The Beatles weren’t just a band; they were a force of nature. It wasn’t just music that they gave to the world, but they gave the music industry new legs to run with, a new platform to stand on, and inspired a unique way of doing things. They are praised as one of the most influential bands of all time, not only because of the music they put out but because of how their influence changed the musical world. However, their journey as a band was a ticking time bomb.

It’s interesting to look at the legacy that The Beatles left behind, especially considering that they were only together for around ten years. By the time they broke America and started the British invasion, they were already halfway through their career. The fact that they managed to do so much in such a short time is a real triumph, and it begs the question of what they might have gone on to do if they had stayed together. However, to anybody paying attention, the band’s split was always inevitable.

The Beatles were four of the best musicians of all time. George Harrison, Paul McCartney, and John Lennon were incredibly inspiring musical minds who were excellent at writing music and had a very clear sense of direction. While Ringo Starr might not have contributed much to the writing side of things, he was still incredibly important when it came to the band making music, having a unique sound, and creating such exciting, engaging music.

Of course, when you have four exceptional creative minds, you are also going to have a creative divide. This wasn’t so much of an issue in the early years, as Lennon and McCartney were similarly inclined and could push one another to write exceptional music. Moving forward, however, their tastes became more refined, leading to friction within the band, ultimately leading to The Beatles’ split.

Lennon developed an infinity for honesty in his music. When he reflected on his favourite Beatles songs, the common theme that linked them all was vulnerability. Any catchy melody or pop song potential was great, but it came second to the message conveyed within the track.

When discussing his favourite Beatles songs, he opted for tracks like ‘Help!’ saying he likes it because “it’s real”.

“The lyric is as good now as it was then; it’s no different, you know,” he said, “It makes me feel secure to know that I was that sensible or whatever – well, not sensible, but aware of myself. It was just me singing ‘help’, and I meant it, you know.”

Meanwhile, his writing partner, McCartney, went down a slightly different path. He had an affinity for melody and rhythm, taking a real shine to catchy songs that would easily find a place in the charts. This led to the creation of songs like ‘Hello, Goodbye’ and ‘Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da’, which Lennon openly despised.

Many factors contributed to the Beatles’ eventual split, but the creative differences between members really began to signify the end of the band. Other problems they were able to get through so long as they were united by music. The minute the music stopped uniting and started dividing, the band was playing on borrowed time.