On this day in 1970

[pwd72s]

The short but winding road that made the Beatles the greatest recording act and pop-culture sensation of all time ended publicly on this day in history, April 10, 1970.

Paul McCartney announced a "break with the Beatles" in press materials that accompanied the scheduled release of his first solo album a week later.

His announcement confirmed months of rumors about the band's dissolution.
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[flatbutt]

And Lennon said that Paul didn't quit "I sacked him".

[GH85Carrera]

I remember hearing that and feeling a gut punch. I figured the Rolling Stones would break up soon as well. I missed the Stones breakup by a 50+ years.

I saw an interview with the band members of Pink Floyd, and they said the stopped to listen to Sgt. Peppers, and looked at each other and said the Beatles just changed music as we know it.

They had so many new and breaking sounds in a very short few years.

[Superman]

Their first UK album, Please Please Me, was released on March 22, 1963. Their last album, Let It Be, was released on May 8, 1970. A total of 13 albums were released in that time. 7 years plus 2 months. This means they pumped out an album chock full of hits every 6.6 months. For more than seven years.

Also, the music is imaginative. Creative. It is fun to learn Beatle songs. They are not simple. They are not "cookie cutter" songs. They are very creative. Each different from the others.

When I became a gigging musician in the very early 1970s, we idolized recording/performing artists. We imagined there would be a person or band that would stand alone at the top of that hill. Well....that contest is over. Today, there is one man who can fill any stadium on the planet and have generations singing and crying together. Probably the greatest musician of the last hundred years. And he is still rocking.

[Superman]

....and if you count American album releases instead of UK releases, the stats are even harder to believe. 17 albums in 76 months. That's a new album every 4.5 months. No other artist comes anywhere near this degree of productivity and success.

[jamesnmlaw]

George Harrison celebrated his 27th birthday just a couple of months before. They were all so young.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Backbeat_(film)

[LWJ]

And after? The power of collaboration became very apparent. Paul, who is an amazing frontman, can’t write very well. John dribbled a few songs out. George did tasteful but not huge hit type work and poor Ringo…

[GH85Carrera]

They are a classic example of extreme talent finding each other, and making a whole that is greater than the parts.

Like the Traveling Wilburys. They all had recording contracts and were not allowed to preform music outside of the labels under their own names. So they made up a name, and made some great music for one album.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traveling_Wilburys

[Superman]

Originally Posted by LWJ

......Paul.... can’t write very well. .....

This is conclusively proven as false. Perhaps you meant to say something else. I just read an article which analyzed Spotify 'plays.' Of the ten most popular Beatle songs, two are covers, one was primarily written by George, two were primarily written by John, and five were primarily written by Paul. Paul and John had a VERY productive competition/rivalry. Paul won.

Originally Posted by GH85Carrera

They are a classic example of extreme talent finding each other, and making a whole that is greater than the parts. ....

Sure, this is true. You and LWJ note that their solo careers are hardly a shadow of their collaborative years, obviously. But I think the phenomenon we see repeatedly, even when bands do not break up, is that there is a creative "window" that opens and closes early in their musical careers. It is common for a band's first album to remain its best, and for the best of their catalogue to be on their first few albums. I was just listening to Van Morrison last night.

So I think with the Beatles it was a combination of the two. Absence of collaboration. And the closing of the creative "window."

[pwd72s]

Yoko's role in the breakup?

[LWJ]

Hey Supe,

It's an opinion. I am a BIG Beatles fan. I change the channel when Wings / Paul come on the radio.

Wings really made me an anti-fan.

[rcooled]

Originally Posted by Superman

This is conclusively proven as false. Of the ten most popular Beatle songs, two are covers, one was primarily written by George, two were primarily written by John, and five were primarily written by Paul.

Just because a song is popular with the general public doesn't necessarily mean it's a well-constructed or inspired piece of music.

[Superman]

Understood. Of the two of them, it was John who produced a solo song for the ages. Imagine. And he also wrote In My Life which had been by songwriters to be the finest of the 20th Century. I've studied their songwriting and I'd say Paul was the Bach while John was the Mozart.

All that said, the John/Paul songwriting team laid up a library that surpasses all others of the modern era. By a wide margin. Regardless of what measure is used. Billboard. Sales. Elevators.

[rcooled]

Originally Posted by Superman

I'd say Paul was the Bach while John was the Mozart.

John seemed to write more from the 'gut', while Paul tended to write from the 'heart'. This became more apparent with the music they produced during their solo careers.

But working together, they were a songwriting team that we'll probably not see the likes of again for a very long time.

[McLovin]

Originally Posted by Superman

But I think the phenomenon we see repeatedly, even when bands do not break up, is that there is a creative "window" that opens and closes early in their musical careers. It is common for a band's first album to remain its best, and for the best of their catalogue to be on their first few albums.

False!

Many don’t hit their musical and creative peaks until very late in their careers.

https://youtu.be/HasaQvHCv4w

[john70t]

Originally Posted by pwd72s

Yoko's role in the breakup?

[Superman]

Originally Posted by McLovin

False!

Many don’t hit their musical and creative peaks until very late in their careers.

I figured when I made my comment that the Stones would come up. But there is a difference between "false" and "not always true."

[pwd72s]

Originally Posted by john70t

Coffee out my nose! Massive truth in one picture.

[Chocaholic]

Originally Posted by pwd72s

Coffee out my nose! Massive truth in one picture.

Yep…nailed it.

[sc_rufctr]

The Beatles were great but Elvis was better... Just sayin