Paul McCartney Has Played This Beatles Song Live More Than Any Other

Paul McCartney has always had a passion for live performance. Right from The Beatles’ heady days in Hamburg – when the group would play for eight to 10 hours a day – to his current globe-trotting international runs, the legendary songwriter has relished a connection with audiences. It’s part of what set him apart from the other members of the Fab Four – while John Lennon and George Harrison were keen to get off the road, he always had an itch to get out there and tour.

The legendary figure’s live shows are packed with classic after classic, with the data at Setlist.com making for revealing reading.

Of the 40 most-played songs on Macca’s tours – and around 800 shows have been inputted to the site – the majority are from his Beatles days, testimony to the group’s enduring popularity. The most-represented post-Beatles record is Wings’ all-time classic ‘Band On The Run’, which supplies live highlights such as ‘Jet’.

A closer look at the Top 10 reveals some of the most popular moments of the Paul McCartney live show – ‘Live And Let Die’ and ‘Band On The Run’ are the most-cited Wings tracks, with the Top Three representing a golden Beatles run-down.

Singalong classic ‘Hey Jude’ is in third place, with Paul McCartney’s plaintive ode ‘Let It Be’ in second place.  Only just out in front in first place is ‘Lady Madonna’, a piano driven number which has been played in concert 800 times.

It’s remarkable testament to the power ‘Lady Madonna’ holds, but also the competitive nature of a Paul McCartney set list. A decade ago, a similar poll placed ‘Let It Be’ comfortably out in front – who knows what the next tour holds…

Source: Robin Murray/clashmusic.com