Paul McCartney says John Lennon initiated The Beatles split
He has spoken out about the split in a new interview
Last updated 12th Oct 2021
It's been 50 years since The Beatles broke-up, but in their 10 years of writing music and performing together, the band members became music icons and left their mark on the world.
Fans were devastated when the band split up in 1970 and debated who had caused it, with many people blaming Paul McCartney for their dissolution. But the topic is now being revisited following a recent interview with the former Beatle, who says John Lennon initiated the split.
In an episode of BBC 4's This Cultural Life, Paul told interviewer John Wilson: "I didn't instigate the split. That was our Johnny". He continued: "I am not the person who instigated the split."
He revealed how the split came about and said: "John walked into a room one day and said 'I am leaving the Beatles'. And he said, 'It's quite thrilling, it's rather like a divorce.' And then we were left to pick up the pieces." Paul explained that John had wanted to make a new life with his wife Yoko Ono.
When asked if he thought the band would've continued had that decision not been made, Paul said: "I wanted it to continue. I thought we were doing some pretty good stuff - Abbey Road, Let It Be, not bad - and I thought we could continue."
Scroll through to see The Beatles' career timeline:
1957 - Paul McCartney meets John Lennon
It all started back in 1957, with a blossoming friendship between John Lennon and Paul McCartney. On 6th July, 17-year-old John was playing with his skiffle group, the Quarrymen, at a church fete come garden party, when 15-year-old Paul McCartney came along to watch. The rest, of course, is history.
The Quarrymen often played at The Cavern Club, a popular nightclub and music venue on Mathew Street, in Liverpool.
1960 - Pete Best and Stuart Sutcliffe
After taking on Paul's friend George Harrison as their lead guitarist, Stuart Sutcliffe as their bassist and Pete Best as their drummer, the five-piece band became the Beatles.
Stuart played with the Beatles for one year, while Pete Best played with the group from 1960-1962.
1961 - The Beatles perform at The Cavern Club
In 1961, the Beatles took to the stage at the world-renowned Cavern Club, in Liverpool. It was here that the band were first seen by Brian Epstein, who became their manager and was also later known as the 'fifth Beatle'.
The Cavern Wall of Fame was unveiled in 1997, highlighting the names of bands who appeared at the club between 1957-1973. Situated across the road from the venue, there is a brick for the Beatles as a group, as well as each individual member. The club also unveiled a statue of John Lennon that same year.
1962 - Ringo Starr joins the Beatles
From 1960-1962, the Beatles regularly performed at clubs in Hamburg, Germany. This period of time saw a great acceleration in their performance skills, and widened their reputation. Both Paul and Stuart, however, left the group during this time.
Thankfully, in 1962, the legendary Ringo Starr joined the band, replacing their drummer Pete. Prior to joining the group, Ringo was a member of another Liverpool group, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes, who achieved moderate success.
Stuart decided to leave the band in 1961 to pursue his career in fine-art, however he sadly passed away the following year after suffering from a brain haemorrhage.
1962 - 'Love Me Do'
Released in early October, 'Love Me Do' was the Beatles' official single. After peaking at the Number 17 spot on the UK Charts, the debut track was closely followed by 'P.S. I Love You'.
When the track was later released in the US two years later, it became a Number 1 hit.
1963 - ‘Please Please Me’ debut album
After recording 10 songs during a single studio session for their debut album, the Beatles released 'Please Please Me' in March, 1963. The album hit the Number 1 spot on the UK Charts, topping the Record Retailer's LP Chart for 30 weeks - an extraordinary achievement for a pop album during this time.
1964 - ‘A Hard Day’s Night’
After enjoying success in the charts, it wasn't long before United Artists Records' film division signed the Beatles to a three-motion-picture deal. The debut film, 'A Hard Day's Night', showed the band, over the course of six weeks, play themselves in a musical comedy.
The band's accompanying record, of the same name, contained songs from the film on side one, with other new recordings on side two. The record served as the band's third studio album, and flew to the Number 1 spot in the UK Charts.
As part of the three-motion-picture deal, United Artists also released the films 'Help!' and 'The Yellow Submarine'.
