Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney are considered two of the great music artists of the 20th century. The pop stars maintained a friendship at the dawn of the 1980s that is exemplified by the many occasions on which they were seen sharing events, evenings or shows together.
Despite being 16 years apart, that fact did not affect a beautiful friendship. McCartney collaborated on the song ‘The Girl Is Mine’, the third title track of the timeless album ‘Thriller’. He also wrote ‘Girlfriend’ for ‘Off The Wall’, the first album by the ‘King of Pop’. For his part, Michael Jackson did the same with the Briton on his song ‘Say Say Say’, which spent six weeks at number one in the United States.
However, an issue that both artists also shared would dynamite their relationship: the purchase of other artists’ rights. McCartney already had those of songwriters such as Al Jolson and Buddy Holly, while the ‘King of Pop’ had done the same with those of Sly and the Family Stone.
The Beatles’ music rights: the mother of all disputes
This brings us, in turn, to one of the longest-running music wars in history: the Beatles’ music rights. In a web of shenanigans, sales and purchases from one side or the other, Jackson appears. The siege is closing. In 1985, the ownership of the Liverpool band’s music was once again put up for sale. Neither Paul nor Yoko Ono entered the bidding, but Michael did. The number one in music at the time acquired the ATV Music catalogue, which included more than 4,000 songs. These include songs by Elvis Presley or the Rolling Stones, but also 251 Beatles songs.
Rumour had it that it was a move by the former Beatle to bring the rights into his possession, but the relationship between Jackson and McCartney was never to be the same again. The American sold the Beatles’ catalogue to Sony Music, until, in 2017, McCartney was able to get his hands on it. Thanks to American copyright law, the Briton achieved a seemingly endless dream that once ended a friendship.