Close call between Paul McCartney Maybe I'm Amazed 20 April,1970, and George Harrison My Sweet Lord 15 Jan, 1971 Its John Lennon "give peace a chance " 1969
The above would be true if Lennon had been solo. In addition it would all be different if the question was more closely defined as:
"Which ex-Beatle was the first to have a solo hit". This may be the question you wish to ask.
The whole thing is debatable here. For one thing Lennon's song was released as part of the Plastic Onon Band and hence wasn't solo.
As the Beatles were officially disbanded in April 71, the Ex-Beatle term cannot be applied to George Harrison.
Under the strictest terms of being after the Beatles actually split and with a solo career, the honour goes to Ringo Starr and "It don't come easy". It's notable that in fact the one of two of the Beatles has music hits whilst still firmly together, writing film scores and songs for others; McCartney for example.
If the criteria are:
1. Ex-Beatle
2. Solo hit
Ringo fulfills both of these. Lennon fails on point two and Harrison on point one.
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McCartney's first post-Beatles hit single was "Another Day", written and recorded with wife Linda.
"Maybe I'm Amazed", from his first solo album McCartney, was a popular album track, but was not issued on single. (A live version was later issued, from the album Wings Over America.)
McCartney was actually sued by his publisher in the early 1970s, for co-crediting Linda on many of his songs; the publisher claimed that Linda's credit was merely a way for McCartney to obtain a larger share of royalties. The claim was shot down in court, with the judge determining that if Linda helped McCartney with his songs in any way, she was entitled to a co-credit.
John Lennon's "Instant Karma!" went to #3 early in 1970, after his departure from The Beatles.
The former Beatle drummer's first big solo hit was "It Don't Come Easy," which reached No. 4 on both the U.S. and U.K. charts. The song was co-written by Starr and George Harrison.
"Come And Get It", written by then-Beatle Paul McCartney, but recorded by Badfinger, who had their first hit with it. The song also became the theme of Peter Sellers' movie The Magic Christian, co-starring Ringo Starr.
"I Want To Hold Your Hand" was the Beatles first number 1 hit in the US, and it was the number 1 hit for the year 1964. The Beatles songs "She Love You", "Can't Buy Me Love" "Lobe Me Do" A Hard Day's Night", and I Feel Fine" also made number 1 that year.
"Hey Jude" by the Beatles was the number 1 hit song for 1968.
Beatlemania started when the boys first arrived in the United States in 1964. It ended when they anounced that they would stop touring in 1966. Other forms of Beatlemania have appeared throughout the years. When the band split in 1970, a small form of Beatlemania erupted and again when John Lennon was assassinated in 1980. When Oasis released their first album in 1994, many fans bought old Beatle albums which could be described as Beatlemania. Other forms of Beatlemania were when George Harrison died in 2001 and when Cirque de Soliel performed Love which contained many Beatle songs in 2006-2007. Beatlemania is expected to return in September of 2009 when the Beatles: Rock Band game is released.
Although I am not entirely sure, I did read that the Beatles signed a contract saying that none of their songs are permitted to be in any commercials in the eighties after "Revolution" was used in a NIKE shoe commercial.