“It was just a song that fitted the story. I didn’t choose the singer. Luck was on my side”: A science-fiction concept album has enjoyed nearly 50 years of popularity with help from a song written for a Lego advert

OAKLAND - DECEMBER 10: Justin Hayward performs with the Moody Blues at the Oakland Coliseum Arena on December 10, 1978 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Ed Perlstein/Redferns/Getty Images).

The success of 1978 hit single Forever Autumn, sung by Justin Hayward, was a welcome surprise to its co-writer Jeff Wayne. In 2011 he told Prog about the happy accidents that took it to into the top 10.

In the four-decades-plus since its original release, Jeff Wayne’s Musical Version Of The War Of The Worlds has sold millions of copies, enjoyed massive live success and spawned a video game.