Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of the Worlds is a 1978 concept album by Jeff Wayne, retelling the story of The War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells.[1] Its format is progressive rock and string orchestra, using narration and leitmotifs to carry the story via rhyming melodic lyrics that express the feelings of the various characters. The two-disc album remains a bestseller, having sold millions of records around the world,[1] and is the 38th best selling album of all time in the UK with sales of 2,561,286 by 2009.[3][4] It has since spawned multiple versions of the album, video games, DVDs, and live tours.