Let It Be

Peter Buck of R.E.M. was considered as producer, helped with pre-production and played the guitar solo on I Will Dare, the album's only single. Westerberg said the new songs were more sincere than what had come before, though the record still has room for a cover of Paul Stanley's Black Diamond and several short songs written by the whole band. Daniel Corrigan's cover photograph shows the band on the roof of the Stinson brothers' mother's house. The title nods to the Beatles, and the band had also considered Whistler's Mammy and Stunk.

Christgau gave it an A+, Pitchfork gave it ten in 2008, and Rolling Stone placed it at 156 on its 2020 list of the 500 greatest albums. Colin Meloy wrote the 33 1/3 book on it. A 2008 Rhino remaster added six bonus tracks, and a 2025 deluxe edition added the disc Kiss My Grassroots and a live set at the Cubby Bear in Chicago.