Paul McCartney
Solo Projects
born June 18, 1942, Liverpool, England is a British vocalist, songwriter, composer, bass player, poet, and painter whose work with the Beatles in the 1960s helped lift popular music from its origins in the entertainment business and transform it into a creative, highly commercial art form. His songwriting collaboration with John Lennon is considered one of the great creative partnerships of the 20th century. He is also one of the most popular solo performers of all time in terms of both sales of his recordings and attendance at his concerts.
McCartney’s father, James, worked in the Liverpool Cotton Exchange, and his mother, Mary, was a midwife, out at all hours on her bicycle to deliver babies. Her death from breast cancer in October 1956, when McCartney was age 14, had a profound effect on his life and was the inspiration for his ballad “Let It Be” (1970). His younger brother, Michael, later changed his name to Mike McGear and had a number of hits in the satirical rock group Scaffold. Like fellow Beatles George Harrison and Ringo Starr (Richard Starkey), McCartney grew up in a traditional north of England working-class society, with an extended family frequently visiting the house at 20 Forthlin Road in the Allerton area of Liverpool (the house is now owned by the National Trust). His father had been the leader of Jim Mac’s Jazz Band, and in the evenings the family often gathered around the piano, an experience McCartney drew upon for such sing-along songs as “When I’m 64” (1967).
On July 6, 1957, he met John Lennon at Woolton Village Fete, a local festival, and joined his skiffle group, the Quarrymen, which, after several name changes, became the Beatles. When Lennon’s mother was killed by a speeding police car in 1958, McCartney, with his own mother’s death still fresh in his memory, was able to empathize with the distraught 17-year-old, creating a bond that became the basis of their close friendship. McCartney and Lennon quickly established themselves as songwriters for the group, and, by the time the Beatles signed with EMI-Parlophone in 1962, they were writing most of their own material. By their third album the group stopped recording covers. Lennon and McCartney’s songwriting partnership was very important to them, both financially and creatively. Even in 1969, when they were estranged over business matters and supposedly not on speaking terms, Lennon brought McCartney his song “The Ballad of John and Yoko” and they worked together on the “middle eight” (the stand-alone section that often comes midway in a song). Their music transcended personal differences.
The Beatles ceased playing live shows in 1966. After their breakup in 1970, McCartney recorded two solo albums, McCartney (1970) and Ram (1971), before forming the band Wings with his wife Linda (formerly Linda Eastman), an American photographer and musician whom he had married in 1969. He wanted her with him at all times, and having her on stage solved many of the problems that befall marriages in the world of popular music. Wings toured the world and became the best-selling pop act of the 1970s, with an astonishing 27 U.S. Top 40 hits (beating Elton John’s 25) and five consecutive number one albums, including the highly acclaimed Band on the Run (1973) and Wings at the Speed of Sound (1976).
Security problems caused by Lennon’s murder in 1980 prevented McCartney from touring for a decade, and he concentrated instead on studio recording and on writing and starring in the 1984 film Give My Regards to Broad Street, which was poorly received. Nevertheless, critics loved his 1989 album, Flowers in the Dirt, which coincided with his return to live performance, and Flaming Pie (1997) was even more highly praised. In 1997 McCartney was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II “for services to music.” The next year Linda died of cancer. (In the 2000s McCartney married and divorced actress and activist Heather Mills. In 2011 he married Nancy Shevell. He has five children. With Linda McCartney, he had Mary, Stella, and James, as well as adopting Linda’s daughter, Heather, from her first marriage. With Heather Mills, he had a daughter, Beatrice.)
In 1999 McCartney released a well-received collection of mostly early rock-and-roll songs, Run Devil Run, which he recorded with Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour, to more positive reviews. His pop albums in the early 21st century include Driving Rain (2001), Chaos and Creation in the Backyard (2005), Memory Almost Full (2007), New (2013), and Egypt Station, which debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart in September 2018.
In 2023, McCartney published the book 1964: Eyes of the Storm, a collection of recently discovered photos he had taken at the height of Beatlemania. The book was published in conjunction with an exhibition of his photographs titled, "Paul McCartney Photographs 1963–64: Eyes of the Storm." The exhibit was organised by the National Portrait Gallery, London, in collaboration with McCartney and appeared in numerous venues in the United States and Japan.
In February 2025, McCartney performed for the Saturday Night Live 50th Anniversary Special. Backed by his touring band, McCartney performed "Golden Slumbers", "Carry That Weight", and "The End" in medley form to close out the anniversary special. In May 2025, he released a new version of "My Valentine", recorded as a duet with Barbra Streisand for her album The Secret of Life: Partners, Volume Two.
In November 2025, McCartney released his first new recording in five years, a nearly silent track as part of a protest against AI companies using musicians' work without permission to train their models. The piece appears on the B-side of a protest LP called Is This What We Want?, made up of similarly quiet recordings. Across about two minutes and forty-five seconds, it is mostly a quiet hiss with brief clatters and fades, symbolising a future in which original music is "silenced" if artists' rights are not protected. The tracks message is "the British government must not legalise music theft to benefit AI companies." The project is organised by composer Ed Newton-Rex and is backed by major artists including Sam Fender, Kate Bush, Hans Zimmer and the Pet Shop Boys. McCartney has warned that unchecked AI risks destroying career paths for young composers and songwriters and the future of original music.
