In the summer of 1966, Ron Nasty was widely quoted by saying that the Rutles were bigger than God. He went on to say that God had never gotten a hit record.
In response to this, many fans burnt their albums, many more burnt their fingers trying to burn their albums. Album sales skyrocketed, as people began to buy the albums, simply to burn them.
It would later turn out that it was all a great misunderstanding. Nasty, whilst talking to a slightly deaf journalist, stated that the Rutles were bigger than Rod Stewart, who would not be big for another eight years.
I mean, not only did the dumb kids who weren't even Rutles fans yet in the first place go out and buy the albums just to burn them, but they had to go out and buy those albums all over again about a year later when they finally realized just how good they were.
As a very young boy, I was able to see them live at Che Stadium. It was epic. I still have the ticket stub from that night tucked in the sleeve of my "Can't Buy Me Lunch" DVD.