His last big song

[EddieV]

All though he has released very good album the last 15 years, his last great song, classic, for me is Coming Up.

Songs which came close: Here Today, Flaming Pie and Calico Skies...

[maccafan82]

That's too bad that you feel that way. I think he has had a number of classic songs just in the past 10 years (disregarding the chart position). I love Mr. Bellamy from Memory Almost Full. From Chaos, I would say Jenny Wren, Promise to you Girl and This Never Happened Before. Driving Rain doesn't have an all-time classic in my opinion. On Run Devil Run, No Other Baby is a classic even though he didn't write it. I would put it in my top 10 of all solo McCartney songs. And last, on Flaming Pie, Beautiful Night is by far my favorite solo song of McCartney's. It easily could have been on Abbey Road.

[bonovox66]

Are you talking chart position wise or personally Eddie?

Chart wise he has had a few since Coming Up (No More Lonely nights comes to mind).

Personally though I would say the past 14 years have been one of my favorite periods fort Paul. Calico Skies is not only my favorite solo Macca son, but favorite Macca song period. And I would rank it only behind God Only Knows as my all time favorite song. There are so many others... how Kind of You is hauntingly good, Anyway is also up there as one of my favorite Macca songs (though it sounds more like a Randy Newman tune), Memory Almost Full from begining to end is a classic if you ask me. Lastly I'd say-based on audience response-Sing The Changes is a really great classic song.

I guess it is all a matter of taste.

[eggman1979]

Am I the only one who loves House of wax???

[ahawk66]

I agree with several of you that he's put out some really wonderful songs the last 20 or so years - he only became less relevant in the pop charts (which is primarily for the young listener). As for "hits", my guess is that "Spies Like Us" might've been his last top 10. Someone with better knowledge than I can correct me if I'm wrong, but my memory has "No More Lonely Nights" and then, a year or so later, "Spies Like Us" both scraping into the lower part of the top 10. I think I'll google that now! "My Brave Face" may have been his last top 40 hit...

[EddieV]

Some of his best albums has been released the 20 years, very even and homogenic albums. My opinion is just that he has not wriiten a real classic since Coming Up, you kow a really standout track. Maybe No More LOnely Nights.

[mr h atom]

last big song ?

well, i'm gonna swim with the majority, here...
first, the template was not set well by your qusetion, ed: did you mean last big hit...if so, it has a heck of alot more to do with the industry ( both radio and recording ) as well as a healthy dose of the key demographic of the recent/present day...that is...young folks...

if you mean last big, recognizable song, well, i'm afraid i'll pull out a chestnut (and agree, offhandedly, with most of the rest ): when i saw macca on the FITD tour, there were old fogeys who only wanted to hear beatles songs (maybe BOTR...Jet) there were also quite a alot of people who wanted to hear anything the guy did...but there were two teenage girls who wanted to hear the new stuff, they cheered for each new song, each of those were big songs for them (and me)

the same would happen today for kids who listen to a wide variety of music, including macca...( and there are some ).

i know of quite a few who would, especially if ticket prices were far more reasonable, have no problem going to see him, and they would be looking for the new stuff just as much as the old....in some cases, some songs - even more.

each individual might view each song as a big song, thus all the passion many feel around here for various songs (yes, house of wax IS a great song: i'd love to see him do that complete cycle of songs) off all these albums

[jgkojak]

Paul's "last big songs"

LAST 3 Top 10 HITS
Say Say Say #1 (1983)
No More Lonely Nights #6 (1984)
Spies Like Us #7 (1985)

LAST 3 TOP 40 HITS
Spies Like Us #7 (1985)
Press #20 (1986)
My Brave Face #25 (1989)

LAST 3 TOP 100 HITS
The World Tonight #64 (1997)
Freedom #97 (2001)
Dance Tonight #67 (2007)

Note - I actually think had they timed he release of Dance Tonight correctly (i.e. release it as a digital single closer to its peak on radio) it would have cracked the lower Top 40.

Had they done a better music video for The World Tonight, likewise.

[maccafan82]

interesting point on The World Tonight music video. It's a great song, but one of my first memories of being a solo Paul fan was MTV butchering that music video. It was on show where they critiqued and made picks for the Grammy awards. (Flaming Pie was nominated for best album). They showed that video and all of the young kids said how stupid it was. And it is. The video off the Flaming Pie documentary was much better.

[james1985]

Checked shirt with differently checked shorts...oh dear