When Paul McCartney announced the break-up of the Beatles in 1970, he’d hoped it was only temporary – it was John Lennon who decided to make the split final, McCartney said during an interview on U.K. radio station Absolute Radio.
"Basically me, George and Ringo said, ‘Does this have to be final? Could we do a couple of gigs or can we think about this tomorrow?’" McCartney said during an interview with DJ Geoff Lloyd.
"But John was off with Yoko and he was saying, ‘No, no, it’s great, I feel a release’ and all that. So that was kind of final."
The Beatles formed in Liverpool, England in 1960. During the ten years they were together, they became one of the most influential bands in the history of music. With over one billion albums sold, the Beatles remain a cultural icon even 40 years after they split for good.