That viewer also argued that an arrival of this kind could happen only for somebody with McCartney’s stature, ending the message with an enthusiastic salute to Sir Paul McCartney. Taken together, the two audience comments addressed separate elements shown in the performance footage. One concentrated on Joel’s backing vocals, simulated piano playing and sustained attention to McCartney; the other emphasized the fast trip to Shea Stadium and the smiling reactions among Joel and the surrounding musicians.

McCartney and Joel had previously combined on “Let It Be” in another prominent setting. In 1999, they took part in a rendition connected with the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and Joel handled the first verse on that occasion. The performance expanded beyond the pair into a large collaboration. Its participants included Eric Clapton, Bruce Springsteen, Bono, Bonnie Raitt and Robbie Robertson of The Band, making Joel and McCartney two members of a broader all-star lineup.

The Beatles released “Let It Be” on March 6, 1970. It was selected as the second single associated with Let It Be, their 12th studio record. Within the group’s release chronology, the track was also the final single issued before the Beatles broke up. In the United States, it climbed to the top position on the Billboard Hot 100. It then held number one for a total of two weeks, demonstrating the strong reception the single received at the time.

In subsequent years, the song became established as a Beatles classic and attracted interpretations from numerous well-known performers. Among the artists identified as having covered “Let It Be” are Dolly Parton, Ray Charles and Jennifer Hudson. Those recordings joined the later live treatments involving McCartney and Joel, including the large 1999 performance and their last-minute Shea Stadium collaboration, as further versions of a song first issued during the closing period of the Beatles’ career.