1965 - The Beatles perform at Shea Stadium
Described as 'perhaps the most famous of all Beatles' concerts', the band took to the stage at the world-renowned Shea Stadium, in New York, on 15th August 1965. The show, which marked the beginning of their third US tour, took place before crowd of 55,600 - a world-record breaking number, at the time.
1965 - ‘Rubber Soul’
The band's sixth studio album, 'Rubber Soul', was released in December, 1965. Many of the tracks on the two-sided album were the result of collaborative writing from John and Paul, with the track-list including huge hits such as 'Drive My Car', 'Norwegian Wood (This Bird has Flown)', 'Nowhere Man' and 'Think for Yourself'.
Selling more than 1.2 million copies in the first day, and topping sales charts in the UK and the US for several weeks, the album has been considered one of the greatest records of all time.
1965 - The Beatles are appointed MBEs
Such huge achievements didn't go unnoticed by the Royal family - in October 1965, all four members of the Beatles received Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire medals from Queen Elizabeth II.
John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and George Harrison were appointed their medals at Buckingham Palace.
1966 - ‘Revolver’
The Beatles' seventh studio album, 'Revolver', has been described as an 'artistic step forward' for the band. Released in August 1966, the album includes historic tracks such as 'Yellow Submarine', 'Good Day Sunshine' and 'Here, There and Everywhere'.
Due to many of the tracks incorporating sounds that were only achievable through technology, the album has been described as yet another monumental, and musical, step forward for the group.
'Revolver' was the Beatles' final album release before their retirement as live performers, being released a week before their final tour.
1966 - The Beatles’ last ever concert
On August 29, 1966, the Beatles played their last ever concert together as a band, with the performance taking place at San Francisco's Candlestick Park. The show marked the end of almost nonstop touring for four years, including over around 1,400 concert appearances, internationally. The group would now continue as a studio band.
1967- 'Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band'
'Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band' was the Beatles' first release since ceasing to tour. Freed from the burden of live performances, the band was thought to further embrace the creative process - and it sure paid off, leaving us with huge tracks such as 'When I'm Sixty-Four', 'With A Little Help From My Friends' and 'Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds' upon its release in June 1967.
The album was thought to be inspired by Brian Wilson's 'Pet Sounds', which was thought to be initially inspired by the Beatles' own 'Rubber Soul'. The record hit the Number 1 spot in charts all around the world, including the UK, US, and Australia, to name a few. It's no surprise, therefore, that the album has been described as the band's most recognised work.
1968 - The Beatles travel to India
In early 1968, the Beatles travelled to Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's spiritual retreat in India. Spending time studying and meditating, the band wrote numerous songs whilst on the trip. Despite the course being set to run over three months, Ringo left after just 10 days, struggling to stomach the food, with Paul following him just one month later after growing bored. When things began to turn sour between John and George and the course leader, Maharishi, the pair, along with the band's entourage left after being there for a total of two months.
The band's next, and ninth, album release, 'The Beatles', also now commonly known as 'The White Album', included many songs written on the retreat - one of which was a scathing song named 'Maharishi', which was renamed 'Sexy Sadie'.
1969 - 'Abbey Road'
Despite all of the Beatles' achievements thus far being pretty monumental, it's safe to say that 'Abbey Road' served as one of the most historic moments for the group. The album, along with its iconic cover, was their 11th studio album and was released in September 1969.
Including huge numbers such as 'Come Together' and 'Here Comes the Sun', the album would serve as the last time the band would record together, with them having already largely recorded their 12th album prior to the release of 'Abbey Road'.
1970 - Paul McCartney goes solo
It was on 10th April 1970 that Paul McCartney announced through a press release that he would be leaving the Beatles. The statement, which revealed the news that devastated millions of Beatles fans, was sent to journalists alongside a copy of his debut solo album 'McCartney'.
'McCartney' included huge songs such as 'Maybe I'm Amazed', 'Junk' and 'Maybe I'm Amazed'. The album itself help the Number 1 position for three weeks on the US Billboard Top LPs, hitting the Number 2 spot on the UK Albums Chart.
Despite being vilified for ending the Beatles, Paul's solo career was a monumental success, with the singer-songwriter going on to dominate the charts. His popularity, as a solo artist, has been matched by only a handful of artists - with his total of Number 1 songs being surpassed by just Elvis Presley and Stevie Wonder.
