (gatefold sleeve))
Cover source ↗Cover Art Archive / MusicBrainz – front cover of the original 1973 UK A&M release (AMLH 64361)
1973

Rick Wakeman

The Six Wives of Henry VIII

progressive rock
Hostile review

The prog keyboard suite the critics told to get lost

Released in the UK on 23 January 1973. A hostile contemporary Stereo Review review, chart evidence from three markets, and later classic status.

The verdict at the time

Noel Coppage of Stereo Review gave a hostile verdict in September 1973: he ridiculed the Tudor pomp as "incredibly dull plays" and suggested listeners might "walk out, turn off the television, stop reading, or fall asleep".

Noel Coppage · Stereo Review ·

Read the contemporary review

Chart peaks

USA#30Billboard 2001973-03-30 · Original release periodChart source
UK#7Official Albums Chart1973-03-03 · Original release periodChart source
Europe · Italy#17Italian Albums (Musica e Dischi)1973 · Original release periodChart source

European positions are listed by country. Later chart entries are labelled separately.

Sources & context

Contemporary verdict: Noel Coppage, Stereo Review, September 1973 — negative. Later reassessment documented by Louder and uDiscover Music.

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