The Beatles: 45 Years Ago Today, The Band Broke Up

The Beatles are one of the most influential bands of all time. In turn, April 9, 1970, marked a tragic event for the band’s fans and supporters when their break-up was announced.

USA Today’s Cinncinnati.com reports that the 1970 break-up announcement came just a day after U.K. journalists were given a press release announcing Paul McCartney’s solo album, McCartney. The press release, submitted by Peter Brown, from Apple, included questions regarding The Beatles’ future. Although the break-up was announced on April 10, most people feel the April 9 press release confirmed that The Beatles would no longer make music together.

The band already had plans to break apart for several months prior to the announcement. However, a then 27-year-old McCartney decided to announce the departure earlier than agreed upon, rumored to be upset with John Lennon. As far as why the band broke up, McCartney’s answers in the press release interview indicate multiple reasons.

“Personal differences, business differences, musical differences, but most of all because I have a better time with my family. Temporary or permanent? I don’t really know.”

Although at the time, McCartney himself wasn’t sure if the Beatles would reunite, it wasn’t to be. Their last performance together was on top of a roof on January 30, 1969, at the Apple headquarters in London.

Some people consider the rooftop performance the end for The Beatles. Even though the band released two more albums after the rooftop concert, the band had already quietly disbanded, and although it was yet to be announced, a sense of the end of arguably the greatest rock band of all time was already in the air.

Shortly after the announced break-up, McCartney’s album was released in the U.K. on April 17, 1970, just weeks before The Beatles’ May 18, 1970 release of their studio album, Let It Be.

However, the band’s problems started years before the final announcement to depart. In 1966, The Beatles stopped touring, and all four band members began pursuing their own musical ideas and inspirations.

Their individual tastes were apparent with the release of their 1967 eighth studio album, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. Although The Beatles were still together making music, Lennon began leaning more towards alternative, experimental music, while McCartney focused more on pop. Per Geoff Emerick’s book, Here There and Everywhere: My Life With the Beatles, all four members were becoming discouraged with each other and growing impatient while making the album.

Although it’s been 45 years since The Beatles’ official break-up, their music lives on. Their compilation album, 1, continues to sell worldwide at a rate of around 1,000 copies per week.

Meanwhile, The Beatles’ fans can still see Paul McCartney live in concert. He is currently on his Out There tour, with numerous performances overseas and in the United States.