Paul McCartney Says The Rock Hall Broke A Promise

Although Paul McCartney entered the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist in 1999, a previously unpublished 2015 interview reveals that the former Beatle had long felt the recognition arrived later than it should have.

The conversation took place in March 2015 when journalist Joe Hagan interviewed McCartney while researching his book Sticky Fingers: The Life and Times of Jann Wenner and Rolling Stone Magazine. The biography of Jann Wenner—co-founder of Rolling Stone—was eventually released in 2017, though only a small portion of their lengthy discussion appeared in the final book. Years later, the full exchange surfaced through Vanity Fair, shedding new light on McCartney’s feelings about the Hall of Fame process.

A Surprise Phone Call — and Growing Frustration

While The Beatles were inducted into the Rock Hall in 1988, McCartney had frequently attended ceremonies in the years that followed. He later appeared at Ringo Starr’s 2015 induction and delivered a speech when the Foo Fighters were honored in 2021.

However, McCartney recalled being caught off guard when Wenner contacted him about inducting his late bandmate John Lennon.

At first, he agreed, but then he reconsidered when he realized that his own solo work was not scheduled for recognition in the same class.

“I got back to him and said, ‘Well, wait a minute. What about me? Maybe I’ll do John, and then maybe I should go in,’” McCartney remembered. “And it was like, ‘Oh no, we can’t do that.’”

According to McCartney, Wenner suggested that his own induction would happen the following year. McCartney said he accepted the explanation at the time, but when the next year passed without an invitation, frustration set in.

“I said, ‘Okay.’ And I bought the deal. Next year came around [and nothing happened],” he said. “So it was like, ‘Can you ring Jann? What’s going on? I don’t appear to be in it.’ F—ing bastards.”

The Complicated McCartney–Wenner Dynamic

In later years, Wenner stated that he did not remember making any promise regarding a 1995 induction. Still, the episode reflected what McCartney described as a complicated relationship with the influential publisher.

McCartney suggested that Wenner had long been perceived as more sympathetic toward Lennon than toward him. Following Lennon’s death in the 1980 Assassination of John Lennon, McCartney believed the narrative surrounding the Beatles’ legacy shifted.

“The thing about John Lennon and McCartney was we were always equal,” he said. “But once John got murdered, he became the martyr — the Buddy Holly, the James Dean character — because of the atrocity.”

He added that this evolving narrative, encouraged by figures such as Yoko Ono and influential media voices, affected how he viewed Wenner’s stance.

“So none of these things endeared me to him. And it was always, ‘It’s not me.’”

McCartney eventually did receive his long-awaited solo induction in 1999. To mark the moment, his daughter Stella McCartney famously wore a T-shirt reading, “About f—ing time.”

Meanwhile, Wenner’s connection to the Rock Hall has diminished in recent years. In 2023, he was removed from the organization’s board following controversial remarks regarding female and Black musicians.

McCartney’s Recent Projects and Life After the Road

Even in his eighties, McCartney continues to stay active creatively. One of his latest projects is the documentary Man on the Run, directed by filmmaker Morgan Neville. The film explores McCartney’s post-Beatles career in the 1970s, particularly the formation and rise of his band Wings.

After spending several years on the road with his Got Back tour between 2022 and 2025, McCartney appears to be enjoying a pause from touring in 2026. Fans, however, still have plenty to explore—from the documentary, now streaming on Amazon Prime Video, to the recent book Wings: The Story of a Band on the Run and the band’s first comprehensive anthology release.