Additional Coverage:
- Paul McCartney wishes he wrote this ‘perfectly constructed’ hit by New Yorker Billy Joel (irishstar.com)
Even Music Legends Have Their Favorite Tunes: Paul McCartney’s Unexpected Picks
Even for a musical titan like Sir Paul McCartney, who’s penned countless chart-toppers and boasts a staggering 32 U.S. Billboard number-one hits, there are still songs that strike a chord deep within his soul.
The co-writer behind many of The Beatles’ iconic tracks and a successful solo artist in his own right, McCartney’s musical achievements earned him the title of “most honored composer and performer in music” from the Guinness Book of World Records back in 1979. With 43 million-selling songs between 1962 and 1978, it’s clear he knows a thing or two about crafting a hit.
But even with such an impressive catalog, McCartney isn’t shy about admitting when another artist’s work truly moves him. One such track that consistently brings him to tears is The Beach Boys’ “God Only Knows,” a masterpiece from the late Brian Wilson.
“‘God Only Knows’ is one of the few songs that reduces me to tears every time I hear it. It’s really just a love song, but it’s brilliantly done.
It shows the genius of Brian,” McCartney revealed to BBC Radio 1 in 2007, as reported by the Liverpool Echo. He even confessed to breaking down during a soundcheck while performing it with Wilson himself.
Another tune that holds a special place in McCartney’s heart, and one he admits he wishes he had written, is Billy Joel’s 1977 smash, “Just The Way You Are.” While he famously stated in 1994, “I don’t really want to have written anyone else’s songs,” he made an exception for the “beautiful song” “Stardust” by Hoagy Carmichael and Mitchell Parish, and then added, “And I remember thinking that Billy Joel’s first hit, ‘Just The Way You Are,’ was a nice song, I’d like to have written that one too.”
“Just The Way You Are” proved to be a career-defining moment for Joel, climbing to number 19 in the UK and number three in the U.S., ultimately earning two Grammy awards in 1979 and widespread critical acclaim. Michael Gallucci of Ultimate Classic Rock even hailed it as “one of the most perfectly constructed songs in Joel’s catalogue.”
The admiration between these two musical heavyweights is clearly mutual. For a young Billy Joel, witnessing the cultural phenomenon of Beatlemania, particularly The Beatles’ electrifying 1964 appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, was a transformative experience. That performance, viewed by over 73 million people, showed Joel that a working-class musician like himself could achieve superstardom.
In a 2022 interview with 60 Minutes Australia, Joel explained the profound impact The Beatles had on him: “They were my idols and they did it. They wrote their own music, they wrote their arrangements, they played their own music, they sang their own music.
It wasn’t synthetic… it was their own work that did it.” He added that seeing “regular guys” from a working-class town like Liverpool achieve such success inspired him to pursue music as a profession.
The Fab Four’s influence continues to resonate with Joel, who frequently incorporates their classics into his live shows. This year, he even delivered a memorable rendition of “All My Loving” at Madison Square Garden, commemorating the 60th anniversary of The Beatles’ iconic Ed Sullivan Show debut.
And the mutual respect extends to the stage as well, with McCartney and Joel having shared unforgettable moments. In 2008, they delivered a powerful performance of “Let It Be” during the final concert at Shea Stadium.
Reflecting on The Beatles’ legendary 1965 show at the same venue, McCartney remarked, “It’s so cool to be back here on the last night. I came here a long time ago, we had a blast that night, and we’re having another one tonight.”