Paul McCartney’s Deep Admiration for Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath — And the Rock Drummer He Ranked Among the Greatest
When Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath emerged in the late 1960s, The Beatles were already one of the biggest forces in popular music. Yet Paul McCartney never seemed threatened by the heavier, darker sound that followed.
Instead, the former Beatle recognized what made these new rock giants so powerful — and one drummer in particular earned an extraordinary place in his personal rankings.
McCartney Saw Something Special in Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath’s darker style was radically different from the polished pop sound that had dominated much of the 1960s.
But McCartney understood the appeal.
In the documentary God Bless Ozzy Osbourne, he reflected on how unusual Sabbath seemed when the band first appeared, particularly its willingness to explore darker themes that mainstream rock rarely touched.
To McCartney, that fascination was part of what made the band interesting. The darker side of life, he suggested, could be just as compelling as the lighter side — much like the enduring fascination with Dracula and vampires.
But his connection with Led Zeppelin went even further.
Led Zeppelin Left McCartney Impressed
McCartney saw Led Zeppelin perform during the 1970s and was struck by the band’s ability to function as a single musical unit.
Speaking to the Los Angeles Times in 1974, he explained that a great live performance depended on musicians having complete confidence in one another.
Led Zeppelin, in his view, had exactly that.
The group had developed an almost instinctive understanding onstage, allowing Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, John Paul Jones and John Bonham to operate with the kind of chemistry that could turn a concert into something much bigger than four musicians simply playing songs.
And then there was Bonham.
John Bonham Was One of McCartney’s Favorite Drummers
McCartney’s admiration for John Bonham was remarkable.
When naming his favorite drummers, he placed Bonham second only to Ringo Starr, with The Who’s Keith Moon also among his top choices.
Bonham wasn’t simply someone McCartney respected professionally. The two became friends, and McCartney was fascinated by the sheer force behind the Zeppelin drummer’s playing.
He once recalled Bonham’s answer when asked how he wanted his tom-toms to sound:
“Like cannons!”
For McCartney, that description perfectly captured Bonham’s approach.
The power of Bonham’s drumming was particularly obvious on Led Zeppelin’s “Kashmir,” a song McCartney repeatedly pointed to when discussing the drummer’s extraordinary abilities.
Decades later, his admiration had not faded.
When asked in 2019 to create his dream band, McCartney selected Bonham as his drummer. His fantasy lineup also included Billy Preston, John Entwistle, Jimi Hendrix and Elvis Presley.
McCartney Actually Recorded With Bonham
Their relationship went beyond admiration.
McCartney and Bonham actually worked together in the studio.
Bonham played on a 1975 demo of Wings’ “Beware My Love.” He later appeared on “Rockestra Theme” and “So Glad to See You Here,” both released on Wings’ 1979 album Back to the Egg.
When a fan asked McCartney in 2014 what it had been like playing with Bonham, his answer was simple and enthusiastic.
“It was fantastic!”
McCartney described Bonham as a great friend and a powerful drummer who had long belonged among his personal favorites.
Ozzy Osbourne Once Wanted McCartney on Bass
McCartney’s connection to Black Sabbath also produced an unexpected story involving Ozzy Osbourne.
The pair met in 2001 while appearing at the same Los Angeles studio for separate appearances on The Howard Stern Show. Around that time, McCartney had been approached about playing bass on Osbourne’s song “Dreamer.”
But McCartney ultimately declined.
He reportedly felt he couldn’t improve upon the bass part already recorded by Rob Trujillo.
For Osbourne, however, meeting McCartney was far more significant than the potential collaboration.
The Black Sabbath frontman told the former Beatle that The Beatles had inspired him to become a musician.
For Ozzy, Meeting McCartney Was Almost Unbelievable
The Beatles weren’t merely another famous band to Osbourne. They were his favorite group and a major reason he wanted to become a musician.
He later recorded The Beatles’ “In My Life” for his 2005 album Under Cover.
Osbourne even recalled imagining, as a child, that McCartney might marry his sister — simply because it would give him a way to meet his musical hero.
When that meeting finally happened decades later, Osbourne struggled to find the right words. In his memoir I Am Ozzy, he compared the difficulty of speaking to McCartney with trying to have a conversation with God.
The two legends would cross paths again in 2008, when the Osbourne family introduced McCartney at the BRIT Awards as he received the Outstanding Contribution honor.
“Kashmir” May Best Explain McCartney’s Zeppelin Fascination
McCartney never needed to compete with the heavier generation that followed The Beatles.
Instead, he recognized their individuality.
Black Sabbath brought darkness and mystery to rock. Led Zeppelin brought enormous power, musicianship and chemistry.
But among all those musicians, John Bonham seemed to stand apart for McCartney.
The former Beatle had already helped redefine popular music before Zeppelin and Sabbath arrived. Yet decades later, he could still speak with genuine admiration about the musicians who came after him.
And when it came to Bonham, the praise was especially meaningful.
McCartney didn’t simply see John Bonham as a great drummer — he regarded him as one of the very best.