In news that will confuse, infuriate, and validate rockists and purists across the world, Jack White has revealed that Paul McCartney is his favorite Beatle, more than visionary John, talent George, or hearthrob Ringo.

As it turns out, McCartney, the Beatles' bassist and ringleader of the Rubber Soul through Sgt. Pepper era, had a singing voice that was hugely influential to the founder of the White Stripes, Raconteurs, and Dead Weather:

He's been a big influence on me — especially the way that he sings." White cited an early track as the point of inspiration for his Paul love. "I heard a cover song they did early on called 'Hippy Hippy Shake' that Paul sang, and I loved how high he sang it," White said. "My voice isn't comfortable in that higher range,  but that song was a big influence on me trying to get my voice somewhere like that."

The news seems so unlikely because we think of Jack White as so cool—and Paul McCartney as so uncool by Beatles standards. On the other hand, White has a point—McCartney's range in "Hippy Hippy Shake" is higher than Jack White has ever been able to maintain, save for occaisional breaks into falsetto.

[MTV]