The Beatles’ ‘Let It Be’ Is Based on This Classical Piece

Classic rock wouldn’t be the same without classical music. The Beatles’ “Let It Be” is based on one of the most famous classical pieces ever. So are a lot of other pop songs!

The Beatles’ ‘Let It Be’ is 1 of several pop songs inspired by Pachelbel’s Canon

In his 2020 book A Sound Mind: How I Fell in Love With Classical Music (and Decided to Rewrite Its Entire History), music writer Paul Morley discussed the impact of Johann Pachelbel’s Canon in D, a piece of classical music also known as Pachelbel’s Canon. “Johann Pachelbel’s Canon in D major [is] the original source of ambient music,” he said. “It was written possibly for his mentee Johann Bach’s (J. S. Bach’s father) wedding in 1694, more likely for just the kind of ordinary domestic function Telemann’s Table Music was designed for, and after being rediscovered in the 1920s, it became a wedding-ceremony favorite, a little less used than ‘Here Comes the Bride.’ 

“Numerous pop songs, including ‘Let It Be,’ ‘No Woman No Cry,’ ‘I Should Be So Lucky,’ ‘Go West,’ ‘Streets of London,’ ‘All Together Now,’ and ‘Don’t Look Back in Anger’ were influenced by the structure, chord sequence and mood of the work, and pop artists from Procol Harum to Aerosmith, Coolio, Green Day, Spiritualised, Avril Lavigne, the Spice Girls, and Maroon 5 have made good use of it,” he added. “Pop producer Pete Waterman of Stock, Aitken and Waterman, whose biggest hits all appropriated the canon’s magnetic two-bar bass pattern and repeated melody, called Pachelbel ‘the godfather of pop.’”

Like The Beatles, the Trans-Siberian Orchestra repurposed Pachelbel’s Canon

The popularity of Pachelbel’s Canon inspired a skit by comedian Rob Paravonian called “Pachelbel Rant.” In it, he complains about how ubiquitous the piece is. In addition, many mashups combine Pachelbel’s Canon with pop songs.

The Trans-Siberian Orchestra also tried to turn Canon in D into a Christmas song. Their song “Christmas Canon” adds some Yuletide lyrics to the track. It’s not a seasonal staple, but the “Christmas Canon” gets some seasonal airplay.

How ‘Let It Be’ performed on the charts in the United States and the United Kingdom

The Beatles’ “Let It Be” became a massive hit in the United States, There, it topped the Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks, staying on the chart for 14 weeks. The tune appeared on the album Let It Be. That record was No. 1 on the Billboard 200 for four weeks, staying on the chart for 79 weeks altogether.

According to The Official Charts Company, “Let It Be” reached No. 2 in the United Kingdom and lasted on the chart for 17 weeks. Upon rerelease, the power ballad reached No. 78 for a single week. The record Let It Be climbed to No. 1 for three of its 53 weeks on the U.K. chart. Let It Be later reached No. 2 again and charted for another 18 weeks in the U.K.

“Let It Be” was a huge commercial success and it might not be the same without Pachelbel.