4 Songwriters That Inspire Paul McCartney (and Might Just Inspire You, Too)

Paul McCartney is one of the most accomplished and beloved songwriters of all time. And even he would admit that he would be nothing without his inspirations and the songwriters that came before him… or with him. Let’s take a look at just a few songwriters that former Beatle and famed songwriting master Paul McCartney has praised in the past.

Videos by American Songwriter

Bob Dylan

I’m really not surprised that Paul McCartney had some nice things to say about Bob Dylan. Both icons are renowned for their songwriting talents and came up around the same time, after all. McCartney said in a print-only Uncut interview from a few years back that he “always” likes what Bob Dylan does and that he wishes he “was a bit more like Bob. He’s legendary … and doesn’t give a sh*t!” High praise, indeed.

Billy Joel

Another iconic 20th-century songwriter who is loved by many, Billy Joel also got a bit of love from Paul McCartney back in 1994. In an interview for the Club Sandwich newsletter that year, McCartney stated that he loved the song “Just The Way You Are”. The pair has also performed together in the past. That alone says a lot, as McCartney won’t perform with just anyone.

Brian Wilson

This one doesn’t surprise me. Paul McCartney has dished out a lot of praise to The Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson in the past, going as far as to say that “God Only Knows” is “the greatest song ever written.” He also said that the song “reduces [him] to tears every time” he hears it. The praise didn’t end there, though. At his Songwriters Hall of Fame induction back at the turn of the millennium, McCartney called Wilson “one of the great American geniuses” of his time.

Buddy Holly

Tons of mid-century rock songwriters absolutely adored Buddy Holly and were heavily inspired by him. So, it’s no surprise that the legend makes it to Paul McCartney’s list of favorite songwriters. In fact, the early iteration of The Beatles even covered the song “That’ll Be The Day” when they were still known as The Quarrymen. Last year, McCartney gushed about Holly’s talents when it came to playing the guitar, writing music, and singing.

“He not only played guitar, he played the solos,” said McCartney. “He also wrote the stuff. So this was like all-inclusive one-man band and we [The Beatles] really thought that was great. We thought this is what we have to do.”

Photo by XDavid Redfern/Redferns