Paul McCartney: From The Beatles to solo success and everything in between
His career has spanned more than 60 years!
Sir Paul McCartney has had quite the career, spanning more than 60 years and earning him 18 Grammys, and a knighthood along the way. While known to many as the bass player and singer-songwriter inThe Beatles, Sir Paul has also enjoyed success as part of Wings and as a solo artist. Thanks to his amazing talents as a songwriter and musician, Paul composed dozens of hit songs including 'Hey Jude' and 'Let it Be', which continue to have multi-generational appeal.
In 2024, the musician was reunited with a bass guitar which was stolen more than 50 years ago, had a special edition coin created in his honour, and released a live album called 'One Hand Clapping'. From his time in The Beatles and Wings to going it alone as a solo artist, here’s everything you need to know about Paul McCartney and his amazing career.
Where was Paul McCartney born?
Paul McCartney was born in Liverpool, England on 18th June 1942.
How old is he?
Paul McCartney turned 82-years-old in 2024.
He celebrated his 81st birthday on Father's Day in 2023, sharing a photo of himself in front of Cliveden House in Berkshire which is where The Beatles filmed their 1965 movie Help!.
Back in 2022, he celebrated his 80th by performing with Bruce Springsteen and Jon Bon Jovi as part of his US 'Got Back' tour.
Watch Paul McCartney and Bruce Springsteen perform 'Glory Days' and 'I Wanna Be Your Man':
Paul McCartney's career with The Beatles
The Beatles, which consisted of Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, shot to fame in 1963 after releasing their first single in the UK, 'Love Me Do'. But it wasn’t until they toured the US in 1964 that they truly reached international stardom. According to Official Charts Company, The Beatles went on to have 18 Number 1 singles in the UK (their 18th being 'Now And Then' in 2023), they also had 16 Number 1 albums in the UK.
Thanks to their unique look and sound, the band captivated a younger generation of music lovers during a period of immense change. Artists such as Oasis, Black Sabbath, Lady Gaga, Nirvana and Paul Weller have all cited the band as being major influences in their work.
When did Paul join The Beatles?
On July 6th 1957, Paul McCartney met John Lennon through a mutual friend at Woolton Village Fete when he was 15-years-old. John was performing in his skiffle band, The Quarrymen, and a few months later, Paul was invited to join. Several name changes later, The Beatles was born, along with a new rock ‘n’ roll sound.
Despite only being together for eight years, The Beatles recorded a whopping 209 songs. Their biggest hit was 'She Loves You' which spent six non-consecutive weeks at Number 1 in the UK and sold 1.92 million copies worldwide. 'I Want to Hold Your Hand' and 'Can’t Buy Me Love' were also huge successes for the quartet, selling 1.78 million and 1.54 million copies respectively.
Which songs did Paul McCartney write for The Beatles?
Of the 209 songs recorded by The Beatles, it’s claimed that Paul McCartney wrote 43. His most successful songs include 'Hey Jude', 'Let It Be', 'Eleanor Rigby' and 'Yesterday'. Paul also co-wrote numerous hit songs with bandmate John Lennon, including 'She Loves You' and 'I Want to Hold Your Hand'.
How was the breakup of The Beatles announced?
On 10th April 1970, Paul McCartney unintentionally announced the breakup of The Beatles. He was about to release his debut solo album 'McCartney' on the 17th April, but rather than do promotional interviews, Paul answered questions written for him by Peter Brown, an assistant at The Beatles' label, Apple Records.
Although he did not confirm that the band had split up, his answers to this 'self-interview' press release included disparaging comments about the band and the end of his songwriting partnership with John Lennon. After its contents were revealed to the media, the band decided to cut ties for good.
The Beatles 'final' song 'Now And Then'
In June 2023, Paul McCartney revealed he has recorded the 'final' Beatles song, using AI to recreate John Lennon's voice. He explained how John's voice was isolated by Peter Jackson for the film Get Back, which was about their 1970 album 'Let It Be'.
"When we came to make what will be the last Beatles record, it was a demo that John had (and) we were able to take John’s voice and get it pure through this AI," Paul told the BBC.
'Now And Then' was released on 2nd November 2023 as a double A side with the band's 1962 debut single 'Love Me Do'. Along with the song, a documentary was released which follows the creation of the song, dating back to the 70s when John Lennon wrote the song and recorded it on a cassette tape.
