On This Day in 1969: The Beatles Performed Their Last Ever Show

The Beatles ended their historic run as a band on Jan. 30, 1969. On that date in history, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr gathered on the rooftop of the Apple Corps. headquarters for their last-ever live performance. Billy Preston, often dubbed the “Fifth Beatle,” played electric piano during the set.

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Five stories atop central London, the band played their final show for a project originally titled Get Back. The Beatles hoped that the project, as the title suggested, would help them return to their roots.

However, the resulting film and album, which were later renamed Let It Be, became the band’s final project together when they were released in May 1970.

Rolling Stone reported that the rooftop concert wasn’t always planned for that location. A cruise ship, the Sahara desert, the Giza pyramids, and a 2,000-year-old Roman amphitheater were first considered. Ultimately, the rooftop was chosen, though whether Lennon or Starr suggested it first is widely debated.

The Day of The Beatles’ Rooftop Concert

Knowing he was going to witness something special, director Michael Lindsay-Hogg, who previously worked with The Beatles on “Hey Jude” and “Revolution,” made it his mission to capture the show from every imaginable angle.

One camera even caught the reactions of people who were passing by and happened to hear the commotion, Gold Radio reported.

The police shut down the show after 42-minutes due to noise complaints from surrounding business, the first outlet reported. The Beatles continued to play, finishing the performance with a third take of “Get Back,” per Gold Radio.

All in all, the band played 10 songs while on the roof. They performed “Get Back” three times and “Don’t Let Me Down” and “I’ve Got a Feeling” twice each. The Beatles did one-off performances of “One After 909,” “Dig a Pony,” and “God Save the Queen.”

In the years that followed, the rooftop concert found its way into Beatles lore. It has been widely referenced in pop culture, including in movies like All You Need Is Cash and Across the Universe, and on TV shows such as The Simpsons, and by bands including U2.

Photo by Evening Standard/Hulton Archive/Getty Images