Who was the better musician John Lennon or Paul McCartney?

Question

I think this is impossible to answer just because they are really equal in every way. For every John song there is an equally good Paul song. And for every slightly lower standard John song there is also such a Paul song. They complement each other. I love them best together. I think it depends on the mood. But Lennon-McCartney together- that is magic and suitable for every possible mood!

Answer 1

Paul

Answer 2

Impossible to answer? Not really...I think Lennon was the better singer and songwriter (I can only take so many of Macca's silly love songs..."Eleanor Rigby" is one of the only socially relevant songs he's ever written). But you're asking better MUSICIAN...that would be McCartney, hands down. I mean, he's a multiinstrumentalist genius...off the top of my head, Paul McCartney, Stephen Stills and Pete Townshend are the only people I know who have made amazing albums where they played all the instruments themselves. Especially Macca...I don't think it's a coincidence that his best albums ("Band On The Run", "Tug Of War", "Flaming Pie") are the ones he made pretty much singlehandedly. Lennon, on the other hand, was an amazing singer, but merely a competent (at best) instrumentalist (which I'm sure he'd agree with). His guitar playing is nothing special (I daresay McCartney is even a better guitar player than George Harrison...e.g. "Taxman"- that's Paul playing the solo) and his piano playing never fails to remind me of a strugging first year piano student ("Imagine"...my least favourite Lennon song). What made John Lennon's MUSIC great was the musicians he played with (Eric Clapton, Nicky Hopkins, Jim Keltner)...Lennon just sort of strummed along.

What made the Lennon/McCartney songwriting team so great was how the parts made up more than the sum. But let's not forget that, if it wasn't for John Lennon, there wouldn't be a Paul McCartney- he'd just be another working joe stuck in Liverpool. Macca owes his entire career to John Lennon (and I think deep down he knows it).

Answer 3

John Lennon

Answer 4

Preface: George Martin. He was the one with musicianship education, and was able to pull together their music. Interesting to hear what direction John & Paul's music took, after breaking their business arrangement with the Beatles and George Martin.

1. As far as John and Paul. Those of us who lived during the British Invasion, knew who wrote what song, despite the Lennon-McCartney credit on each song.

2. They sang vocal lead on their own songs, except the actual co-written songs (i.e. A Day In The Life).

3. Who's better is all relative to taste. They each had unique writing styles.

Good Luck and Warm Wishes.

Answer 5

First, of all the question was better musician not better song writer and in that respect john was the clear winner. He was the band's original lead guitarist before it became aparent that George was way better than him and that was when they moved Paul to bass.

Second, John was clearly the better lyricist. the way you can tell this if you don't have a catlog of their works which I do is to listen for who sings vocal lead. If it is Paul then John wrote that song and if it is John then Paul wrote that song. And if you watch their anthology you begin to recognize the fact that Sir George Martin had more to do with the music than he was ever given credit for back in the days. He sound engineered the classic Beatles sound which is what most people confuse for music. So, you really have to take his word when he says that they were colaborative only to a point. They helped each other towards the end of songs.

With all this in mind, I think John was the better lyracist. Paul was the better singer and did better with John's more esoteric lyrics. Paul's lyrics were simple in comparison and fit Johns simpler although purer voice patterns.

I vote John.

Answer 6

John

Answer 7

Paul Mccartney!

Answer 8

Paul McCartney.

Answer 9

the two are inventive and great musicians, yet for my area i think of Paul became the musical genius of the band, while John became the lyricist and inventive genius. So i'd say Paul. BQ: of path! whilst everyone else interior the band became scuffling with and getting offended with one yet another, Ringo became rather everyone's pal. as properly, whilst he quickly left the band, rather everyone worked at the same time to hold him lower back and adorned the studio with vegetation for him. In those later years, he became the only individual who the different 3 have been waiting to have faith to an quantity.

Answer 10

Paul.
Lennon-McCartney was on alot of songs that they both wrote, or wrote seperately.
For space saving, the name McCartney was dropped alot.
So Lennon got credit for songs he didn't write. Like Let it Be.