John Lennon and Paul McCartney's friendship
Aside from being the most legendary songwriting duo in music history, John Lennon and Paul McCartney were also kindred spirits, meeting when they were just teenagers. The unique friendship between the pair began through a like-mindedness for music but their connection was further strengthened over the shared loss of their mothers.
While the pair were undeniably close, there was also a brotherly sense of competitiveness between them when it came to writing songs. This eagerness to out-do each other by writing the best songs arguably helped the band to continuously produce hit after hit.
During the promotional tour for his album, 'Egypt Station' in 2018, Paul McCartney was asked by CBS if he and John ever complimented each other’s song writing face to face. He said 'Once. Once John gave me a compliment. It was only once the whole time. It was ‘Here, There and Everywhere,’ one of my songs on 'Revolver'. John says just as it finishes, ‘That’s a really good song, lad. I love that song.’ And I’m like, ‘Yes! He likes it!’"
Paul wrote the song 'Dear Friend' about John in an attempt to reach out following the band's split. He revealed that in the song, he was: "Talking to John after we’d had all the disputes about The Beatles break up" and also revealed that he gets emotional listening to the song to this day.
Despite their arguments following the breakup of The Beatles, the pair managed to reconcile and rebuild their friendship before John was sadly killed in 1980. In his last interview, John spoke of his friendship with Paul, saying: "He's like a brother. I love him. Families, we certainly have our ups and downs and our quarrels, but at the end of the day, when it's all said and done, I would do anything for him, and I think he would do anything for me."
In September 2024, a play called Two of Us took to the stage. The play is about what could have happened when the pair met for the final time in a New York apartment.
Paul McCartney's tribute to John Lennon
Whilst grieving the loss of John Lennon, Paul McCartney recorded the song 'Here Today' as a personal tribute to his friend and former Beatles bandmate. The song was included on the 1982 album 'Tug of War' and Paul often plays the song when he’s on tour, even to this day.
In 2019, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr teamed up to perform a rendition of John Lennon’s 'Grow Old with Me' for Ringo’s 2019 album, 'What’s My Name'. The last two surviving members of the Beatles said they collaborated on the song to pay tribute to John, 40 years after the singer’s untimely death.
Paul recalls his last meeting with George Harrison
Paul spent time with George not long before his death from cancer in 2001 and opened up about the last time he saw his bandmate: "I sat with him for a few hours when he was in treatment just outside New York. He was about 10 days away from his death, as I recall. We joked about things - just amusing, nutty stuff.
"It was good. It was like we were dreaming. He was my little baby brother, almost, because I’d known him that long. We held hands. It’s funny, even at the height of our friendship – as guys – you would never hold hands. It just wasn’t a Liverpool thing. But it was lovely."
The Beatles: Get Back
A documentary following The Beatles' career in 1969 and their final performance together on the rooftop of the Apple Corps building, called The Beatles: Get Back came out in November 2021 on Disney+.
Since then, the rooftop concert got a cinematic release and the documentary has come out on DVD.
Reflecting on his favourite parts of Get Back, Paul said: "There were quite a few smiles: me and John goofing around on ‘Two of Us’ acting like ventriloquists and singing through our teeth; me and John goofing around on ‘Bathroom Window’ where we start ringing Tuesday - "Hello Tuesday!" - that was nice. But the one that immediately comes to mind is John dancing - just seeing him dancing. It’s very cute, and he was actually a really good mover!'"
Paul McCartney's career with Wings
Wings were a British-American rock band created in 1971 by Paul McCartney, his wife Linda McCartney, drummer Denny Seiwell, and guitarist Denny Laine. The band were notorious for frequent changes to their line-up, going through three lead guitarists and four drummers in a short space of time. However, the trio of the McCartneys and Laine remained throughout.
During the 10 years the band were together, they wrote huge hits such as 'Hi, Hi, Hi', 'Mull of Kintyre' and 'Red Rose Speedway', as well as the James Bond theme song 'Live and Let Die'. Their biggest album 'Band on the Run' spent four weeks at Number 1 in the US charts and eventually went Triple Platinum.
Which are the most successful Wings songs?
