Chapter 18: The Beatles
By 1970, it was obvious the Beatles were on separate paths. Early that year, John and Yoko released an album from their Toronto show. Meanwhile, Ringo Starr put out his solo album Sentimental Journey, and George Harrison quietly joined Eric Clapton’s touring band and prepared his own debut solo album, All Things Must Pass, released in December. Paul McCartney’s solo album was accompanied by an interview in which he essentially announced that he was stepping away from the Beatles. This caught John Lennon by surprise, as he had intended to keep his own departure plans under wraps for a while longer. Lennon was frustrated that Paul made the decision public first. By 1970, McCartney had taken legal action to formally dissolve the Beatles’ contractual partnership.
After the Beatles broke up in 1970, each member went on to develop their solo careers in different ways. George Harrison’s All Things Must Pass was an ambitious triple album that featured the popular track “My Sweet Lord.” In 1971, George organized a charity concert to support victims of the civil war in Pakistan, bringing together musicians like Ringo Starr, Eric Clapton, and Bob Dylan. His solo work remained deeply influenced by Indian spirituality and musical styles. Later, in the late 1980s, George became part of the supergroup Traveling Wilburys alongside Jeff Lynne, Tom Petty, Roy Orbison, and Bob Dylan. He passed away from cancer in 2001.
Ringo Starr followed his first solo record, Sentimental Journey, with Beaucoups of Blues, which explored a country music vibe. He stuck to a simple and approachable rock sound in his subsequent albums, achieving hits like “Photograph” and “You’re Sixteen” during the early ’70s. Unlike John Lennon’s politically charged work or George Harrison’s spiritual themes, Ringo’s music was more about straightforward, easy-to-listen-to songs, avoiding complicated messages or experimental sounds. He has remained active as a performer and continues to tour with his long-running All-Starr Band, showcasing both his solo work and Beatles classics alongside a rotating lineup of well-known musicians.
Paul McCartney emerged as the most commercially successful and musically prolific Beatle after the band’s breakup. Partnering closely with his wife Linda, he formed Wings, a group that blended rock, pop, and experimental sounds across a series of well-received albums such as Ram (1971) and Band on the Run (1973), which became major commercial hits and critical favorites. From Red Rose Speedway onward, McCartney maintained a remarkable streak of five consecutive albums reaching number one on the charts.
In the 1980s, Paul continued to expand his musical horizons with albums like Tug of War (1982), featuring the hit collaboration “Ebony and Ivory” with Stevie Wonder, which promoted racial harmony and became an international success. The following year, Pipes of Peace included the catchy duet “Say, Say, Say” with Michael Jackson, further cementing McCartney’s ability to blend pop appeal with artistic innovation. He also explored film projects, such as Give My Regards to Broad Street, which, while not a blockbuster, showcased his continued interest in multimedia.
McCartney’s influence and adaptability have allowed him to collaborate with a wide range of artists across genres and generations. Notably, in the 2010s, he worked with Kanye West on the song “Only One,” a haunting, minimalist track where McCartney’s piano complements Kanye’s vocals. He also collaborated with Rihanna and Kanye on “FourFiveSeconds,” which blended pop, rock, and hip-hop sensibilities and received widespread acclaim.
Beyond his work in popular music, McCartney has pursued ambitious projects that fuse classical music with rock, such as Standing Stone (1991), demonstrating his versatility and continued creative evolution. Today, Paul McCartney remains an active and influential figure in music, constantly touring, recording, and collaborating with new generations of artists while maintaining his legacy as one of the most important musicians of the 20th and 21st centuries.
After moving to the United States in 1971, John Lennon and Yoko Ono quickly became vocal advocates for peace and social justice, involving themselves in a variety of controversial causes. Their activism and outspoken political stance made them targets of government scrutiny, leading to a protracted legal struggle to avoid deportation. Officially, past drug convictions were cited as grounds for John’s potential expulsion, but many observers believed that the real motive was to silence one of the most influential cultural voices of the era.
Despite the turmoil, John’s creative spark endured. His 1971 album Imagine became a defining work of his solo career, capturing a universal longing for peace and unity. The title track remains one of the most iconic songs promoting hope and harmony. Lennon’s subsequent early-1970s albums maintained critical and commercial success, though by 1976, he made the conscious decision to step away from the music business. From 1973 to 1975, Lennon and Ono lived apart while they navigated both their personal relationship and legal challenges. Upon reuniting in New York, their lives began to stabilize, and in late 1975, they welcomed their first child together, Sean Lennon. Choosing to embrace family life, Lennon became a devoted father and husband, prioritizing personal stability over public life.
After several years of relative quiet, John and Yoko returned to the studio in 1980 to create Double Fantasy. This album reflected Lennon’s transformed outlook—focused on love, family, and sobriety—with sessions marked by a newfound clarity and simplicity. The work was a stark contrast to much of his earlier, more politically charged material. However, the optimism surrounding this fresh start was tragically cut short in December of that year, when Lennon was shot and killed outside his New York apartment by Mark David Chapman, a deeply troubled fan who had obtained Lennon’s autograph just hours before the murder. Lennon’s death sent shockwaves around the world and brought an abrupt end to a career that had helped define an era. His legacy as a musician, activist, and cultural figure continues to resonate, reflecting a life shaped by creativity, conviction, and a lasting message of peace.
By the dawn of the 21st century, the Beatles had sold over 113 million albums in the United States alone, cementing their place as the best-selling recording artists in history. Their 2000 compilation album 1, which brought together all of their number-one singles, became their 19th album to top the charts. By 2001, it had sold more than 20 million copies worldwide, reaffirming the band’s enduring popularity across generations.
More than five decades after their breakup, the Beatles continue to resonate with audiences worldwide. Their music—characterized by timeless melodies, innovative studio techniques, and groundbreaking songwriting—remains a touchstone for artists across genres. Beyond their commercial success, the Beatles reshaped the landscape of American popular music and culture, influencing everything from sound and production to fashion, film, and social attitudes.
This lasting impact was once again felt in 2023 with the release of “Now and Then”, promoted as the “final Beatles song.” Originally written and recorded by John Lennon in the late 1970s, the track had remained unfinished for decades. Thanks to advances in audio technology, particularly AI-assisted sound separation developed by Peter Jackson’s team during the Get Back documentary project, Lennon’s vocal was finally isolated and restored. Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr completed the track, with contributions from George Harrison’s 1995 guitar work, recorded during the earlier Anthology sessions. “Now and Then” topped charts around the world and was nominated for Grammy awards, illustrating the band’s continued cultural relevance.
As we will explore in later chapters, the Beatles not only inspired a wave of British bands to cross the Atlantic in the 1960s, but they also sparked new musical movements and provoked diverse reactions across American society. In the long run, however, no other band has matched the breadth or depth of their influence. Even today, their songs are continually rediscovered through films, social media, streaming platforms, and reinterpretations by new generations of artists. The Beatles remain a powerful reminder of how creativity, collaboration, and vision can shape not only the sound of music but the culture around it. Their legacy is not frozen in time but evolving, offering each generation new ways to connect with their work.