The Long and Winding Road

The final studio album from The Beatles arrived on May 8, 1970 under the title Let It Be, though its tracks mostly date back to tense January 1969 sessions. The record closes with a song that would become the band's last number-one hit in the United States. Paul McCartney wrote the ballad while staying at his Scottish farm during a time when the group was falling apart internally. He originally envisioned a simple piano arrangement that echoed the style of Ray Charles.

Producer Phil Spector later intervened without McCartney's permission, layering the track with a massive orchestral string section and a gospel choir. This production choice enraged the songwriter, who felt it destroyed the intimate mood he intended. McCartney used this conflict as a primary reason for his public departure from the band, leading to the legal dissolution of the group. Despite the controversy surrounding the mix, the single reached the top of the US Billboard Hot 100 in June 1970. [edit]