I Can't Believe Paul McCartney's Greatest Collaborator Bought The Beatles' Catalog For ...
As chronicled by Billboard, 40 years ago, Paul McCartney gave Michael Jackson the idea of buying music and how lucrative owning someone else's publishing would be. Out of that idea, Michael Jackson had the even brighter idea of buying the Beatles' catalog. The best part is that the King of Pop was always straightforward with the Beatles alumni about his intentions. McCartney just never took those claims seriously.
All McCartney did was laugh until it was too late. McCartney had his own chance to buy The Beatles catalog, but he waited too long, and MJ beat him to the punch.
The longer that their music collaborations progressed, the longer Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson had opportunities to have personal conversations that turned into business advice. During one such candid conversation, McCartney (who by 1982 already owned a grocery list's worth of catalogs, including that of Buddy Holly's) would express to Jackson the value of investing in someone else's music. Michael Jackson's response to Paul McCartney would end up haunting the former member of the Beatles for years, especially when he thought MJ was joking. One day, I'll own your songs.
The battle over The Beatles' music began long before Michael Jackson put his bid in, dating back to 1969 when John Lennon and Paul McCartney first attempted and failed to regain control of their publishing once their publishing company, Northern Songs, was sold to Sir Lew Grade of Associated Television. The bid intensified in 1984 when ATV put its songs (251 of which belonged to The Beatles) up for sale. Paul McCartney had an interest in buying it, which would've finally given him back the songs he helped create.
Source: screenrant.com/Joe Anthony Myrick
