Paul McCartney says one thing would have reunited The Beatles if John Lennon were still alive

Though a reunion between The Beatles never came to be, Paul McCartney says one thing would have gotten the band back together.

The Wings frontman confirmed had John Lennon not been murdered on December 8, 1980, then there could have been a route to getting the Fab Four back together. McCartney, who performed with fellow Beatles member Ringo Starr in December 2024, says there was a high possibility of The Beatles getting back together before Lennon’s death. Speaking to an interviewer on the chances of The Beatles reforming if Lennon were “here today,” McCartney says it would have more than likely happened. McCartney believes the terms of the reunion would have been based on the Anthology project.

The Anthology project was an episodic documentary which features Starr, McCartney, and George Harrison reflecting on The Beatles’ history. A re-release of the book, Anthology, is expected later this year. Speaking on the project, McCartney suggested it would have been enough for The Beatles to consider not only getting back in the studio, as they did for Free as a Bird, but also on stage.

He said: “It’s highly likely that before the Anthology project we might have reunited, you know, if John were around. People give us a lot of offers, some huge money, to reunite, but you can’t do it without John. The Beatles was The Beatles, and people say ‘Well maybe Julian [Lennon] or Sean [Ono Lennon] could sit in,” but you can’t do it.

“Without John there is no Beatles. There’s ‘The Threetles’ but it’s not the same. So we just got into the Anthology project, just enjoyed it, and when we did Free as a Bird, it was as if John was there. He’s in the headphones. That was enough.”

It is not the first time The Beatles considered reforming, with a lucrative offer from Lorne Michaels, showrunner of Saturday Night Live, tempting both Lennon and McCartney. Michaels presented a cheque and said “there’s no problem” if the pair, who were known to be at a hotel just a few blocks away from Rockefeller Centre in New York City, wanted to perform together, live on the show.

Michaels said: “In my book, The Beatles are the best thing that ever happened to music. It goes even deeper than that — you’re not just a musical group, you’re a part of us. We grew up with you. Now, we’ve heard and read a lot about personality and legal conflicts that might prevent you guys from reuniting.

“That’s something which is none of my business. That’s a personal problem. You guys will have to handle that. But it’s also been said that no one has yet to come up with enough money to satisfy you. Well, if it’s money you want, there’s no problem here. The National Broadcasting Company has authorised me to offer you this cheque to be on our show. A certified cheque for $3,000.

“She Loves You, yeah, yeah, yeah – that’s $1,000 right there. You know the words. It’ll be easy. Like I said, this is made out to ‘The Beatles.’ You divide it any way you want. If you want to give Ringo [Starr] less, that’s up to you. I’d rather not get involved.”