Throughout their 10 years together, Wings achieved 12 Top 10 singles in the UK and 14 Top 10 singles in the US. Their song, 'Mull of Kintyre' reached Number 1 in the UK in 1977 and stayed there for nine consecutive weeks. This earned the song the title of best-selling UK single in history at the time.
'Jet' and 'Band on the Run' were also successful songs for Wings. 'Band on the Run' made it to Number 1 in several countries, including the US, Canada and New Zealand and sold over 1 million copies in the US alone. 'Jet' was also a Top 10 hit for Wings and Paul McCartney, peaking at Number 7 in both the US and the UK.
In 1972, Paul and Linda brought their daughters Heather, Mary and Stella on tour with them, and Paul opened up about the experience of touring with his family.
Explaining the decision, Paul said: "Our main reason was, we worried about leaving the kids at home and then getting a nanny or somebody ringing up saying, ‘Oh they’ve gone into hospital’ or ‘they’re very ill’, and we’d be far away in Australia or something."
He added: "When we decided to bring them along we tried to be very careful about the sensible stuff like their education. We did things like going to their school and asking the teachers what the class are going to be doing while we’re away, and then we had a tutor that came with us - the kids hated him! They did not like being told in the afternoon that it was ‘school time!’. They’d protest: ‘No, we wanna go to the beach!’."
How many albums has Paul McCartney released?
During their eight years together, The Beatles released 12 studio albums, including 'Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band' in 1967 and 'Abbey Road' in 1969.
Wings released seven studio albums, one live album and two compilation albums during their time together. This included 'Wild Life', 'Band on the Run' and 'Venus and Mars'. Paul has now announced another album will be released in June, which will feature unreleased recordings from 1974. The album is called 'One Hand Clapping'.
Throughout his career as a solo artist, the ex-Beatle has also released 26 studio albums, nine live albums and four compilation albums.
What is 'Wonderful Christmastime' about?
Paul released his festive anthem 'Wonderful Christmastime' in 1979, and there has since been confusion over some of the lyrics with fan theories developing about the meaning behind the song. In December 2022, Paul cleared it all up in a Q&A session as he explained what the song was really about.
Confirming that he sings "the mood is right" and not "the moon is right", Paul also dispelled rumours that the song is about people performing witchcraft and trying to play it off as a Christmas celebration when they get caught.
He explained: "I’m thinking about Liverpool Christmas parties, that’s really all I’m doing with that song. 'The mood is right, let’s raise a glass, the spirit’s up' – you know, all the stuff you do at Christmas. Particularly with my old Liverpool family parties."
Paul also spoke about an unreleased Christmas album he recorded: "When the kids were little, I suddenly thought there wasn’t the ideal Christmas record, in my opinion. There’s some great Christmas records like the Phil Spector one, and Nat King Cole and Bing Crosby on the old standards, but I just wanted an instrumental of all the tunes.
"So, I ended up recording one for the family in my studio. And Eddie Klein, my engineer at the time, helped me. I now have this album I pull out every year, and it’s a bit of fun for the kids when we’re carving the veggie roast. I’ll stick it on and it means Christmas is here. It’s quite a cute little record actually! But it’s just for the family."
Watch Paul McCartney's 'Wonderful Christmastime':
How many Number 1 singles has he had?
Paul McCartney has achieved an amazing 22 Number 1s across his long career, which includes collaborations with Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Wings and his late wife Linda.
Paul McCartney earns the title of best-selling songwriter
After selling 100 million singles worldwide and writing 43 Platinum songs, Paul was awarded the title of best-selling songwriter in the history of recorded music by the Guinness Book of World Records.
What is Paul McCartney’s net worth?
Paul McCartney is now a billionaire according to the Sunday Times Rich List. The singer was revealed to be the first UK musician to become a billionaire on 17th May 2024.
Paul McCartney's new music
In 2020, Paul McCartney reissued his iconic, 10th studio album 'Flaming Pie' as part of his Grammy-winning Archive Collection. The reissue is available in several different formats including a Collector's Edition and Deluxe Edition.
He also shared his 18th studio album 'McCartney III' in 2020, which features Paul playing all instruments on the songs. The album follows on from 'McCartney I' and 'McCartney II' and topped the UK Albums Chart as well as being nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rock Album.
The following year he released 'McCartney III Imagined' which included remixes of his latest songs.
