Paul McCartney Has a Theory Why John Lennon Is More Remembered Than George Harrison

All The Beatles are classic rock gods, but some are more famous than others. Paul McCartney said John Lennon is more posthumously famous than George Harrison. Paul discussed why this might be the case and his explanation had nothing to do with their artistic outputs. Interestingly, John once contrasted himself with George as an artist — and his words were not completely flattering.

Paul McCartney said John Lennon’s death was more harrowing than George Harrison’s

During a 2020 interview with The New York Times, a reporter noted that people tend to ask Paul more about John than George. “John is probably the one in the group you would remember, but the circumstances of his death were particularly harrowing,” he said. “When you die horrifically, you’re remembered more. 

“But I like your point, which is: What about George?” he added. “I often think of George because he was my little buddy. I was thinking the other day of my hitchhiking bursts. This was before The Beatles. I suddenly was keen on hitchhiking, so I sold this idea to George and then John.”

Paul McCartney said a hiking trip with the ‘All Those Years Ago’ singer was a big deal

Paul was asked about the time he hiked to Devon, England with the “My Sweet Lord” singer. “We did that, and then I also hitchhiked with John,” he said. “He and I got as far as Paris. What I was thinking about was — it’s interesting how I was the instigator. Neither of them came to me and said, ‘Should we go hitchhiking?’ It was me, like, ‘I’ve got this great idea.'”

Paul felt that bold style became part of The Beatles’ modus operandi. “My theory is that attitude followed us into our recording career,” he said. “Everyone was hanging out in the sticks, and I used to ring them up and say, ‘Guys, it’s time for an album.'” In Paul’s memory, he was the one to push the other members of The Beatles to record new material, the same way he was the one who would come up with the idea to go on hitchhiking holidays.

John Lennon felt he was more essential to The Beatles than George Harrison

The book All We Are Saying: The Last Major Interview with John Lennon and Yoko Ono features an interview from 1980. In it, John was upfront about his feelings toward his former bandmates. John opined that he and Paul could have created The Beatles without help from George or Ringo Starr. He went on to say his comment did not detract from George and Ringo as artists.

The “Power to the People” singer had plenty of praise for both singers. He said Ringo was a talented drummer and a talented actor. He also said George showed off his songwriting prowess with the psychedelic piece “Within You Without You” from Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.

John and George were both rock ‘n’ roll maestros but John might be more famous in death due to forces beyond his control.