The End

Spotify's official recording from Abbey Road (Remastered). Sign-in Spotify users get full playback; everyone else gets a 30-second preview. Open in Spotify →

"The End" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1969 album Abbey Road. It was composed by Paul McCartney and credited to Lennon–McCartney. It was the last song recorded collectively by all four Beatles, and is the final song of the medley that constitutes the majority of side two of the album. [Wikipedia]

The End is a song by The Beatles, written by McCartney and led on vocal by Paul McCartney. The only Beatles drum solo; trade-off guitar solos Paul/George/John (in order). Paul McCartney's 'The End' functioned as the Abbey Road album's concluding composition, recorded 23 July 1969 as the medley's final movement. The song's blues-rock structure and guitar-solo showcase established it as a fitting conclusion to the four-year recording relationship. McCartney's composition provided a clean closure to the medley sequence, concluding with the famous final piano note (Lewisohn 1988, p.178). The song's dramatic arc from quiet to explosive—culminating in Paul's final vocal—provided Abbey Road with its essential conclusion. (Kozinn 1995)

The session work falls within the band's Abbey Road (1969) period, recorded 23 Jul 1969 at EMI Studios. George Martin produced; Geoff Emerick (returned), Phil McDonald, Glyn Johns engineered. For session-by-session detail, see Mark Lewisohn's account on p.6 of The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions (excerpt below). The basic rhythm track, recorded 23 July, featured piano and guide vocal (Paul), drums (Ringo), and bass (George), establishing the foundational arrangement. Overdubbing sessions added George Harrison's lead guitar solo, creating the track's signature final element. George Martin's production strategy maintained the blues-rock character while allowing Harrison's guitar prowess prominent display (Lewisohn 1988, p.181). The guitar trio and drum break required precise timing and clean recording, with Emerick's engineering preserving the clarity of each instrument's interaction. (Emerick 2006) The End brought the medley and album to closure with its three-guitar harmonic exchange and philosophical simplicity, representing the band's farewell within Abbey Road's formal structure. (MacDonald 1994)

In the canonical discography it appears on the LP Abbey Road. Documented alternate versions include 2009 Stereo Remasters, Abbey Road 50th Anniversary (2019). Mono and stereo histories vary by era — see the dedicated section below. Paul McCartney lead vocals appear in 65 canon songs, with 8 in Abbey Road—establishing this as a vocal vehicle. At 2'05", it occupies the 72nd percentile of canon duration, substantial medley conclusion. The composition's guitar-solo showcase and thematic finality made it one of Abbey Road's most-analyzed moments, cementing the Beatles' studio era with iconic closure (Lewisohn 1988, p.178-181). Multiple takes of the guitar exchange and vocal recording document the technical achievement of the album's final moments. (Daniels 2024)

Other recordings sharing era, vocalist, writer, key, studio, or producer with this one. Higher scores indicate stronger overlap on documented attributes.

• Oh! Darling (score 13)
• She Came in Through the Bathroom Window (score 13)
• Carry That Weight (score 11)
• Golden Slumbers (score 11)
• Her Majesty (score 11)
• Maxwell's Silver Hammer (score 11)
• You Never Give Me Your Money (score 11)
• Another Girl (score 9)