Tug of War (Paul McCartney album) for "Rolling Stone", music critic Stephen Holden hailed "Tug of War" as "the masterpiece everyone has always known Paul McCartney could make", and particularly admired its vivid music and consistent songwriting. Robert Palmer was less enthusiastic in his review for "The New York Times" and found the album "exquisitely crafted though lyrically flawed", as he thought McCartney's lyrics were often "cliched or mawkish", but that the album "at its best, is as finely crafted as his work with the Beatles". In March 1982, McCartney's duet with Stevie Wonder, "Ebony and Ivory", was released to considerable commercial success, reaching number one
Stevie Wonder biggest hits and highest level of fame; he had increased album sales, charity participation, high-profile collaborations, political impact, and television appearances. The 1979 mainly instrumental soundtrack album "Stevie Wonder's Journey Through "The Secret Life of Plants"" was composed using an early music sampler, a Computer Music Melodian. Wonder toured briefly in support of the album, and used a Fairlight CMI sampler on stage. In this year Wonder also wrote and produced the dance hit "Let's Get Serious", performed by Jermaine Jackson and (ranked by "Billboard" as the No. 1 R&B single of 1980). "Hotter than July" (1980) became Wonder's first