It Was 42 Years Ago Today: The Beatles Record for the Final Time

For fans of the Fab Four, today marks a solemn anniversary: the date of the final Beatles recording session.

First, for all the Beatles trivia buffs out there, let’s set the record straight. The final time all four members of the band recorded a song together was during the Abbey Road sessions for the Lennon composition “I Want You (She’s So Heavy).” And of course, in 1994, Paul, Ringo and George came together to record “Free as a Bird” and “Real Love,” accompanying John’s demo versions of the songs, for the Beatles Anthology. It was Jan. 4, 1970, that effectively marked the true end of the greatest rock ‘n’ roll group of all time. 

With John and Yoko Ono vacationing, the three remaining Beatles entered EMI’s Studio Two at Abbey Road to touch up “Let it Be” for release on the album of the same name. In the following days, individual members of the group recorded vocals and instrumentals for various songs on the album, and of course the three friends had a temporary reunion in the ’90s, but it was 42 years ago today that members of the (technically) intact group entered the studio as a collective and recorded under the Beatles name for the final time.