Paul McCartney once picked the songs that he considered to be part of his essential soundtrack, and placed a John Lennon deep cut on the top spot. In conversation with Roy Plomley for BBC Radio 4’s long-running programme Desert Island Discs - which has been on air since 1942 -, the legendary Beatles star opened up about what he would take with him if he was stranded on a desert island: books, music, luxury items, and more. But what melted fans’ hearts at the time, in 1982, was that McCartney mentioned a personal John Lennon track - just two years after his passing.
Here are the songs Paul McCartney could not live without: Released in 1956, ‘Heartbreak Hotel’ can be considered one of the most inspiring songs to the generation of artists that came after it - and is frequently included in lists of other iconic musicians’ favourite tracks . About it, McCartney said: “To me, that sort of takes me back to when I was first buying records. Up until that point, it had been sort of Billy Cotton and swing and bebop and stuff, but suddenly rock and roll kind of burst on the scene.
And Elvis was one of the first people that kind of really made me take an interest. I remember being at school when this record came out”. Chuck Berry was a pivotal figure known for blending rock and roll and R&B in the 50s, and the hit ‘Sweet Little Sixteen’ represents his legacy for Paul McCartney.
“On most of the records I’m picking today, I could have chosen other records from these pe.
