The Beatles released their album “Let It Be” in 1970. The album was released in the United Kingdom on May 8, 1970, and became the group’s twelfth and final original studio album.
Although it was released in 1970, much of the material was recorded earlier, during the troubled January 1969 sessions filmed for the documentary “Let It Be.” The project began as an attempt to return to simple live performance, culminating in the Beatles’ famous rooftop concert at Apple Corps in London on January 30, 1969.
The album’s release followed “Abbey Road,” which had been recorded later but issued in September 1969. It also arrived shortly after Paul McCartney publicly announced his departure from the group, making the record closely associated with the Beatles’ breakup.
The title track had already appeared as a single on March 6, 1970, but the album version differs in its mix and production. Phil Spector completed the album, while earlier versions of the “Get Back” project had been prepared and rejected. These complicated recording and release dates are why the album is sometimes confused with the 1969 sessions or “Abbey Road.”