Critical Assessments
Critical reception for "Let It Be" has been positive.In 2004, it was ranked number 20 on Rolling Stone's list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time". In 2010, the magazine placed the song at #8 on The Beatles' 100 Greatest Songs. Allmusic said it was one of "The Beatles' most popular and finest ballads". Ian MacDonald had a dissenting opinion, writing that the song "achieved a popularity well out of proportion to its artistic weight" and that it was "'Hey Jude', without the musical and emotional release."
John Lennon also commented on "Let It Be". Prior to a take during the 31 January 1969 recording session, he asked, "Are we supposed to giggle in the solo?" (This is a similar quote to Lewisohn's "The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions" (p. 170) but Lennon says "during the solo" not "in the solo" as quoted here.) In Lennon's Playboy interview in 1980, he disavowed any involvement with composing the song.
| “ | That's Paul. What can you say? Nothing to do with the Beatles. It could've been Wings. I don't know what he's thinking when he writes "Let It Be". I think it was inspired by "Bridge over Troubled Waters" . That's my feeling, although I have nothing to go on. I know that he wanted to write a "Bridge over Troubled Waters". | ” |
As MacDonald explained, Lennon is wrong about "Bridge over Troubled Water" being McCartney's inspiration: Although Simon & Garfunkel's ballad charted just ahead of "Let It Be", "Let It Be" was recorded approximately six months before "Bridge over Troubled Water" was written and a full year before the latter was released.
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