1970 - 'Let It Be' and the end of the Beatles
The Beatles' 12th and final album 'Let It Be' was released in May 1970, one month after to Paul's solo debut 'McCartney'. The album topped record charts in the UK and US, as well as many other countries. To add to its success, the motion picture of the same name, released in tandem, won a Grammy Award for for the Best Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or Television Special.
Including legendary tracks such as 'The Long and Winding Road', 'I've Got a Feeling', 'Dig a Pony' and, of course, 'Let It Be'.
Due to Paul announcing his departure from the band just one month before, this album marked the last for the Beatles, with the band officially breaking up in April 1970.
1971: Paul McCartney and Wings
A year later, in 1971, Paul McCartney and Wings were born. The band, shortened to Wings, began with Paul and his wife Linda, with their first album, 'Ram', being released that same year and hitting the Number 1 spot on the UK Charts. Following the album's release, the Wings line-up saw various changes, including the addition of names such as Denny Seiwell, Denny Laine, Hugh McCracken, Jimmy McCulloch and Geoff Britton.
Wings' first official album as a group was 'Wild Life' in 1971, with the band releasing a total of seven albums.
1980 - 'McCarney II'
10 years after leaving the band, Paul released his second studio album, 'McCartney II' - this was soon followed by the dissolution of his band Wings. Paul recorded the album in his home studio in Sussex. Similar to his first album, the tracks consisted of him performing all of the instrumental parts, whilst his wife Linda co-wrote as well as contributing additional vocals.
The album hit the Number 1 spot on the UK Albums Chart, including huge tracks such as 'Coming Up', 'Waterfalls' and 'Temporary Secretary'.
1980 - The death of John Lennon
On the evening of 8th December 1980, John Lennon was tragically killed outside of his residence, The Dakota, in New York City. John was shot, and fatally wounded, in the archway outside of his home.
Following the tragic event, George Harrison released a statement saying: "After all we went through together, I had and still have great love and respect for him. I am shocked and stunned. To rob a life is the ultimate robbery in life. The perpetual encroachment on other people's space is taken to the limit with the use of a gun. It is an outrage that people can take other people's lives when they obviously haven't got their own lives in order."
Almost a week later, on 14th December, millions of people around the world held a 10-minute silence to remember John, who was just 40-years-old at the time of his death. 30,000 gathered in Lennon's hometown of Liverpool, while over 225,000 gathered in Central Park, close to the scene of the shooting.
1988 - The Beatles are inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
In 1988, eight years after the shocking death of John Lennon, the Beatles were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Inducted by Mick Jagger at the ceremony, former bandmates George Harrison and Ringo Starr were joined by the late John Lennon's wife, Yoko Ono, to accept the honour.
1997 - Paul McCartney is knighted by Queen Elizabeth II
Over 30 years after receiving a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire medal, as a member of the Beatles, Paul was knighted by Queen Elizabeth for his services to music. Paul was appointed an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire at Buckingham Palace, on 11th March 1997.
1998 - The Beatles get a Hollywood Star
In December 1998, the Beatles were honoured with their very own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
All four of the Beatles members now also have their own stars on Hollywood Boulevard. John Lennon received his star in 1988, eight years after his death. George then received his in 2009, with Ringo receiving his in 2010 and Paul in 2012.
1999 - Paul McCartney is inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist
Over 10 years after the Beatles were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Paul McCartney was inducted as a solo artist. Inducted by Neil Young, the ceremony included performances from stars such as Billy Joel and Bruce Springsteen.
Paul had inducted his late friend John Lennon into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994, with George Harrison also being inducted in 2004. Paul later inducted his other former bandmate Ringo Starr later in 2015.
2001 - The death of George Harrison
Sadly, on 29th November 2001, George Harrison passed away in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, aged 58. The star died of cancer, after first announcing that he was battling with the disease in 1998. Speaking on his friend's tragic passing, Paul said: "I am devastated and very very sad. We knew he'd been ill for a long time. He was a lovely guy and a very brave man and had a wonderful sense of humour. He is really just my baby brother."
George had enjoyed a successful solo career following the disbanding of the Beatles, releasing a total of 12 studio albums. His 12th album, 'Brainwashed', was released in 2002 - a year after his death.
