43 Years Ago: The Beatles Announce Their Breakup

All good things must come to an end, and this was never more true in the world of rock and roll than it was 43 years ago today (April 10, 1970) when it was announced that the the Beatles were no more.

The tale of the breakup of the Beatles is a long and, well, winding road. The band had begun to implode for a while. When manager Brian Epstein passed away in 1967, the first cracks were showing. By the time of the recording of the 1968 double-record set ‘The Beatles’ (aka “The White Album”) things had gotten worse. The Beatles were working less and less like a band, with each member focusing on their own compositions in the studio.

Flash forward to early 1969 and recording sessions for what would eventually become the ‘Let It Be’ album. Captured forever thanks to a documentary film crew (though hidden from public view for many years) the film ‘Let It Be’ shows the band breaking up before our eyes. With tensions running high and resentment building, it was clear they were not long for this world. Even though they would somehow carry on and record the much more harmonious ‘Abbey Road,’ the end was in sight.

After repeated clashes with new business manager Allen Klein, Paul McCartney was looking for it to end, perhaps sooner than the others. When ‘Abbey Road’ was released in September of 1969, John Lennon told the others that he wanted to leave the band, though no formal announcement was made. It would ultimately be McCartney who would spill the beans during the promotion for his debut solo album, which was released in April of 1970. An official announcement from the band concerning the break up would not come until the end of 1970.

There will never be another, we can only be glad they were here as long as they were.

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