On the Charts 56 Years Ago, The Beatles Hit No. 1 for the 19th Time in Six Years With an Anthem for an Entire Generation

It’s impossible to pinpoint which of the Fab Four’s songs are the most memorable and enduring. So many of their hits resonate with different people for different reasons. However, one can’t deny that one of their final hit songs, “Let It Be”, is one for the ages.

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And on this very day, April 11, 1970, “Let It Be” hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the US after debuting on the chart on March 21, 1970. It would stay at the top for two weeks. And it remained on the chart in some fashion for 14 entire weeks.

The Unstoppable Legacy of “Let It Be” by The Beatles

“Let It Be” was released as a single and the title track off the band’s final album, released in 1970. The anthemic, stunning tune was written and sung by Paul McCartney. Most know the song by the version released as a single in March 1970, which features a softer (and, I’d say, more stunning) guitar solo and a low-mixed orchestra section.

The inspiration and origin of the song are a bit murky in retrospect. McCartney once said that “Let It Be” was inspired by a dream he had about his late mother, in which she told him “It will be all right, just let it be.” However, The Beatles’ road manager, Malcolm Evans, claimed that McCartney wrote the song after having a vision of Evans during a meditative session in India in 1968.

When the song debuted on the Hot 100 chart, it had the distinction of having the highest debut on the chart, starting at No. 6. Following its release, “Let It Be” earned many accolades from critics and fans alike. One writer for High Fidelity magazine claimed that the song was “the best thing musically that McCartney has done.” Others praised the song for its uplifting and encouraging message.

However, one individual who wasn’t a fan of the song was, interestingly enough, John Lennon. In his famous 1980 Playboy interview, Lennon said, “That’s Paul. What can you say? Nothing to do with the Beatles. It could’ve been Wings. I don’t know what he’s thinking when he writes ‘Let It Be’.”

The track would remain the Fab Four’s final single before McCartney inevitably announced he would be leaving the band, followed shortly after by the group’s disbandment.

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