Paul McCartney shared song-publishing advice with Michael Jackson, who later outbid him for The Beatles catalog and sparked a long rights battle.
Michael Jackson’s rise to global superstardom is one story—yet his connection to The Beatles contains a twist that still resonates with music fans and artists alike.. In the middle of today’s conversations about artists reclaiming their work. Paul McCartney’s experience remains a cautionary tale. starting with advice he gave Jackson about song publishing and ending with a major rights loss.
Long before Jackson released the hits that would define an era, he crossed paths with McCartney in the early 1970s.. McCartney, describing the meeting in later reflections, said Jackson asked him directly if he had any guidance.. With years of experience behind him. McCartney offered three pieces of advice: to make provocative music videos. to secure a strong manager because the business income cycle could change. and to step into song publishing. which he framed as a lucrative lane for creators.
That’s when the conversation took an unexpected turn.. McCartney recalled Jackson telling him that he was going to buy McCartney’s songs.. The Beatle laughed at the idea at the time, assuming it was a joke.. But it wasn’t. and the difference between that early confidence and the later outcome helps explain why the relationship became so complicated.
Their friendship and collaboration eventually became a defining part of both artists’ legacies in the decades that followed.. The report described how they worked together through the 1980s. co-writing hits including “Say Say Say” and “This Girl Is Mine.” Yet that creative bond would later collide with a business decision that McCartney viewed as a betrayal.
The turning point came in 1985. when Northern Songs—the publishing company McCartney had been involved with alongside John Lennon and Beatles manager Brian Epstein—was up for sale.. McCartney had been trying to buy back the music he believed had been taken from him after mismanagement in the 1960s left him without control of creations he felt were rightfully his.
Instead of securing the deal, McCartney said Jackson outbid him.. The report states that Jackson purchased The Beatles’ catalog for $47.5 million.. From McCartney’s perspective. this was more than a competitive move—it was a loss that never sat well. particularly because the two had been friends and collaborators.
McCartney’s anger wasn’t only about the outcome, but about the lack of compromise after the sale.. He repeatedly attempted to reach agreements to buy back his own songs. only to meet a refusal. according to the report.. He also criticized what he felt was Jackson’s dismissive attitude toward how much the music mattered to their estranged friendship.
In one recollection. McCartney described writing to Jackson to ask for a raise after decades of success in the company—framing it as something that should have led to renegotiation.. Jackson’s reported response was blunt: “that’s just business.” For McCartney. the message seemed to confirm that the business logic outweighed any personal history. leaving him stuck in a long fight to reclaim what he felt was taken.
Despite never reaching an agreement during Jackson’s era, the story didn’t end with that 1985 loss. Decades later, McCartney was able to recover some of the legacy that had been removed from him, following the report’s account of Sony buying out the Jackson estate’s stake in 2016.
The legal path McCartney leaned on came through the US Copyright Act of 1976.. As described in the report, that framework allows artists to reclaim rights after 56 years from release.. The earliest eligible Beatles compositions could be reclaimed starting in 2018, with later catalog entries following year by year through 2026.
This year marked another milestone in that process. as the report notes that “Let It Be. ” the last Beatles release. became eligible.. For McCartney. it’s a late-arriving moment of vindication—especially because he’s waited patiently. like other major artists have done. for each new eligibility window to open.
Still, the victory isn’t fully universal.. The report emphasizes that Sony retains publishing rights outside the United States. meaning McCartney does not completely own his share of the catalog worldwide.. That detail matters. because it helps explain why even triumphant headlines about reclaiming rights don’t always translate into complete control.
Even so, the arc of this story lands on something bigger than one catalog purchase.. It echoes the ongoing struggle many artists face when ownership. publishing rights. and the business side of music collide with creative labor.. For fans. the details also make the relationship between Jackson and McCartney feel even more human: advice offered in good faith. friendship built on collaboration. and then a rights battle that dragged on for decades before a partial return began.
Michael Jackson Paul McCartney Beatles catalog Northern Songs music publishing rights copyright reclaiming Sony publishing