On paper, the question of what song was the last to ever be played live by the Beatles is an easy one to answer. But, in terms of sentiments among fans, the answer becomes muddled. We present two options, below. Which song do you consider to be the last live Beatles song?
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The Last Song the Beatles Played Live
The Beatles retired from touring in 1966–long before they actually called it quits as a band. Their robust touring schedules (mixed with the fact the band didn’t feel they were very good live) moved them to end that sector of their career. They decided to go out with a bang though, playing one last string of shows in the U.S.
The final tour date was in San Francisco. The band gave it their all, pushing through one final set before hanging up their hats. The final song on that setlist was “Long Tall Sally.” The Beatles shined on this Little Richard cover, upping the ante just before leaving their fans wanting more. If you consider the band’s tour retirement as their final live stint, “Long Tall Sally” is the final song the Beatles played live as a foursome.
[RELATED: The ‘Let It Be’ Beatles Track That John Lennon Allegedly Wrote as a “Dig” At Mick Jagger]
However, there is the matter of that famed Apple Corp show. Yes, even casual Beatles fans know about that fateful performance. To officially close out their time together, the band took to the rooftop of the Apple headquarters to play an impromptu show–the finale to their Get Back project.
Aptly, the final song on that setlist was “Get Back.” The rousing rock number worked wonders as a closer. This concert’s place in the Beatles’ history of live shows is a bit hazy. Though onlookers were able to hear the song live as the passed by on the street, the intention of the performance was to be captured on film for replay. Does it even count as their final live song if it was performed in a pseudo studio environment? We’re not completely sure.
Either way, the Beatles closed out both the touring and post-touring legs of their career superbly. Though they didn’t rate themselves as a live band worth continuing, we’d wager a hefty amount of their fans would disagree. Revisit their performance of “Get Back,” below.
(Photo by John Downing/Getty Images)
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