Paul McCartney’s Mixed Feelings About John Lennon’s Solo Work
Paul McCartney has shared his thoughts on the music of his former Beatles bandmate, John Lennon, after the group disbanded. While he admitted that he only truly liked one song written by Lennon, he also expressed a complex relationship with the late musician’s work.
After The Beatles officially split in 1970, each member pursued their own solo careers. Paul McCartney became one of the most successful solo artists of all time, releasing 19 albums under his own name and forming the band Wings, as well as the duo The Fireman. John Lennon also continued to make music, starting with his first solo album, John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band, in 1970. His second album, Imagine, was released in 1971, and it was this album that caught Paul’s attention.
In an interview with Sounds magazine, Paul said, “I liked Imagine, I didn’t like the others much.” At the time, the relationship between the two former Beatles had become strained. They criticized each other’s work, with Paul calling John’s albums “rubbish” and John responding with his own diss track, How Do You Sleep?, which directly targeted Paul’s debut solo album.
Political Messages and Personal Growth
Paul also mentioned that he wasn’t a fan of the political messages in many of John’s songs. He told Sounds, “There's so much political s--- on at the moment that I tend to play them through once to see if there's anything I can pinch.” However, Paul later shifted his approach, writing and performing the politically charged song Give Ireland Back To The Irish with Wings, which addressed the events of Bloody Sunday. This marked a turning point in his own engagement with political themes.
In 2018, Paul released People Want Peace, inspired by the Israel-Palestine conflict. More recently, he revisited his views on John Lennon’s work, stating that while Imagine remained a standout, he also appreciated other songs like Instant Karma and Beautiful Boy.
Reconciliation and Lasting Respect
Despite their public feud, Paul and John eventually mended some of their differences. They expressed mutual admiration for each other’s talents before John’s tragic death in 1980. Author Ian Leslie, who has written about Paul and John, believes the pair never truly stopped caring for each other, even during their bitter disagreements.
Leslie explained, “They never stopped respecting each other as songwriters. And they always missed each other as creative partners.” He added, “I think they just missed each other in that sense.” However, rebuilding their friendship proved difficult due to legal issues, family responsibilities, and living in different countries.
Although they were trying to reconnect and possibly collaborate again, the opportunity was cut short by John’s untimely death. Leslie speculated that if John had lived longer, the pair might have worked together again. But he also noted that their old dynamic—built on years of close collaboration as The Beatles—could not be fully recreated.
“[Their old fluency and intimacy] was so much to do with being young together and spending all their time together as The Beatles on tour, in the studio,” Leslie said. “And you can't, I don't think, go back, conjure that up again.”