Trivia Cafe
8

Can you name the titles of the two singles recorded by Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson?

Learn More

SAY, SAY, SAY / THE GIRL IS MINE   note: ebony and ivory was paul and stevie wonder - entertainment illustration
SAY, SAY, SAY / THE GIRL IS MINE note: ebony and ivory was paul and stevie wonder — entertainment

When two of the biggest superstars in music history decided to collaborate, the results were bound to be memorable. Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson joined forces in the early 1980s, first releasing "The Girl Is Mine" in 1982. The track, a lighthearted conversational duet about two friends (Review) vying for the same woman's affection, served as the lead single for Jackson's monumental album, *Thriller*. It was a massive global hit that perfectly showcased the chemistry between the two music legends.

A year later, they struck gold again with "Say Say Say," an even more successful single that appeared on McCartney's album, *Pipes of Peace*. This upbeat, funk-influenced track shot to number one in the United States and was accompanied by a famous music video where the pair played traveling con artists. The song was recorded before "The Girl Is Mine" but was released afterward, marking the final collaboration between the two.

Many people mistakenly believe "Ebony and Ivory" was one of their duets, but that was McCartney's equally famous 1982 hit about racial harmony with Stevie Wonder. Unfortunately, the friendship between McCartney and Jackson famously soured a few years later when Jackson purchased the publishing rights to the Beatles' song catalog, ending what was one of the most powerful, albeit brief, partnerships in pop music history.