Jesus Christ Superstar is a 1970 album musical written by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, and the debut of the rock opera of the same name. Initially unable to get backing for a stage production, the composers released it as an album, the success of which led to stage productions premiering in 1971. The musical dramatises the Passion of Jesus, beginning with his entry into Jerusalem and ending with the crucifixion. It was originally banned by the BBC on grounds of being "sacrilegious". By 1983, the album had sold over seven million copies worldwide.