The Beatles officially split up in 1970. Paul McCartney made it legal by filing a lawsuit to dissolve the partnership on December 31, 1970. But emotionally? The band had been a mess since at least 1968. Think of it like a slow-motion car crash in a very expensive suit.
But wait—wasn’t Let It Be their last album? Yes, but the timeline is trickier than a magician’s sleeve. Let It Be was actually recorded before Abbey Road, but released after. So while you were crying to “The Long and Winding Road” in 1970, the band had already been dead for months. Classic Beatles chaos.
The Real Break: A Timeline of Awkwardness
Let’s rewind to 1969. John Lennon was already out the door but hadn’t told anyone. At a band meeting, he basically said, “I’m leaving.” The others, including Paul, were like, “What? Again?” John had to promise not to announce it. Classic passive-aggressive rock star stuff.
Then came September 1969. Abbey Road was released, and it sounded like a band on fire—a burning, beautiful goodbye. But the sessions had been tense. George Harrison quit for a bit. Yoko Ono sat on a speaker. Ringo Starr actually did quit for two weeks. You think your family Thanksgivings are stressful?
By early 1970, the band had become four separate businesses with a shared name. Paul McCartney wanted them to stay together. The other three wanted a new manager, Allen Klein. Paul refused. It was the final, ugly divorce.
