On April 11, 1970, fifty-five years ago, The Beatles’ classic ballad “Let It Be” became the band’s next-to-last single to top the Billboard Hot 100. The song, which also was the title track of the Fab Four’s final studio album, was written and sung by Paul McCartney, although bandmate John Lennon received a co-writing credit.
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“Let It Be” knocked Simon & Garfunkel’s enduring tune “Bridge over Troubled Water” from No. 1 on the Hot 100. It spent two weeks on top of the chart before being replaced by The Jackson 5’s pop smash “ABC.”
The single version of “Let It Be” was produced by George Martin. It featured some differences than the Phil Spector-produced album version. Martin mixed the track’s orchestral section lower, and used a less aggressive guitar solo from George Harrison with a softer effect.
Interestingly, “Let It Be” topped the Hot 100 one day after McCartney announced the breakup of The Beatles. The revelation was included in a press release promoting Paul’s debut solo album, McCartney, which was issued on April 17.
The last Beatles single to hit No. 1 on the Hot 100 was “The Long and Winding Road,” which also appeared on the Let It Be album. It had a two-week run at No. 1 that began on June 13, 1970.
The Writing of “Let It Be”
McCartney said the inspiration for “Let It Be” came to him in a dream that featured his late mother, Mary. At the time he wrote it, Paul was feeling very stressed, as The Beatles were experiencing a lot of intra-band tensions and were heading toward breaking up.
As McCartney recalled in his 2021 book The Lyrics, “I fell asleep exhausted one day and had a dream in which my mum (who had died just over ten years previously) did, in fact, come to me. … [I]n this dream, seeing my mum’s beautiful, kind face and being with her in a peaceful place was very comforting. I immediately felt at ease, and loved and protected. … She seemed to realize I was worried about what was going on in my life and what would happen, and she said to me, ‘Everything will be all right. Let it be.’”
He added, “I woke up thinking this would be a great subject for a song.”
The Recording and Release of “Let It Be”
The main tracks of “Let It Be” were recorded in late January 1969 at Apple Studios in London. For the basic tracks, McCartney played piano, Lennon played six-string bass, Harrison was on guitar, and Ringo Starr played drums. Billy Preston also played Hammond organ on the song.
The sessions, of course, were filmed for what became the 1970 movie Let It Be.
Lennon’s bass on “Let It Be” was eventually replaced by McCartney at Martin’s behest. Harrison later recorded new guitar solo overdubs on April 30, 1969, and January 4, 1970. The April 30, 1969, solo was used in the single version of “Let It Be.” The January 1970 overdub was featured in the album version.
The single was released on March 6, 1970, while the Let It Be album followed on May 8.
More About “Let It Be”
Aretha Franklin actually was the first artist to release a version of “Let It Be,” even before The Beatles. McCartney had sent the Queen of Soul a demo of the tune in 1969, and she recorded it for her album This Girl’s in Love with You, which was released in January 1970.
In 1971, “Let It Be” was nominated for Grammy Awards in the Record of the Year and Best Contemporary Vocal Performance by a Duo, Group or Chorus categories.
The song has been covered hundreds of times over the years. One of the most noteworthy recent versions was done by Dolly Parton for her star-studded 2023 album Rockstar. The country legend’s cover featured contributions from McCartney, Starr, Peter Frampton, and Mick Fleetwood.
“Let It Be” is one of the most-performed songs in McCartney’s live repertoire. In his book The Lyrics, Paul noted at how the tune continues to be embraced by audiences.
“It’s always been a communal song, about acceptance, and I think those moments work really well with a crowd,” he noted. “You see a lot of people holding their partners or friends or family in their arms and singing along.”
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