Paul McCartney says Taylor Swift’s worldwide fame parallels that of The Beatles
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Paul McCartney has compared the worldwide popularity of Taylor Swift to the cultural phenomenon once experienced by The Beatles during the height of Beatlemania in the 1960s.
Speaking during a recent appearance on BBC Radio 2, McCartney reflected on modern celebrity culture, contemporary pop stars, and the changing nature of worldwide musical success. He also discussed meeting several younger artists and shared his thoughts on their growing influence in global music.
Paul McCartney likens Taylor Swift’s global popularity to Beatlemania
In the interview aired on Monday, May 25, McCartney praised Swift, calling her "clever" and a "very good" performer while discussing the scale of her international fame and influence in modern pop culture. He said, “You do see the parallel of the amount of fame and the worldwide fame that Taylor Swift has and that we had as The Beatles.”
When asked if he had any advice for Swift, the 83-year-old said, "I don't think she needs any advice to tell you the truth."
McCartney also spoke warmly about meeting several younger artists during a party hosted with the help of his wife Nancy Shevell and daughter Stella McCartney. According to him, Swift attended alongside Billie Eilish, Olivia Rodrigo, and Sabrina Carpenter.
He said, “I do meet them [pop singers] – we had a party. My wife and my daughter Stella are very good at getting cool people to a party. A lot of those girls were at this party, and I ended up chatting to them all because there was Taylor, there was Billie Eilish, there was Olivia Rodrigo, there was Sabrina Carpenter.”
“They’re really cool people. They’re very good,” McCartney said.
Swift has recently surpassed several records previously held by The Beatles. In October last year, she became the first artist to have seven songs simultaneously in the Global Chart Top 10, overtaking the band's previous record of six songs achieved in 1964.
Despite frequent comparisons between the two, the singer previously appeared hesitant to place herself alongside the legendary band. During an appearance on ‘The Late Show’, host Stephen Colbert suggested that her fan reception resembled Beatlemania.
The 'Lover' singer responded, “I don’t know, I think they had a whole thing going.”
Paul McCartney recalls unforgettable meeting with Elvis Presley
During the same interview, McCartney also revisited the evening The Beatles met Elvis Presley in Los Angeles in 1965. He described the meeting with the King of Rock and Roll as a surreal and unforgettable experience.
He said, “He was really great. He was a very handsome guy – but we kind of knew that. We were fans. We just followed everything he did, and we looked at any photo we could get. He wasn’t a disappointment at all.”
McCartney also joked about conflicting memories between himself and Ringo Starr regarding how the meeting unfolded. He stated, “I say that we rang the doorbell and Elvis came to the door and said, ‘Come in, guys’. He invited us in and we sat around and he had a jukebox, and played Mohair Sam, the record.”
“Ringo says he didn’t come to the door, we went in and he was sitting there. So who’s right? I am,” he further joked. McCartney also recalled meeting Priscilla Presley and described the experience as another memorable moment from the visit.
"You’re inviting four guys into your home – probably the last thing you need is them to be all over your wife. It was great, she was great, Elvis was great. You pinch yourself. I met – I actually sat with, like I’m sitting with you, Elvis," he added.
