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As I watched Paul McCartney work out the words to the song “The Long And Winding Road,” this incredible wave of emotion overtook me and everyone else watching the new Beatles documentary Get Back. Only a few minutes earlier, we witnessed Paul McCartney working on the writing of “Let It Be.” Just think about what we all have seen in the Get Back Documentary. Just by focusing on those moments alone of watching Paul McCartney work on those songs, we were all brought into a world we could have never imagined being a part of. These are two of the most famous Beatles songs of all time, let alone two of the most beautiful songs ever written, all coming from the genius mind of Paul McCartney. A scene or two later, we witness Paul McCartney teaching the other Beatles the song “Get Back” as they all try to develop lines for the song. It’s simply overwhelming.
The Beatles documentary has changed the way many of us look back at the Beatles. Without a doubt, we have always felt that both Paul McCartney and John Lennon were the leaders of The Beatles. Yet, from the documentary, it is clear that the leader, at least at that point in time, was Paul McCartney. John Lennon has some incredible moments in the documentary film Get Back, but it’s Paul McCartney who really shines for so many reasons.
Looking at the group’s other songwriters, we see that the age difference between George Harrison and the rest of The Beatles was never more apparent than ever before. Because of his age, it seems Paul and John overlooked his talents. Yet he had some incredible moments too. The introduction of his new song, “I Me Mine,” was one of them. Yet, time and time again, throughout the series, we can’t take our eyes off Paul McCartney as his talents are just so overwhelming throughout the series.
If only we could go back further in time with The Beatles and watch the dynamics within the band on all the rest of their albums. It would be interesting to see if Paul McCartney’s dominance that shined so bright in the Get Back documentary also resonated on albums like Revolver, A Hard Day’s Night, and every other Beatles album. We must remember that what we saw was a product of the director’s intent. We can’t discount the leadership Jon Lennon had in the Beatles. We just didn’t see it in the documentary,
The question of who stands as the greatest musical artists of the modern pop music era has been discussed for years. Even before viewing the Get Back documentary, we here at ClassicRockHistory.com had always argued that Paul McCartney should hold that title. Based on the music he composed during his time with the Beatles, the title should be granted to him. That’s not taking anything away from John Lennon. Lennon and McCartney shared songwriting credits on all the Beatles songs for many reasons. If both artists never released a song on their own after the end of the Beatles, then we would argue that they both should share the title of the greatest ever. However, we all know that the end of the Beatles defined the beginning of the solo careers of both Paul McCartney and John Lennon. Sadly, Lennon’s solo career was cut way too short.
If John Lennon had not been murdered on that horrific December night in New York City forty one years ago, we may be having a different discussion right now. Who knows what John Lennon would have created as he grew older. Yet, we all know what Paul McCartney has done since The Beatles broke up. While having to endure some harsh and very unfair criticism from both fans and critics over his solo material, Paul McCartney has had hands down a spectacular solo career. Over a fifty year period since the Beatles dissolved, Paul McCartney has continued to release new material on a very consistent basis, for FIFTY YEARS! That’s after his incredible seven-year run with the Beatles when his music, along with John, George, and Ringo, changed the world in so many ways.
Paul McCartney released his first solo album in 1970 entitled McCartney. On the album were some songs intended for the Beatles but never released on any of the Beatles albums. Yet there were songs like “Maybe I’m Amazed,” which would become a big hit many years later when it was released on Wings Over America. Still, while many people blamed the album as one of the reasons the Beatles broke up (which we all know now is not true), the album defined the start of an amazing solo career.
So far, and we make sure we utilize the phrase “so far,” because it’s Paul McCartney we are talking about, so far Paul McCartney has released fifteen solo albums titled McCartney, Ram, McCartney II, Tug of War, Pipes of Peace, Press to Play, Flowers in the Dirt, Off the Ground, Flaming Pie, Driving Rain, Chaos and Creation in the Backyard, Memory Almost Full, New, Egypt Station and McCartney III. With his band he called Wings, which made up the majority of his 1970s solo albums, he released seven records, including WildLife, Red Rose Speedway, Band on the Run, Venus, and Mars, Wings at the Speed of Sound, London Town, and Back to the Egg. That’s twenty two solo albums of fantastic pop music.
Think about some of the songs he released as singles over the years from both Wings albums and McCartney records. Songs like “My Love, Maybe I’m Amazed, Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey Junior’s Farm, Band On The Run, Jet, Listen To What The Man Said, Blackbird, Live And Let Die, Venus and Mars, Beware My Love, Mull of Kintyre, With A Little Luck, Ballroom Dancing, Tug Of War, Hope of Deliverance, Freedom,” and just so many more. Take all those singles and albums tracks from his solo career and them add up the over two hundred songs he wrote with the Beatles that have become standards in music and what do you have?……..The Greatest Musical Artist Of All Time!
It would be hard to choose someone else. We are talking pop music here, and of course, we are well aware of Bach, Mozart, and Beethoven. And yes, of course, there is Duke Ellington, George Gershwin, and many others who have brought this world great joy with their prolific music. Yet, if we had to pick one artist who has had more of an impact than any other musical artist ever, we would still choose Paul McCartney. There is no question about it.
Why Paul McCartney Is The Greatest Musical Artist Of All Time article published on Classic RockHistory.com© 2024
Totally agree 100%! Not included are his Classical Works, his work as The Fireman, Liverpool Sound Collage, work with Kanye, his Ballet etc.
Round up another 10 records for these and then add in his ability to play a wide variety of instruments = GOAT!!
Paul is not a once in a lifetime artist, but one who may only come around perhaps evert two or three hundred years!!
We are indeed blessed to be living in the same lifetime as Paul McCartney, surely our Mozart, Beethoven and Bach rolled into one. As Bob Dylan once said about him “He is the only artist im in awe of, he can do it all and do it effortlessly..i wish he would quit’ lol