“Hero”: The two artists who will always astound Paul McCartney
The moment that Paul McCartney appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show alongside his Beatles bandmates, a surge of aspiring musicians felt compelled to follow their dreams. Standing beside George Harrison, wearing matching suits with eyes filled with energy and wonder, McCartney and his musical brothers signalled the beginning of a new movement marked by creativity and raw hype.
From then on, McCartney solidified his position as a unified symbol of music, infiltrating many mainstream spaces and remaining a central figure in contemporary music spaces. While the legacy of The Beatles has become more mythologised over time—or commodified, depending on perspectives—McCartney has stayed authentic, driven by his unabashed passion and humble aura.
“People say, ‘Do you believe in magic?’ And I say, ‘I’ve got to,'” the musician told GQ a few years back. Some musicians of McCartney’s grandeur and calibre—of which, granted, there are few—neglect to recognise the poignancy of their own position, instead relying on self-effacing cadences or remarks filled with their own ego, but McCartney understands his uniqueness, choosing to hold the preciousness of his legacy close, rather than diminishing it with false humility.
For this reason, it’s both easy and difficult to imagine him having his own influences the same way many view him, as someone who appreciates the gravity of his legacy while consistently appreciating the work of those around him. However, from the early days of The Beatles to today, there are a select few names who continue to inspire him and keep him grounded in the world of art.
The first, which isn’t too difficult to see why, is Bob Dylan. From those crucial early years to their disbandment, The Beatles were enamoured with the work of Dylan, often taking many of his tropes and sensibilities and reframing them within their own work. There were moments when they rejected this notion, of course, but for the most part, Dylan was a major guiding principle.
Responding to a previous comment Dylan made about McCartney being “the only one I’m in awe of,” the musician echoed with similar sentiments, telling The Onion that he was their “hero.” He said: “That was so cool. Because I’m in awe of Bob. Y’know, people say, ‘Who’s your hero?’ And he’s always been,” adding, “In The Beatles, he was our hero. I think he’s great. He hit a period where people went, ‘Oh, I don’t like him now.’ And I said, ‘No. It’s Bob Dylan.'”
The other name he praised wasn’t a musical aficionado like Dylan, but an art legend by definition: Pablo Picasso. “To me, it’s like Picasso, where people discuss his various periods, ‘This was better than this, was better than this,'” he said, continuing, “But I go, ‘No. It’s Picasso. It’s all good.’ Whether it’s bad or good, it’s all Picasso.”
It makes sense why McCartney would regard those two as the only ones whose reputation transcends any “bad” artistic periods, with their impact growing so expansive and otherworldly that any criticisms don’t even seem to matter any more. While some would argue that McCartney has this capability, in his eyes, Dylan and Picasso earned unique positions that will always be awe-inspiring.
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