On this day February 27 1981 Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder started recording the song Ebony and Ivory a duet that became one of the biggest hits of 1982. The song was later released as a single on March 29 1982 as part of McCartney’s album Tug of War.
Ebony and Ivory became a massive international success, reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States from May 15 to July 2. The song also topped the charts in the UK, Canada, Germany, Spain, Norway, Finland, Iceland, and Israel, making it one of McCartney’s most successful solo-era singles.
The song carried a message of racial harmony and unity, using the black and white keys of a piano as a metaphor for people of different races living together in peace. While its simple and direct message made it widely popular it also faced some criticism for being overly idealistic. However the collaboration between McCartney and Wonder remains one of the most iconic duets of the 1980s.
80s insight: Ebony and Ivory was the first McCartney solo single to reach number one in the US after The Beatles' breakup making it one of his most commercially successful post-Beatles songs.
Ebony and Ivory became a massive international success, reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States from May 15 to July 2. The song also topped the charts in the UK, Canada, Germany, Spain, Norway, Finland, Iceland, and Israel, making it one of McCartney’s most successful solo-era singles.
The song carried a message of racial harmony and unity, using the black and white keys of a piano as a metaphor for people of different races living together in peace. While its simple and direct message made it widely popular it also faced some criticism for being overly idealistic. However the collaboration between McCartney and Wonder remains one of the most iconic duets of the 1980s.
80s insight: Ebony and Ivory was the first McCartney solo single to reach number one in the US after The Beatles' breakup making it one of his most commercially successful post-Beatles songs.