On 26 March 2026, McCartney released the single "Days We Left Behind" from his twenty-first solo studio album, The Boys of Dungeon Lane, scheduled for release on 29 May. McCartney will appear on Foreign Tongues, the upcoming studio album by the Rolling Stones, scheduled for release on 10 July 2026.
McCartney performed on the 16 May 2026 season finale of Saturday Night Live. McCartney, who was joined on drums by Chad Smith of the Red Hot Chili Peppers and backing singer Ingrid Michaelson, performed "Days We Left Behind" (it's live debut), "Band on the Run" and "Coming Up", a song he had previously performed forty-six years earlier on his first appearance on Saturday Night Live. "Help!" and "Drive My Car" (featuring Will Ferrell on cowbell) were also performed but not shown on television. He also made an appearance in the opening monologue with host Ferrell and Smith along with appearing in another sketch later in the episode.
| Era | Years | Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| Early Solo | 1970–1972 | DIY debut album McCartney, the more polished Ram, standalone singles like Another Day, first live steps after The Beatles. |
| Classic Wings | 1973–1976 | Band on the Run, Venus and Mars, Wings at the Speed of Sound, huge Wings Over the World tours. |
| Late Wings & Transition | 1977–1980 | London Town, Back to the Egg, hit singles like Mull of Kintyre, end of Wings after 1980. |
| 1980s Experiments | 1980–1989 | McCartney II, Tug of War, Flowers in the Dirt, collaborations with Stevie Wonder and Michael Jackson, massive 1989–90 world tour. |
| 1990s Reflection | 1990–1999 | Unplugged and live releases, Off the Ground, Flaming Pie, Beatles Anthology era, the classical work Standing Stone. |
| 2000s Revival | 2000–2009 | Driving Rain, Chaos and Creation in the Backyard, Memory Almost Full, major tours and concert DVDs. |
| 2010s & Beyond | 2010–today | New, Egypt Station, McCartney III, guest spots and collaborations, ongoing world tours and festival appearances. |
Deep Dives & Blog Highlights
If you mainly know Paul from Beatles songs, these solo and Wings tracks are a great way in:
- Maybe I’m Amazed (1970) – emotional, piano-led classic that could sit on any late-Beatles album.
- Band on the Run (1973) – mini-suite with multiple sections, storytelling lyrics and a huge chorus.
- Jet (1973) – punchy power-pop with big brass and sing-along hooks.
- Live and Let Die (1973) – dramatic Bond theme with orchestral blasts and reggae-tinged middle section.
- My Love (1973) – romantic ballad with one of Paul’s most famous guitar solos (by Henry McCullough).
- Coming Up (1980) – quirky, synthy and funky; the live version kicked off Paul’s 80s revival.
- Here Today (1982) – moving tribute to John Lennon, intimate and reflective.
- Calico Skies (1997) – acoustic, folky and timeless, often loved by deeper fans.
- Jenny Wren (2005) – spiritual cousin of Blackbird, with a haunting duduk solo.
- Early Days (2013) – weathered-voice reflection on his Beatles youth and friendship with John.
Once these feel familiar, dive into full albums like Band on the Run, Flaming Pie or Chaos and Creation in the Backyard for a deeper picture.
Paul’s post-Beatles career really comes alive on stage. Key tours and live eras include:
- Wings Over the World (1975–76) – ambitious mid-70s tour captured on Wings Over America and the Rockshow film.
- 1989–90 World Tour – first major solo tour to fully embrace The Beatles catalogue alongside solo hits.
- Driving USA / Back in the World (2002–03) – polished arena shows, documented on Back in the U.S. and Back in the World.
- US / Up and Coming / On the Run (mid-2000s–2010s) – regular touring era with evolving setlists and spectacular production.
- Out There, One on One, Freshen Up – globe-spanning tours keeping Paul an active live force into his late 70s.
For films, concert DVDs and where to watch, check the wider Beatles Films & Concerts guide.
Paul’s solo writing is full of threads back to The Beatles:
- Acoustic story-songs – pieces like Jenny Wren and Early Days feel like cousins of Blackbird and Mother Nature’s Son.
- Medleys and suites – Band on the Run and the Back Seat of My Car recall the side-two Abbey Road approach to stitching songs together.
- Character studies – songs such as Another Day echo the people-watching of Eleanor Rigby and She’s Leaving Home.
- Studio experimentation – McCartney II, Electric Arguments and parts of Chaos and Creation continue the tape loops, effects and fearless studio play heard on Revolver and Sgt. Pepper.
Use this guide alongside the main Beatles album and singles overviews to trace ideas across Paul’s whole career.
Suggestions for exploring further (always check availability in your region):
- Official Paul McCartney site – discography, tour history and news.
- Key live albums – Wings Over America, Tripping the Live Fantastic, Back in the U.S., Good Evening New York City.
- Books & references – biographies and sessionographies that cover solo years in detail (choose trusted authors and publishers).
- TheBeatles-Unlimited Blog – look out for Solo Spotlight posts on specific albums, tours and collaborations.
Remember: this is a fan-made community site, not official – always cross-check big claims with multiple sources.
