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How Much Did Paul McCartney Make for “Wonderful Christmastime”?

Prosperous as a soloist and member of The Beatles, Paul McCartney’s musical talent is undeniable. Although many of his songs have charted Billboard’s Hot 100, that still wouldn’t exempt him from making songs that would gain the majority’s hatred. 

Regardless of the widespread hate Wonderful Christmastime acquires, it remains a popular hit that remains a classic during the Christmas holidays. As reported by Forbes in 2010, Paul McCartney earns $400,000 to $600,000 per year from Wonderful Christmastime royalties. 

Paul McCartney’s Infamous Christmas Hit

Each member of The Beatles remains famous for their impact to pop culture and their esteemed skill in music. Paul McCartney, along with John Lennon, Ringo Starr, and George Harrison, has made a name for themselves with the hit albums they’ve released as a band. In their musical career as soloists, every member of The Beatles has released numerous chart-topping songs, especially Paul McCartney. 

Among The Beatles, Paul McCartney has 42 singles that once charted in Billboard’s Hot 100, making him The Beatles member with the most successful singles. Following McCartney is John Lennon with 17 singles, George Harrison with 16, and Ringo Starr with 14. Paul McCartney is also The Beatles member with the most number-one singles. (Source: Far Out Magazine

Despite his success as a musician, Paul McCartney isn’t any exception for making songs that people hate. One infamous McCartney song is his Christmas hit, Wonderful Christmastime. With a 1980s synth beat and effectively plain lyrics, Paul McCartney’s Wonderful Christmastime has garnered much hate over the years since its release in November 1979.

Although Wonderful Christmastime is a detested song, it remains popular as it’s played every Christmas season in holiday playlists or radios. And while most take pleasure in bashing the song, McCartney doesn’t seem to be too bothered as he still earns a hefty amount of royalties every year from the hated Christmas hit. (Source: Showbiz Cheat Sheet


Forbes states that Wonderful Christmastime earns $400,000 to $600,000 annually in royalties. Entertainment attorney Bernie Resnick explains the song’s financial success in a 2010 Forbes article.

The song is what we in the industry call an evergreen, because it gets played all the time. McCartney’s publishing royalty check every fourt quarter probably has a lot of zeros on the end.

Bernie Resnick

(Source: Forbes)

Why Do People Hate Wonderful Christmastime?

Based on a 2020 Sunday Post article, Paul McCartney wrote Wonderful Christmastime in 10 minutes on a boiling hot day in July. And although there’s no problem with the song’s lyrics being plain and uplifting, it’s obtained much hate from fans in the passing of years. 


According to musicologist Nate Sloan in a Mental Floss article, Wonderful Christmastime receives much hate due to its simplicity and a lack of structure. Nate Sloan continues by stating that its instrumentation is also a possible reason for the people’s dislike of the song.  (Source: Mental Floss)

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