When did John Lennon and Paul McCartney’s feud become art and one of the greatest rivalries in rock music history?
The first inter-band feud
We’re finally here and – yep – you guessed it. The Beatles weren’t just revolutionary for their innovative music, they were also firsts when it came to watching an inter-band rivalry pan out in real-time, altering the dynamics of both the band and their fanbase and changing the parameters embittered rock and roll.
The long-running, highly publicised fallout between Paul McCartney and John Lennon might not have been the first time two band members fell out in the history of music, but it was certainly the most high-profile, coming from a band who’d smashed the global rulebook and quickly became a source of comfort and inspiration for many. But what did it mean for the future of modern music? Well, a few things actually.
Namely, it introduced the kind back-and-forth string of diss tracks that still captivate audiences today. But one thing we don’t really linger on too much, especially when the drama takes precedent over the details of the music itself, is how much it did for the 1970s rock and pop landscape, with McCartney and Lennon coming at it from two different styles and sensibilities.