The talent that exists within The Beatles comes only once every lifetime. Compared to most bands in their field and almost every other rock band that has come after them, the Fab Four had an internal chemistry that could not be matched by anyone else, working off each another to create one classic after another. Of all the band members, though, Paul McCartney towers above them regarding overall skill.
Before we get into this, let’s make one thing clear: every Beatle made the group what it was. Even if the band recruited a different drummer than Ringo Starr, it wouldn’t have worked, operating like four corners of a square that would collapse otherwise. In terms of a talent metric, there is a definite pecking order.
First of all, it’s easy to put Starr down as the least talented member of the group musically. Though he may have been able to play the drums like no one else, his feeble attempts at writing songs felt more like a novelty standing next to what John Lennon and Paul McCartney were spitting out on records like Sgt Pepper or Abbey Road.
The real problem is how McCartney fares against his longstanding writing partner. For all of the brilliant music that McCartney released, Lennon could keep up just as well, crafting wonderful pop songs that had a more jaded edge to them on tracks like ‘In My Life’ or ‘Give Peace a Chance’. When talking about musical skills, it doesn’t compare.
While both men have openly admitted that they have no idea how to work with sheet music, Lennon confessed that he was never technically the greatest guitar player. Throughout the band’s tenure, Lennon’s style tends to fluctuate a bit, usually depending on the mood required for the song. Although he could lay down a few surprising moments on tracks like ‘Get Back’, Lennon’s approach to soloing is still fairly rudimentary next to McCartney’s, laying down blistering solos on songs like ‘Taxman’ and ‘Good Morning Good Morning’.
In terms of songwriting, both men had grown apart towards the end of the Beatles’ run, leading to them favouring different styles of songs. While Lennon never minced words about saying what was on his mind, McCartney’s knack for writing catchy pop tunes designed to make people happy, in my opinion, gives him a slight advantage over Lennon. For all of the great tunes the pair wrote together, it’s fair to say that Lennon became a better poet throughout his solo career, but that doesn’t compare to McCartney’s musicianship.
Of course, the debate starts to become a different conversation when bringing up George Harrison’s penchant for great songs. Although McCartney could craft beautiful melodies, none of Harrison’s songs for The Beatles could be classified as stinkers from beginning to end, which can’t be said for a handful of McCartney cuts like ‘Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da’.
On a musical level, though, McCartney’s songs have gone to far greater territories than Harrison hoped. While there’s no discounting what Harrison brought into Western culture with Indian music, McCartney has a treasure trove of songs that speak to fans on a visceral level. Harrison may have had his fair share of heart-rendering songs like ‘Something’ or ‘Here Comes the Sun’, but McCartney had far more to work with, creating mini-epics in three minutes like ‘Let It Be’ and ‘Eleanor Rigby’.
And though it’s not fair to both Lennon or Harrison, McCartney has also developed a track record based on the volume of his output. Since leaving The Beatles, McCartney was never content settling on a genre, working in different sonic territories with Wings and solo. Across the ‘70s alone, McCartney’s interest in folk rock, synthesised ballads, and flavours of yacht rock and disco are proof of that relentless musical drive.
Throughout every decade he’s worked in, McCartney was still looking to dissect what music was “supposed” to be, getting freaky on albums like McCartney II and experimenting with electronic music in the side project The Fireman. Outside of mainstream music, McCartney has also overseen music for classical productions, working on The Liverpool Oratorio in the late ‘90s before scoring music for ballets like Ocean’s Kingdom.
When looking back at each Beatle’s solo trajectory, McCartney has defined what a well-rounded musician is meant to be. Although not everything he’s done has necessarily turned to gold, his interest in seeing where the music takes him has rarely failed. With the latest solo outing, McCartney III, a handful of songs still brought their fair share of surprises, like the massive payoff on songs like ‘Slidin’ or the folksy sounds of ‘When Winter Comes’.
Although every Beatle was known for working outside their comfort zone repeatedly, none of them reached the same musical milestones McCartney did. Considering where each member ended up in their solo careers, it’s easy to see Lennon, Harrison and Starr falling back on the genres they loved from their youth, from country to avant-garde to old-time rock and roll. McCartney had done enough of that music for anyone’s lifetime, and his desire to make something no one had heard before was more entertaining than Lennon’s comments about where was in life.
For all of the great music The Beatles made together, McCartney’s track record and need to innovate puts him in a different musical class than his old mates. While he may not have been looking to be the “most talented Beatle”, McCartney’s incessant need to follow his muse has turned him into the resident virtuoso of the Fab Four.
