Paul McCartney has finally acknowledged that The Beatles may well deserve the title of “the greatest band ever”, stepping away from years of downplaying the group's influence and achievements.
For decades, McCartney has often been modest about the cultural impact of the Fab Four, despite their role in inspiring countless artists and transforming the direction of popular music and rock and roll.
He has frequently suggested that the honour should instead belong to The Everly Brothers, pointing to the enormous influence they had on both him and John Lennon. In his 2021 memoir, McCartney described the duo as one of the most significant inspirations behind The Beatles’ sound and songwriting.
Now, while discussing his new album ‘The Boys Of Dungeon Lane’, the legendary musician appeared more willing to embrace The Beatles’ place in music history. During a fan Q&A livestream on TikTok, McCartney admitted: “I think The Beatles were the greatest band ever… I’m a fan”.
He also reflected on how unexpected their lasting success has been, explaining that neither he nor the rest of the band ever imagined their popularity would continue for generations.
“When we started out, we were just kids and rock ‘n’ roll was just really coming in,” he said. “We thought, ‘If we’re lucky, we’ve got a couple of years. That’s how long people normally lasted.”
“We expected maybe five years max, and then that became 10, and we were kind of still going, and the scene’s still there,” he continued. “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, because you can’t indoctrinate kids. They just either like it or they don’t.”
McCartney’s latest album, ‘The Boys Of Dungeon Lane’, arrived today, Friday May 29, and features a duet with former Beatles bandmate Ringo Starr on ‘Home To Us’. The track serves as a nostalgic tribute to their Liverpool upbringing and marks the first time the pair have shared lead vocals on a recording. The album also includes contributions from Texas vocalist Sharleen Spiteri and The Pretenders frontwoman Chrissie Hynde.
The project marks McCartney’s first full length release since 2020’s ‘McCartney III’. Throughout the record, he reflects on growing up in Liverpool, the strength and determination of his parents, and the early experiences he shared with George Harrison and John Lennon before global fame arrived with The Beatles.
NME awarded ‘The Boys Of Dungeon Lane’ four stars, with Jordan Bassett praising the album for showing Macca “pushing forward musically” while also offering listeners “a guided tour of the long and winding road”.
“Elsewhere, against all odds, given that this album arrives some 63 years after the Beatles’ debut ‘Please Please Me’, Macca actually makes history on ‘The Boys Of Dungeon Lane’,” the review read. “Remarkably, the jaunty ‘Home To Us’ is his first-ever duet with Ringo Starr, who assists him in celebrating their rough-and-tumble hometown. ‘Days We Left Behind’, though, is the album’s real tear-jerker, as Paul nods to the “secret code” he shared with John Lennon but will never reveal.
“Still, despite the absence of any real bombshells, it’s a pleasure to accompany McCartney as he gets back to where he once belonged.”
The music legend also said that he only expected people to care about the band for “a couple of years, if we’re lucky”
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