The Crate
Genesis
Selling England By The Pound
Selling England by the Pound is Genesis’ fifth studio album, released 5 October 1973 on Charisma. It was recorded in August 1973 at Island Studios in London and produced by John Burns alongside the band. The UK peaked at No. 3 and the US at No. 70; its single “I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe)” became Genesis’ first UK Top 30 hit. ([en.wikipedia.org](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selling_England_by_the_Pound))
Recording History
Rehearsals took place at a doctor's house in Chessington and at the Una Billings School of Dance in Shepherd’s Bush, where several ideas gelled into songs. The group then tracked the album at Island Studios in London in August 1973, with John Burns co-producing and engineering and Rhett Davies assisting. Genesis expanded their equipment with an Echoplex and an ARP Pro Soloist to broaden textures. The opening “Dancing with the Moonlit Knight” and other pieces benefited from these approaches, and Gabriel contributed percussion using a talking drum purchased from Nigeria. The cover art features a painting by Betty Swanwick. ([en.wikipedia.org](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selling_England_by_the_Pound))
Chart Performance & Recognition
In the UK, the album reached No. 3 on the chart; in the US it peaked at No. 70 on the Billboard 200. The single “I Know What I Like (In Your Wardrobe)” charted UK Top 30, peaking at No. 21. The record was remastered for CD in 1994 and again in 2007; it received Gold certifications from the BPI (2013) and the US RIAA (Gold, 500,000 copies). ([en.wikipedia.org](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selling_England_by_the_Pound))
Cultural Impact & Legacy
The album has been highly regarded within prog rock, with veterans praising its craft; Neil Peart called it an enduring masterpiece of drumming, and Steve Lukather termed it a desert-island record. In 2012, Rolling Stone readers ranked it among the top prog albums, and IGN included it in a list of classic prog records. The work is often cited as a high-water mark of Genesis’ Gabriel era, influencing countless followers and fellow musicians. Betty Swanwick’s cover and the album’s English-folk-meets-progressive themes remain defining features. ([en.wikipedia.org](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selling_England_by_the_Pound))