Today, the 81-year-old Paul McCartney is a singular name in the music industry. In a world with countless stars, few, if any, are brighter than his. But while the singer and songwriter is one-of-a-kind, he rose to fame and popularity both as part of a group and as part of an all-time songwriting team, with the British-born rock band the Beatles and John Lennon.
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McCartney’s name will forever be synonymous with Lennon’s and vice versa. Then when the Fab Four broke up in 1970, McCartney continued his songwriting with another partner, his wife, Linda McCartney. In that way, he’s almost always been paired with another.
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Below are five of McCartney’s most legendary duets.
1. “Ebony and Ivory,” Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder
Released on Paul McCartney’s 1982 solo album, Tug of War, “Ebony and Ivory” features two of the biggest names in music (as do the rest of the songs on this list). Detroit, Michigan meets Liverpool, England on this tune. The song is about musical and racial harmony—black and white getting along in unison just like the keys of a piano. Perhaps a little trite in the moment, the message is nevertheless good to hear these artists sing about it together and for the ages.
2. “New Moon Over Jamaica,” Paul McCartney with Johnny Cash
From the 1988 album, Water from the Wells of Home, “New Moon Over Jamaica” is one of several Cash recorded with big names for the LP. Others include Waylon Jennings, Hank Williams Jr., and Emmylou Harris. But the biggest name was Paul McCartney, who sang on the song “New Moon Over Jamaica,” which was written by Cash, McCartney, and Tom T. Hall. McCartney’s voice backing up Cash’s vocal heft is even better than one might imagine.
3. “The Very Thought of You,” Paul McCartney with Tony Bennett
The former Beatle connected with the former Vegas singer for this standard. Originally recorded in 1934, McCartney and Tony Bennett took their turns on the song as part of Bennett’s 2006 LP, Duets: An American Classic. The result is a heart-swelling recording that, some 500 years from now, will still be remembered as a moment when two deities got together in the studio.
4. “A Friend Like You,” Paul McCartney with Brian Wilson
“A Friend Like You” is special because McCartney was such a fan of Brian Wilson and the Beach Boys. In fact, the surf rock band’s 1966 album, Pet Sounds, very much influenced the Beatles’ 1967 album, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. And on this song, the two came together as part of the recording. Previously unreleased, the song was later made public as part of Wilson’s 2004 album, Gettin’ In Over My Head, an album that also includes appearances from Elton John and Eric Clapton.
5. “The Girl Is Mine” Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson
From Michael Jackson’s 1982 album, Thriller, this song is likely McCartney’s most famous duet outside of the Beatles or Wings for two reasons. One, his counterpart was the iconic Michael Jackson. Secondly, it’s a song that reminds music fans of the famous story when McCartney advised Jackson to purchase band music catalogs and then Jackson bought the Beatles’. That sordid history aside, the song is lovely, albeit unable to live up to its hype.
Photo by KMazur/WireImage
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