2015: The Beatles statue in Liverpool
Donated by the famous Cavern Club, December 2015 saw the arrival of the Beatles statue on Liverpool's Waterfront. The statue's erection marked 50 years since the band's last concert in Liverpool, with the four figures appearing larger than life size and weighing 1.2 tonnes in total.
Since the placement of Paul, George, Ringo and John's figures, some interesting hidden features have been noticed on the statue - including the number '8' printed on the sole of Ringo's shoe, crediting his hometown of Liverpool's postcode 'L8', as well as two acorns in John's hand, cast from ones picked up outside the Dakota building in New York.
2016 - The Beatles: Eight Days a Week
2016 saw the release of their very own documentary, The Beatles: Eight Days a Week, which was about their touring years in the 1960s. The premier took place on 15th September, and welcomed appearances from Paul and Ringo.
Produced in cooperation with Paul and Ringo, along with John and George's widows Yoko Ono and Olivia Harrison, the 97-minute long film follows the boys' careers while touring from 1962 to 1966.
2018 - Ringo Starr is knighted by Prince William
Ringo Starr officially became Sir Ringo in 2018, when he was appointed an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire at Buckingham Palace. The musician was knighted by Prince William at the Palace on 20th March.
2020 - Ringo Starr's birthday livestream
In June 2020 Ringo Starr announced that he would be broadcasting 'Ringo's Big Birthday Show' on his YouTube channel, on 7th July of that year. The livestream was to benefit four charities - Black Lives Matter Global Network, the David Lynch Foundation, Musicares and WaterAid - and included unique home performances as well as appearances from huge names such as ex bandmate Paul McCartney, Joe Walsh, Sheryl Crow, Sheila E and Ben Harper.
Sadly, Ringo wasn't able to throw his usual birthday bash gathering due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Announcing his 2020 broadcast, the star said: 'As everyone knows I love gathering with fans for peace and love on my birthday. But this year, I want everyone to be safe at home - so I called up a few friends and we put this Big Birthday Show together so we could still celebrate my birthday with you all, with some great music for some great charities. I hope you will all join me! Peace and Love, Ringo.'
2020 - 'McCartney III'
December 2020 saw the release of Paul's 18th solo studio album 'McCartney III'. Similar to 'McCartney' and 'McCartney II', Paul plays all instrumental parts on the album - it's no surprise, therefore, that the album hit the Number 1 spot on the UK Albums Chart.
2021 - The Beatles: Get Back
The documentary film The Beatles: Get Back, directed by Peter Jackson includes never before seen footage of the band. The project was announced back in January 2019, however production was sadly delayed due to the global pandemic.
Over 55 hours of footage and 140 hours of audio stemming were provided from the Beatles' original 'Get Back' project, and were filtered down and featured in the film, along with a 42-minute rooftop concert.
Despite being delayed due to the global pandemic, all three parts of the film arrived on Disney+ on 27th November 2021. It later got a cinematic release and was released on DVD in July 2022.
2021 - 'My Sweet Lord' music video
On 15th December, a music video for George Harrison's 'My Sweet Lord' was created by a celebrity cast including bandmate Ringo Starr. The video was created to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the song.
2022 - 'Get Back (Rooftop Performance)' album
In January 2022, The Beatles released the audio from their legendary rooftop concert in 1969 on streaming platforms as a live album called 'Get Back (Rooftop Performance)'.
2022 - Ringo Starr releases Lifted book
In February 2022, Ringo Starr released a book titled Lifted, which includes photos and memories from his incredible life and career.
Proceeds from the book go to Ringo's charity the Lotus Foundation.
Ringo also collaborated with Pearl Jam musician Eddie Vedder to create the song 'Mrs Mills' for his 'Earthling' album which came out in February 2022.
2022 - Paul McCartney at Glastonbury
Paul McCartney was announced as a headline act for Glastonbury 2022, where he took to the Pyramid Stage on Saturday 25th June. Paul was meant to perform at the 2020 festival, but it was cancelled due to Covid-19.
The last time Paul performed at Glastonbury was in 2004, where he played songs from The Beatles, Wings and his solo music.
2022 - Paul McCartney lauches The Forthlin Sessions.
Paul McCartney and his brother Mike launched The Forthlin Sessions initiative in 2022 to give undiscovered musicians a place to write and perform in their famous childhood home.
