“Ebony and Ivory” Paul McCartney, featuring Stevie Wonder. 1982. Thank goodness it’s Friday and the last day of my “80′s guilty pleasures” week though I’m not even sure this fits in – I loved this song in ‘82 (when I was 11 years old) but, wow, it’s really insipid smooth adult contemporary AM gold, despite the two legends performing it. The music is very Wings-era McCartney sounding and while McCartney’s and Wonder’s harmonies are spot-on, the rhyming and pronunciation is dubious at best (i.e. “keyboard, oh lord!” and “side by side on my piaaahhhno”). Critics have described it as “saccharine” and was included in at least a couple of worst songs/worst duets in history lists (though to be fair it’s also on a few greatest songs charts as well).

That said, “Ebony and Ivory” went to #1 in both the US and the UK and was the 4th biggest hit of ‘82 in the US; it also was the first single by a Beatle to hit the R&B chart. It also ranked at #76 on the US Hot 100 all-time hits chart. “Ebony and Ivory” also received several Grammy nominations, including Song of the Year, Record of the Year, and Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocal. McCartney’s included the track on his 1982 album Tug of War.

The b-side, “Rainclouds,” is a much better song, with a great beat, perfect harmonies and a light pop melody that McCartney is known for.