Why Did The Beatles Break Up?

They were still at the height of their game. They had just released Abbey Road, which many critics consider one of the greatest albums ever made.

So why did the Beatles break up?

The explanations are as numerous as Kennedy conspiracy theories. Some blame Yoko Ono. Some blame Linda McCartney. Others just think the band was growing apart. But in reality, a whole host of reasons, coming together like the perfect storm, drove the band apart in 1970 - permanently.

What are those reasons?

1. The death of Brian Epstein. The first crack in the Beatles' relationship began three years earlier when the Beatles' manager, Brian Epstein, died of a drug overdose. Epstein had discovered the Beatles and had closely monitored their rise to fame. When he died, the group had no direction, no one to tell them what to do. And one disaster led to another - the panned film "Magical Mystery Tour," the rancorous Let it Be sessions, the money pit that became Apple Records, and the rise of Paul McCartney as the de facto leader of the band - something the rest of the band did not like.
2. Yoko Ono. As stated above, she is often accused of breaking up the band. And it's a strong point, though not for the reason many think. Whether it was her intent to do so is not known, but there is no doubt that once Lennon and Ono became a couple, the Beatles were at best a distraction for him. He dedicated himself and his activities to Ono and her avant-garde art and activism, and became more independent with each passing day.
3. Allen Klein. Realizing that they needed financial and business help, the Beatles finally agreed in 1969 that they needed a manager. Lennon wanted Klein, a tough New York music executive who had recently managed the Rolling Stones. McCartney preferred Lee Eastman, an attorney who also happened to be his father-in-law. George Harrison and Ringo Starr backed Lennon's choice, and the rift between McCartney and the rest of the band grew even more.
4. The Toronto Rock 'n' Roll Revival Festival. Concert promoter John Brower, desperate to sell tickets to his rock festival, called John Lennon to see if he would attend. Lennon trumped his request by saying he wanted to play at the festival. Despite an amateurish, plodding set, Lennon was energized by the solo appearance and later told Allen Klein that he wanted to quit the Beatles.
5. Let It Be. The title cut from this ill-fated album was about the only good thing to come from the sessions, which were at times contentious and divisive. Tired of McCartney's overbearing attitude, Harrison walked out at one point, and Lennon was mostly uninterested. The recording of the session was so poor that Lennon turned the tapes over to Phil Spector, who added his overproduction techniques to several cuts, including McCartney's title cut and "The Long and Winding Road." He did so without McCartney's permission, and when McCartney found out, he was furious. He released his first solo album two weeks before Let It Be was released.