Old-Time Rock ‘n’ Roll:How The 1980s Embraced 1950s and 1960s Oldies Music
Paul McCartney continued to dominate pop charts through the 1970’s after the Beatles disbanded. A majority of those hits were with his band Wings. When the eighties began, McCartney decided to do things on his own, with help from his wife Linda. His second solo album, McCartney II, produced hits Coming Up
and Temporary Secretary,
an electro-mix that’s far different from early Beatles hits like I Saw Her Standing There.
However, McCartney’s experimentation and willingness to adapt to the sound of the times kept him relevant into the early eighties.
McCartney released his third solo album Tug of War in 1982. His Beatles band mate Ringo Starr played drums during recording sessions. Stevie Wonder sang a duet with McCartney, titled Ebony and Ivory,
a big hit calling for racial harmony. Paul McCartney joined up with Michael Jackson at the right time. Both sang The Girl is Mine
and Say, Say, Say,
which were released during 1983-1984, the years Michael Jackson dominated pop music due to his Thriller hits. Film critics panned McCartney’s 1984 movie Give My Regards to Broad Street, a movie that tried to cash in on Beatles nostalgia, although the soundtrack was praised and produced a top ten hit titled No More Lonely Nights.
Paul McCartney continued to tour and release albums, but never had a big solo single after 1984.
After attempting to purchase a large cache of rights to Beatles tunes, McCartney discovered in 1985 that Michael Jackson had purchased them for $47.5 million. Jackson went on to use songs like Revolution,
Good Day Sunshine,
and All You Need is Love
in eighties TV commercials. Jackson cashed in on rock ‘n’ roll nostalgia. Although McCartney and the other Beatles received royalties, they could not control how Jackson used their songs for his profit. McCartney begged Jackson to cut a deal, but Jackson defied these requests. Yet McCartney himself, through a company titled MPL Communications, controlled publishing rights to thousands of songs and several musicals. McCartney earlier had suggested to Jackson to get into the publishing business, friendly business advice he later regretted.
Paul McCartney also had business conflicts with fellow Beatles. George Harrison, Ringo Starr, and Yoko Ono sued Paul McCartney in 1985 claiming that McCartney was receiving exceedingly favorable royalties from Beatles tunes than his former band mates and John Lennon’s widow. McCartney refused to attend the Beatles induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame due to hard feelings during this legal battle. This refusal dashed any hopes of a reunion Beatles fans craved during the 1980s.
©2021 Tim Sheehan