3 Paul McCartney Collaborations That Became Enormous Hits

Paul McCartney’s musical career is arguably the most decorated and triumphant of all time. So much so, that one doesn’t even have to look at his statistics or his song history to know that to be true. However, when one does look into his numbers, the magnitude of McCartney becomes even more amplified. Since entering the sphere of popular music with The Beatles in 1963, McCartney has had 32 No. 1 hits, 27 No. 1 albums, 25.5 million RIAA-certified units, and a plethora of accolades and awards.

Needless to say, there is a reason McCartney became one of music’s first billionaires. Furthermore, there is a reason he is often considered the most successful musician of all time. That being so, it seems when a musician needed a huge hit they would just call up McCartney. Although, it seems McCartney also just likes to collaborate. With these two notions in mind, here are three Paul McCartney collaborations that became huge hits.

“Ebony and Ivory”

Released in 1982, the song marked the first collaboration between McCartney and Stevie Wonder. Given the song’s star-studded cast, it was bound to be a hit from the very start. However, the song’s quality seemingly did a majority of the work and to this day it is a classic tune for both McCartney and Wonder.

Upon its release, the song sat at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for 11 weeks and reached the No. 1 spot in the UK, Ireland, and Germany. Furthermore, in 2008, Billboard ranked the song as the 59th best song of all time to grace the Billboard Hot 100.

“Say Say Say”

The collaboration between Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney is arguably one of the most heavy-hitting duets of all time. Following its release in 1983, “Say Say Say” would go on to become one of the biggest hits that year alongside “Billie Jean” and “Every Breath You Take.”

In 1983, the song remained at the No. 1 spot on the Billboard 100 for a total of six weeks. The song gave McCartney his 29th No. 1 hit and Jackson his 10th. Again, Billboard named “Say Say Say” the 41st biggest hit to ever have been on the Hot 100.

“Four Five Seconds”

McCartney’s talent and musical stature are not bound by time and his 2015 collaboration with Rihanna and Kanye West show that. “Four Five Seconds” was McCartney’s first-ever collaboration with popular artists from the 21st century and it did not disappoint.

Not only was the collaboration itself one of the most culturally influential of the decade, but it was also incredibly successful on the charts. The song reached the No. 4 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 and became the No. 1 hit in Australia, Denmark, Ireland, the UK, and so many more. Given its success, the three debuted the song live at the 57th Annual Grammy Awards.

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