If These Walls Could Sing: The Abbey Road documentary
Paul took part in the documentary If These Walls Could Sing, directed by his daughter Mary McCartney. It focused on how artists who had recorded music at the famous Abbey Road Studios really felt about the building - and, of course, Paul contributed.
Other artists who were interviewed for the documentary include Kate Bush, Elton John, Pink Floyd's David Gilmour, Noel Gallagher and Liam Gallagher, to name a few. It was released on Disney+ in the UK in January 2023 - and a snippet video taken by Mary shows Paul recreating the famous crossing walk from The Beatles' 'Abbey Road' album... And nearly being run over!
Collaboration with Dolly Parton
Country singer Dolly Parton has now released her first rock music album called 'Rockstar'. Paul McCartney is one of the artists who features on the album, with other icons like Cher and Stevie Nicks.
Paul features on a new recording of 'Let It Be' along with Ringo Starr.
Is Paul McCartney on tour?
Paul McCartney embarked the North American leg of his 'Got Back' throughout April, May and June 2022.
He then continued on to Australia, where he performed a song originally released by The Beatles back in 1964, called 'She's a Woman'.
In June 2024, Paul announced he would be performing four UK dates in December 2024, two in London and two in Manchester, as part of his 'Got Back' tour. It's been a massive six years since Paul last performed in London, with his last performance in Manchester way back in 2011.
Paul McCartney at Glastonbury
Paul McCartney was meant to play at the 2020 Glastonbury Festival but it was cancelled due to Covid-19 restrictions. He was announced as a headline act for Glastonbury 2022 where he performed on the Pyramid Stage on Saturday 25th June.
The last time he'd played at the festival was in 2004, playing Beatles songs as well as Wings, plus his solo music in the Saturday headline slot.
Paul wowed the crowd at the festival with a duet performed with John Lennon on-screen, using footage from their 1969 rooftop concert. To the audience's surprise during Paul's performance of Beatles' track 'I've Got A Feeling', John appeared on screen to sing part of the song.
Watch Paul McCartney perform 'I've Got A Feeling' at Glastonbury:
John Lennon's son Julian watched the performance and revealed how he felt about seeing his father's posthumous performance. Although he initially was "shocked" when he saw a video of the duet, he said: "When I saw it at Glastonbury, on a big screen with a good sound system - near enough to being there - you know, I actually enjoyed it."
Paul's record-breaking bass guitar sale
In December 2021, Paul McCartney gave his Yamaha BB-1200 bass guitar to an auction organised by U2's The Edge, and producer Bob Ezrin for their Music Rising charity. It broke the world record for the most expensive sale of a bass guitar, selling for an incredible £374,905.
Paul has been reunited with his stolen bass guitar
In February 2024, the exciting news broke that Paul has now been reunited with a bass guitar which was stolen in the 70s! After more than 50 years of searching, the unique, violin-shaped bass guitar was found. The guitar, which was bought for just £30, had been stolen from a van in Notting Hill in London in 1972. It was found in a loft of a terrace house on the South Coast of England.
Is there a film about Paul McCartney?
There are several films about Paul McCartney and/or The Beatles, however there is much excitement over the news that Oscar-winning director Sam Mendes has had the go-ahead for four films, one about each member of The Beatles.
The films will all be directed by Sam himself, who conceived the ambitious the idea, and presented it to several studios in Hollywood, with Sam explaining to Deadline: "We went out to LA just before Christmas to pitch the project, and it’s fair to say we were met with universal enthusiasm."
Does Paul McCartney sign autographs?
In October 2021, Paul McCartney revealed that he doesn't like signing autographs and that he was going to stop doing it: "It always struck me as a bit strange - 'here, can I write your name down on the back of this till receipt please?' Why? We both know who I am."
He also feels the same way about selfies and explained that he would rather use the time with fans to talk to them, saying: "Let's chat, let's exchange stories."
Paul McCartney's stamp collection
A special collection of stamps from Royal Mail to honour Paul McCartney's incredible music career went on sale in May 2021. The collection includes 12 different stamps with eight album covers and four images of Paul recording music in the studio.
The Forthlin Sessions
In April 2022, it was announced that Paul McCartney's childhood home at 20 Forthlin Road would be open to unsigned musicians to come in and work on their music. The Forthlin Sessions also involved Paul's brother Mike who helped select the lucky artists for the initiative.
