Is there a better songwriting duo than John Lennon and Paul McCartney? What they did with The Beatles redefined pop music, and they have managed to leave an influence that can still be heard today. Their prolific work didn’t just start and stop with the Fab Four, though, as they were also responsible for writing numerous remarkable tracks for other artists.
Throughout their careers, Lennon and McCartney created songs both together and individually, forming tracks for The Rolling Stones, Peter and Gordon, and even their old bandmate Ringo Starr.
Some of their most notable hits for other artists came from some of Billy J Kramer’s tracks from 1962 to 1970. Playing with The Dakotas at the time, Lennon and McCartney were influential with songs like ‘From a Window’, ‘I’ll Be On My Way’, ‘Bad to Me’, ‘I’ll Keep You Satisfied’ and ‘I Call Your Name’. They even gave hits to British artists such as Cilla Black, the Stones and The Fourmost.
McCartney certainly has a much more diverse portfolio of the two; however, had Lennon not passed before his time, he would likely have worked with a much more eclectic mix of artists, too. McCartney performed on the likes of ‘Say Say Say’ with Michael Jackson, ‘Veronica’ with Elvis Costello and one of the most out-there projects of his career, Kanye West with ‘Only One’.
It’s difficult to pinpoint what about John Lennon and Paul McCartney’s songwriting ability makes their talents so widely applicable. The two of them had their own talent that they could bring to the table, and that talent was completely separate from one another. Neither one relied on the other. Instead, they both complemented each other. Ideas that the other person would never have thought of would get brought to the table, but then that person could expand the song in a way the original writer would never have come to on their own.
They were both also fearless in the kind of music that they made. Arguably, one of the main aspects that made the Beatles so relevant, and that keeps them so relevant today, was the band’s adaptability. McCartney and Lennon didn’t have a formula they stuck to; they would take inspiration from whatever was happening in their life then and write from there onwards. It meant music never became stale or predictable.
This is why they could work with other artists so well. There wasn’t a style of music that they weren’t willing to take on, and they were innovative enough that whatever they came up with would sound original and exciting, not like a lazy rip-off of a Beatles track.
There are many songs the duo contributed towards, but this is a list of some of their best (and most unexpected work) both as a duo and as individuals.
Songs Lennon and McCartney wrote for other artists:
*From a Window – Billy J. Kramer and The Dakotas
*I’ll Be On My Way – Billy J. Kramer and The Dakotas
*Bad to Me – Billy J. Kramer and The Dakotas
*I Call Your Name – Billy J. Kramer and The Dakotas
*I’ll Keep You Satisfied – Billy J. Kramer and The Dakotas
*Say Say Say – Michael Jackson
*Veronica – Elvis Costello
*Only One – Kanye West
*I Wanna Be Your Man – The Rolling Stones
*Woman – Peter & Gordon
*Come and Get It – Badfinger
*I’m The Greatest – Ringo Starr
*Fame – David Bowie
