How David Bowie Saved Paul McCartney From His Worst Career Crisis: “Complete Disaster”

After The Beatles split, Paul McCartney formed Wings but judged the band harshly against his former group’s unprecedented success. He says David Bowie helped him see that Wings’ achievements were substantial, despite not matching The Beatles’ cultural stature.

McCartney recalled calling the album *Back to the Egg* a “complete disaster” because it had not met his expectations. Looking it up with Bowie in a chart history book, he found it had reached number eight in the United States, a position he recognised many artists would prize. He also said critics were tough on Wings, but he had been especially hard on the band himself.