What is Paul McCartney's solo equivalent to John's Imagine or George's My Sweet Lord?

I was thinking the same thing. As a kid it was on par with Imagine but it hasn't lasted. That being said, it's still his signature solo track. I think in the 70s a lot of ignorant audiences related it to Christianity even though the end clearly shows it's not a Christian song. I think as the years went by and new audiences recognized it was about George's religion at the time, it lost a lot of appeal. Then as even newer audiences cared less and less about religion of any kind it fell even farther. All the more reason Imagine has continued to rise, because it's anti religion.

 

Lmfao !

 

Until the next big war

 

As a signature track that's considered awesome by most it's the studio Maybe I'm Amazed. As for singles (the live Maybe I'm Amazed never was super huge, # 10 US, # 28 UK) I'd go with Silly Love Songs. It was the biggest song of 76 and is the song that best stands for Paul's identity as an artist. Imagine is typical John (Profound lyrics and Peace and Love) My Sweet Lord is typical George ( Inner peace related to the Eastern religions) and Silly Love Songs is typical Paul telling us he's all about romance.

 

As pretty much everyone else has mentioned I would have to say Live & Let Die or Maybe I Am Amazed, although those still aren't quite the same as Imagine or My Sweet Lord.

As for Mull of Kintyre, I don't get the appeal at all and, honestly, I had to look it up to even remember which song that was...guess I am just a thick American

 

Correct answer

 

BOTR.

 

Tug of War
Wanderlust

 

Not to be jackass (though I am), this is his worst.

I'd go with "Give Ireland Back to the Irish" over this claptrap.

 

Well there is Tug of War mentioned three times. Take a listen to it. good song.



McCartney primarily wrote story songs with bits of autobiography in them, Lenmon wrote about himself and his beliefs while ageorge wrote about his spiritualism. They had different approaches and did different type of material.

What's wrong with that? I'd like to know?

Lol

 

Photograph is Ringos best song including The Beatles

 

Band on the Run or Maybe I'm Amazed seem like pretty obvious choices to me.

 

I don't know about George's song following out of favor having anything to do with the fact that folks suddenly realized it was about his religion. For example Catholic Churchs (some not all mind you) adopted it for their masses and they knew what the song was all about. I think most folks either never realized it and those that did recognized realized it was just universal enough to be applied to their own religious beliefs.

It's more the passage of time. I think that Lennon's anthem as you stated is a bit more universal but I've also heard folks Make fun of the hippie sentiments (not realizing that it isn't about having an ideal world but trying to imagine one in hopes that we MIGHT achieve this idealistic goal)

Eventually the same thing will befall Lennon's song, too.

 

Spot on. For me Hey Jude and Let It Be could easily be but not much else could. That's not a bad thing. Its just the way he's written over his career. I think Freedom was a conscious effort to be an anthem but it failed miserably. For what ever reasons, the public just didn't buy into it.

 

Lennon's song has had 44 years to fall and hasn't. George's says Hare Krishna. That's not universal. Imagine's no god or religion at all concept isn't universal either but it hasn't mattered

 

John and George were certainly better at writing anthems "for the people" than Paul during the post-Beatles years but he's had some but they weren't released as singles.

 

When I think of best solo songs of their career, I think of Lennon's "Imagine", George's "All Things Must Pass", Paul "Band On The Run" and Ringo "It Don't Come Easy". My views on their best songs have changed a little over the years. Frankly, although I love Macca, IMHO he has never matched "Imagine", but few songs by any artist can equal John's masterpiece.

 

It's beyond George's song saying Hare Krishna. The words "my sweet lord" opens it up to universality. The fact that I've heard it performed in Catholic Churches kind of indicates that they aren't likely to adopt a song they feel would promote something else. My Sweet Lord has a universal message regardless of religious beliefs. Sure George says that but that doesn't limit the appeal of the song. You can adapt the song. I also think that Lennon's murder added to the appeal of the song.

I'm sure there are people that don't realize the complete implication of Lennon's song either. I actually have heard both about the same on radio. I don't know that Lennon's song hasn't fallen. Both are certainly played less than, say, a decade ago.

As with any song, it'll happen eventually. I don't think that it's immune to it either.

 

Nah, Mull of Kintyre is embarassing. Should never have been recorded. Possibly his worst, maybe just beaten by one of his granny songs. I still love him though

 

It's almost two sides of a a coin. Lennon's song is all about imagining a world where imaginary things like "heaven and hell" don't exist and we can make the real world a better place. Whereas Harrison's song is saying that that if you believe in the imaginary things such as "the lord", then things will be better just because of that. Both are pretty much out of reach, but I'll come down firmly on John's side because I think the human race would be better off if we could throw off the shackles of religion in general.

 

Valid point on Lennon's Murder. Still I think it would have continued to covered heavily

 

There isn't one. Paul doesn't write the deep lyrics the way John and George did. Certainly nothing spiritual.

 

Maybe not so spiritual, but the yearning for release from confinement and bondage is palpable on Band on the Run (the first of his tunes that I thought of).

 

That's what I think.
He'd already done it before either of them with "Yesterday". Difficult to do it again.

 

I haven't read the entire thread, so I don't know if this has been mentioned, but as far as I know Yesterday was pretty much a Paul McCartney solo composition/recording, wasn't it? If so, I'd say that song qualifies.