Few albums capture the messy, exhilarating transition from adolescence to adulthood quite like Let It Be, the 1984 breakthrough album from The Replacements. A brilliant mix of ragged punk energy, heartfelt balladry, and absurd humor, Let It Be cemented Paul Westerberg and company as one of the most important bands in alternative rock. But beyond the anthems and self-deprecating wit, there are some fascinating stories behind the album that even die-hard fans might not know.
1. Peter Buck of R.E.M. Almost Produced the Album
When The Replacements were gearing up to record Let It Be, there were rumors that R.E.M.’s Peter Buck would be producing the album. Buck later confirmed that the band did consider him for the role, and he even met with them in Athens, Georgia. However, when they got together, The Replacements didn’t have enough new material prepared. While Buck didn’t take the producer’s chair, he did contribute guitar to “I Will Dare”—stepping in after lead guitarist Bob Stinson struggled to find the right solo for the song.
2. The Album’s Title Was Meant as a Joke
Naming your album Let It Be is a pretty audacious move, especially when you’re a scrappy band from Minneapolis taking on the legacy of The Beatles. Paul Westerberg later admitted that the name came from a radio gamble—the band had planned to name the album after whatever song came on next. When “Let It Be” played, they stuck with it, partially as a joke on their Beatles-obsessed manager, Peter Jesperson. Westerberg later doubled down on the irreverence, saying their next album might as well have been called Let It Bleed.
3. “Unsatisfied” Was Barely Finished in the Studio
One of the most emotional and gut-wrenching songs on the album, “Unsatisfied,” was actually a work-in-progress when The Replacements started recording it. Westerberg had only written the central lyric—”I’m so unsatisfied”—before they entered the studio, and much of the song’s structure and instrumentation was improvised on the spot. Guitarist Bob Stinson joined in halfway through a take, despite never having heard the song before. Ironically, despite its unfinished nature, “Unsatisfied” has become one of the most beloved tracks in the band’s catalog.
4. The Band’s Antagonistic Live Shows Inspired “Androgynous”
By the time they recorded Let It Be, The Replacements had a reputation for deliberately antagonizing their audience. They often played entire sets of cover songs meant to confuse and frustrate their punk fans. Westerberg took this idea further with “Androgynous,” a song that celebrated gender fluidity and rejected traditional rock masculinity—ideas that were lightyears ahead of their time in the ’80s. Though it was an outlier on the album, “Androgynous” has since become one of the band’s most enduring and influential songs.
5. “I Will Dare” Was Westerberg’s Answer to U2
According to Paul Westerberg, Let It Be’s opening track, “I Will Dare,” was written as a response to U2’s “I Will Follow.” While U2’s song had an urgent, anthemic quality, “I Will Dare” was more playful, embodying The Replacements’ carefree attitude. The song’s shuffle rhythm and melodic guitar line set it apart from the band’s earlier punk material, signaling a new direction. It also marked the band’s first collaboration with Peter Buck, who contributed the jangly lead guitar work that helped define the song.
Four decades after its release, Let It Be remains one of the most celebrated albums in alternative rock. It captures The Replacements at their rawest, funniest, and most sincere—a perfect snapshot of a band teetering between self-sabotage and greatness. Whether you’re revisiting it for nostalgia or hearing it for the first time, Let It Be is proof that sometimes, the best records come from bands who dare to be different.