Mike said of the project: "I think it's a brilliant idea, inviting young people to this house and giving them the opportunity of doing the same as us, coming from nothing and seeing where it takes them."
2022 - Olivia Harrison writes Came The Lightening poetry book
Olivia Harrison has written a book of poems dedicated to her late husband George Harrison, which is due to be published in June 2022.
With an introduction written by Martin Scorsese, the book is a poetic autobiography of George and Olivia's life together and includes never-before-seen photos of the couple.
2022 - Paul McCartney duets with John Lennon
Paul McCartney returned to Glastonbury in 2022 to headline the festival with an incredible three-hour set. To fans' delight, his performance included a special rendition of 'I've Got A Feeling' which included a digitally created duet with former bandmate John Lennon.
2022 - John Lennon's family home to be sold at auction
John Lennon's family home is to be sold at auction and expected to get around £250,000. It is Blomfield Road in Liverpool, belonged to the singer's mum, Julia Lennon and her husband John 'Bobby' Dykins.
2022 - The Beatles share music video for 'I'm Only Sleeping'
In November, an animated video was shared for the remastered version of The Beatles' track 'I'm Only Sleeping'. The video was created by artist Em Cooper using 1,300 oil paintings of the band members and other scenes.
2023 - Abbey Road documentary 'If These Walls Could Sing'
In January 2023, the documentary If These Walls Could Sing about Abbey Road Studios directed by Paul's daughter Mary McCartney was released on Disney+. The doc featured many musicians who've recorded music at the studios over the years - including Sir Paul, of course. To celebrate the release, a behind-the-scenes video snippet was shared by Abbey Road Studios showing Paul recreating the famous crossing walk from the Beatles' 'Abbey Road' album artwork - only to be nearly hit by a car driver who clearly did not appreciate the historic moment!
2023 - Paul McCartney announces The Beatles 'final' song
Paul McCartney announces The Beatles 'final' song. The song has been recorded using AI to recreate John Lennon's vocals and is due for release later this year.
2023 - John Lennon docuseries - John Lennon: Murder Without A Trial
A docuseries called John Lennon: Murder Without A Trial has been announced for Apple TV+. The series follows the tragic murder of The Beatles and solo singer, narrated by Kiefer Sutherland.
2023 - The Beatles release 'Now And Then'
The Beatles released their final song called 'Now And Then'. The song was originally written and recorded by John Lennon, with the help of advances in technology, and the help of Peter Jackson's team, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr separated out John Lennon's vocals and created the new track. It was released on 2nd November and became the band's 18th UK Number 1 and first for 54 years.
2024 - Four Beatles films confirmed
In February 2024, it was confirmed that four films would be made, with director Sam Mendes directing all four. Each of the films would follow the individual members of the band, with interconnecting plotlines.
2024 - Let It Be released on Disney+
Documentary feature film, originally released in 1970 was restored and re-released on Disney+ on 8th May 2024.
2024 - The Beatles celebrating 60 years of global Beatlemania
The first time The Beatles had set foot on American soil was in 1964, when John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, touched down at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport. Just a couple of nights later, the band made their American TV debut, as they performed on CBS in front of 73 million viewers in the US, and millions more north of the border in Canada. To celebrate 60 years since Beatlemania a new boxset has been released.
2024 - Beatles '64 documentary film
Beatles '64 is a brand new documentary produced by Martin Scorsese, which follows the band as they made their first appearance in America, back in 1964. The new film will be released on Disney+ on 29th November.
2024 - Ringo Starr announces a new country album called 'Look Up'
In October 2024 the legendary Beatles drummer announced he will be releasing a country music album on 10th January 2025. The new album will feature 11 songs, nine of which have been written or co-written by American record producer and guitarist T Bone Burnett.
The album is the result of a chance meeting between Ringo and T Bone after they were at an event in Los Angeles back in 2022, after having originally met back in the 1970s.
Confusion around who instigated the break-up arose when the band members were asked by their manager Allen Klein to keep quiet about the split. Paul later publicly had disagreements with their manager and took legal action against him and the other Beatles in an attempt to end their contractual relationship. He did this in order to save the ownership of their music and said: "I had to fight and the only way I could fight was in suing the other Beatles, because they were going with Klein."
He also remarked: "And they thanked me for it years later. But I didn't instigate the split."
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