Sir Paul McCartney has said the decades-long impact of his music is “phenomenal” and thinks the Beatles were “the greatest band ever”.
The rocker, 83, shot to fame in the 1960s alongside Sir Ringo Starr, John Lennon and George Harrison as part of the best-selling musical act of all time and one of the most influential groups in the world.
The Beatles had a prolonged and messy break-up in the 1970s and Sir Paul later pursued a solo career during which he has won 19 Grammy Awards, and achieved three UK number one singles and seven UK number one albums.
Sir Paul reflected on his almost seven-decade career in music and the long-lasting impact of his work both in the band and as a soloist, while appearing on TikTok live on Wednesday for a Q&A session with fans.
He said: “It is phenomenal, it is really phenomenal.
“When we started out we were just kids and rock and roll was just really coming in and we thought, ‘if we’re lucky, we’ve got a couple of years’ – that’s how long people normally lasted. They couldn’t really sustain much more after that.
“We expected maybe five (years) max, and then that became 10, and we were kind of still going and the scene’s still there. Then it became 20, then 30, and now it’s right up there. It’s great, it is a lovely feeling.
“People will come to me and say ‘my kids love your music’, and that’s something, you know, because you can’t indoctrinate (kids), they just either like it or they don’t.
“I think The Beatles were the greatest band ever. I’m a fan.”
Sir Paul also reflected on the evolution of technology and the different formats of music available now compared to when he started his career, and said he “loves” the ever-changing scene.
He noted that consumers now have “the whole music library in your pocket and your hand”, and said: “We started off on a 45 record, and then LPs, vinyl albums, and went through cassettes, CDs, and then finally here we are with streaming.
“To me, it’s OK, because it’s another way of getting your music out.
“I don’t care how people choose to access it, as long as they do access it – that’s all I’m interested in.”
The Beatles achieved 18 UK number one singles and 15 UK number one albums, and are widely regarded for their pioneering song writing, studio experimentation and overall cultural impact.
Sir Paul is highly decorated and has also won an Oscar, a Brit Award and a Primetime Emmy, and collaborated with artists including Rihanna, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder and Kanye West.
