The Beatles: All US Number Ones Ranked Worst To Best
5. Let It Be
19th Number One, 1970 - Written by Paul McCartney
While most people believe the Mother Mary referred to in this song is the mother of Jesus, it's actually Paul's own mother, Mary Patricia, who died when he was 14. Paul says his mother visited him in a dream and told him to 'let it be' - that everything would turn out right. At its core, the song is a simple and not-so-subtle reminder for us all to hang on through bad times, in the faith that things will work out in the end.
As was the case with The Long and Winding Road, this song too was produced by Phil Spector, and Paul also hated his rearranging. But unlike the former, Spector's work in Let It Be pushes it to its glorious heights. The melody, the vocals, the orchestra all come together (no pun intended) to make this a near-religious experience for anyone who hears it, especially when they need to hear it most.
Fun Fact: There were so many cooks stirring this song's pot, and putting it out was such a lengthy process, that Aretha Franklin, a legend in her own right, released her own version before the Beatles did. Hers, too, is quite the religious experience, only a more overt one.