The house is a special landmark for Beatles fans as it is where Paul and John Lennon spent many hours making music together and is where they wrote 'When I'm 64' and 'I Saw Her Standing There', among other songs.
The Lyrics: 1956 to the Present
In November 2021, Paul shared a book about his life called The Lyrics which tells his story through 154 songs from his music catalogue. The biography follows his childhood through to his time with The Beatles, and Wings, and as a solo artist. It also includes never-before-seen letters, lyric drafts and photos.
As well as looking at his life and career, the book includes information about Paul's songs including their meanings and inspiration as well as how they came about. He said of the book: "The one thing I’ve always managed to do, whether at home or on the road, is to write new songs. I know that some people, when they get to a certain age, like to go to a diary to recall day-to-day events from the past, but I have no such notebooks. What I do have are my songs, hundreds of them, which I’ve learned serve much the same purpose. And these songs span my entire life."
You can hear Paul McCartney songs on the Greatest Hits Radio playlist.
Check out The Beatles' career timeline:
1957 - Paul McCartney meets John Lennon
It all started back in 1957, with a blossoming friendship between John Lennon and Paul McCartney. On 6th July, 17-year-old John was playing with his skiffle group, the Quarrymen, at a church fete come garden party, when 15-year-old Paul McCartney came along to watch. The rest, of course, is history.
The Quarrymen often played at The Cavern Club, a popular nightclub and music venue on Mathew Street, in Liverpool.
1960 - Pete Best and Stuart Sutcliffe
After taking on Paul's friend George Harrison as their lead guitarist, Stuart Sutcliffe as their bassist and Pete Best as their drummer, the five-piece band became the Beatles.
Stuart played with the Beatles for one year, while Pete Best played with the group from 1960-1962.
1961 - The Beatles perform at The Cavern Club
In 1961, the Beatles took to the stage at the world-renowned Cavern Club, in Liverpool. It was here that the band were first seen by Brian Epstein, who became their manager and was also later known as the 'fifth Beatle'.
The Cavern Wall of Fame was unveiled in 1997, highlighting the names of bands who appeared at the club between 1957-1973. Situated across the road from the venue, there is a brick for the Beatles as a group, as well as each individual member. The club also unveiled a statue of John Lennon that same year.
1962 - Ringo Starr joins the Beatles
From 1960-1962, the Beatles regularly performed at clubs in Hamburg, Germany. This period of time saw a great acceleration in their performance skills, and widened their reputation. Both Paul and Stuart, however, left the group during this time.
Thankfully, in 1962, the legendary Ringo Starr joined the band, replacing their drummer Pete. Prior to joining the group, Ringo was a member of another Liverpool group, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes, who achieved moderate success.
Stuart decided to leave the band in 1961 to pursue his career in fine-art, however he sadly passed away the following year after suffering from a brain haemorrhage.
1962 - 'Love Me Do'
Released in early October, 'Love Me Do' was the Beatles' official single. After peaking at the Number 17 spot on the UK Charts, the debut track was closely followed by 'P.S. I Love You'.
When the track was later released in the US two years later, it became a Number 1 hit.
1963 - ‘Please Please Me’ debut album
After recording 10 songs during a single studio session for their debut album, the Beatles released 'Please Please Me' in March, 1963. The album hit the Number 1 spot on the UK Charts, topping the Record Retailer's LP Chart for 30 weeks - an extraordinary achievement for a pop album during this time.
1964 - ‘A Hard Day’s Night’
After enjoying success in the charts, it wasn't long before United Artists Records' film division signed the Beatles to a three-motion-picture deal. The debut film, 'A Hard Day's Night', showed the band, over the course of six weeks, play themselves in a musical comedy.
The band's accompanying record, of the same name, contained songs from the film on side one, with other new recordings on side two. The record served as the band's third studio album, and flew to the Number 1 spot in the UK Charts.
As part of the three-motion-picture deal, United Artists also released the films 'Help!' and 'The Yellow Submarine'.
1965 - The Beatles perform at Shea Stadium
Described as 'perhaps the most famous of all Beatles' concerts', the band took to the stage at the world-renowned Shea Stadium, in New York, on 15th August 1965. The show, which marked the beginning of their third US tour, took place before crowd of 55,600 - a world-record breaking number, at the time.
