Let It Be by The Beatles: Song History, Recording Sessions, Meaning and Chart Success

Let It Be by The Beatles: Complete Song History

Let It Be is one of the most famous songs in The Beatles' catalogue and one of the final major singles released by the band before their break-up in 1970. Written primarily by Paul McCartney and credited to the Lennon–McCartney partnership, it became an international number one and remains one of the most performed and covered songs in popular music history.

Let It Be – Song Facts

Song	Let It Be
Artist	The Beatles
Writers	Lennon–McCartney (primarily Paul McCartney)
Lead vocal	Paul McCartney
Recorded	January 1969, Apple Studio, Savile Row, London
Single producer (UK/US)	George Martin
Album producer	Phil Spector
UK single release	6 March 1970 (Apple Records, R 5833)
US single release	11 March 1970 (Apple Records, Apple 2764)
B-side	You Know My Name (Look Up The Number)
Album	Let It Be (1970)
Genre	Rock / Gospel-influenced pop

The Inspiration Behind Let It Be

Paul McCartney wrote Let It Be after experiencing a dream about his mother, Mary McCartney, who died of cancer when he was fourteen. According to McCartney, the dream came during a particularly stressful period — the tensions within The Beatles during the Get Back sessions were at their height, and the band's future was genuinely uncertain.

In the dream, his mother appeared and reassured him with the words "let it be." The phrase became the song's central message: calm acceptance in the face of difficulty. McCartney has spoken about the song many times over the decades, always emphasising that "Mother Mary" refers to his own mother rather than the Virgin Mary — though the religious resonance of the phrase has contributed to the song's extraordinary reach.

Recording Let It Be

The song was recorded during the January 1969 sessions at Apple Studio, 3 Savile Row, London, originally planned as part of The Beatles' Get Back project — an attempt to return to a more straightforward live recording style after the complex studio productions of Revolver, Sgt. Pepper's, and the White Album.

The sessions were difficult. The band had begun at Twickenham Film Studios in early January, but George Harrison walked out on 10 January following a disagreement with McCartney. The sessions relocated to Apple Studio, where the atmosphere improved — partly due to the arrival of American keyboard player Billy Preston, whose presence helped stabilise the sessions and contributed to the song's distinctive sound.

Key contributors to the recording:

Paul McCartney – piano, lead vocals
John Lennon – bass guitar
George Harrison – lead guitar
Ringo Starr – drums
Billy Preston – electric piano

Two Versions of Let It Be

Two distinct versions of Let It Be were released, and they differ in meaningful ways.

Single version (1970) — produced by George Martin

The single version was produced by George Martin — the last Beatles single he produced. It features a distinctive guitar solo by George Harrison and a relatively restrained, clean arrangement that stays close to the original recording. Many listeners and critics consider this the definitive version of the song.

Album version (Let It Be, 1970) — produced by Phil Spector

The album version was remixed by Phil Spector, who added orchestral overdubs, a choir, and a more dramatic, lush arrangement. McCartney was not consulted about these changes and publicly objected to Spector's treatment — particularly the orchestration, which he felt was at odds with the song's intimate origins.

The differences between the two versions — including different guitar solos and production styles — have made the single version a collector's favourite and a point of ongoing discussion among Beatles fans.

Let It Be… Naked (2003)

In 2003, a stripped-down version of the album titled Let It Be… Naked was released, restoring the songs — including Let It Be — closer to their original recorded state, without Spector's orchestration. The Naked version of the song is closer in spirit to the George Martin single mix.

Chart Performance

United Kingdom

The UK single was released on 6 March 1970. It reached number 2 on the UK Singles Chart — kept off the top spot by Lee Marvin's Wand'rin' Star, one of the more unlikely chart battles in pop history.

United States

The US single was released on 11 March 1970 and reached number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks, and number 1 on the Adult Contemporary chart for four weeks. It spent 14 weeks on the Billboard chart in total.

International

The song also reached number one in Australia, Italy, Norway, and Switzerland, and charted highly across Europe and beyond.

Cultural Impact

Over the decades, Let It Be has become one of the most performed songs in popular music. Its message of calm acceptance in the face of difficulty has made it a natural choice for charity concerts, memorial events, and major public gatherings. It was performed at the Concert for New York City following the September 11 attacks, at the Concert for George following George Harrison's death, and at countless other occasions of collective grief and solidarity.

It is also one of the most covered songs in history — recorded by artists across virtually every genre, in virtually every language. The song's gospel-influenced piano melody and McCartney's vocal performance give it a quality that transcends its origins as a Beatles recording.