It's been 50 years now since we learned the Beatles were breaking up. The biggest band in the world who cranked out hits for years would cease to be, although it took a bit of reading between the lines to figure that out. Both Lennon and McCartney were doing solo albums, and McCartney included an interview in his marketing, in which his intention to leave the Beatles was leaked.
Was McCartney’s “announcement” official? His album appeared on April 17, and its press packet included a mock interview. In it, McCartney is asked, “Are you planning a new album or single with the Beatles?”
His response? “No.”
But he didn’t say whether the separation might prove permanent. The Daily Mirror nonetheless framed its headline conclusively: “Paul Quits the Beatles.”
While the world was shocked, the band had been moving toward breakup for some time. Paul's single word blew up the group's agreement to keep their troubles under wraps, and only made tensions between them worse. And they still had an album coming out the next month. Read the story of the Beatles' breakup and how it finally became public at Smithsonian.