1965 - ‘Rubber Soul’
The band's sixth studio album, 'Rubber Soul', was released in December, 1965. Many of the tracks on the two-sided album were the result of collaborative writing from John and Paul, with the track-list including huge hits such as 'Drive My Car', 'Norwegian Wood (This Bird has Flown)', 'Nowhere Man' and 'Think for Yourself'.
Selling more than 1.2 million copies in the first day, and topping sales charts in the UK and the US for several weeks, the album has been considered one of the greatest records of all time.
1965 - The Beatles are appointed MBEs
Such huge achievements didn't go unnoticed by the Royal family - in October 1965, all four members of the Beatles received Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire medals from Queen Elizabeth II.
John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and George Harrison were appointed their medals at Buckingham Palace.
1966 - ‘Revolver’
The Beatles' seventh studio album, 'Revolver', has been described as an 'artistic step forward' for the band. Released in August 1966, the album includes historic tracks such as 'Yellow Submarine', 'Good Day Sunshine' and 'Here, There and Everywhere'.
Due to many of the tracks incorporating sounds that were only achievable through technology, the album has been described as yet another monumental, and musical, step forward for the group.
'Revolver' was the Beatles' final album release before their retirement as live performers, being released a week before their final tour.
1966 - The Beatles’ last ever concert
On August 29, 1966, the Beatles played their last ever concert together as a band, with the performance taking place at San Francisco's Candlestick Park. The show marked the end of almost nonstop touring for four years, including over around 1,400 concert appearances, internationally. The group would now continue as a studio band.
1967- 'Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band'
'Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band' was the Beatles' first release since ceasing to tour. Freed from the burden of live performances, the band was thought to further embrace the creative process - and it sure paid off, leaving us with huge tracks such as 'When I'm Sixty-Four', 'With A Little Help From My Friends' and 'Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds' upon its release in June 1967.
The album was thought to be inspired by Brian Wilson's 'Pet Sounds', which was thought to be initially inspired by the Beatles' own 'Rubber Soul'. The record hit the Number 1 spot in charts all around the world, including the UK, US, and Australia, to name a few. It's no surprise, therefore, that the album has been described as the band's most recognised work.
1968 - The Beatles travel to India
In early 1968, the Beatles travelled to Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's spiritual retreat in India. Spending time studying and meditating, the band wrote numerous songs whilst on the trip. Despite the course being set to run over three months, Ringo left after just 10 days, struggling to stomach the food, with Paul following him just one month later after growing bored. When things began to turn sour between John and George and the course leader, Maharishi, the pair, along with the band's entourage left after being there for a total of two months.
The band's next, and ninth, album release, 'The Beatles', also now commonly known as 'The White Album', included many songs written on the retreat - one of which was a scathing song named 'Maharishi', which was renamed 'Sexy Sadie'.
1969 - 'Abbey Road'
Despite all of the Beatles' achievements thus far being pretty monumental, it's safe to say that 'Abbey Road' served as one of the most historic moments for the group. The album, along with its iconic cover, was their 11th studio album and was released in September 1969.
Including huge numbers such as 'Come Together' and 'Here Comes the Sun', the album would serve as the last time the band would record together, with them having already largely recorded their 12th album prior to the release of 'Abbey Road'.
1970 - Paul McCartney goes solo
It was on 10th April 1970 that Paul McCartney announced through a press release that he would be leaving the Beatles. The statement, which revealed the news that devastated millions of Beatles fans, was sent to journalists alongside a copy of his debut solo album 'McCartney'.
'McCartney' included huge songs such as 'Maybe I'm Amazed', 'Junk' and 'Maybe I'm Amazed'. The album itself help the Number 1 position for three weeks on the US Billboard Top LPs, hitting the Number 2 spot on the UK Albums Chart.
Despite being vilified for ending the Beatles, Paul's solo career was a monumental success, with the singer-songwriter going on to dominate the charts. His popularity, as a solo artist, has been matched by only a handful of artists - with his total of Number 1 songs being surpassed by just Elvis Presley and Stevie Wonder.
1970 - 'Let It Be' and the end of the Beatles
The Beatles' 12th and final album 'Let It Be' was released in May 1970, one month after to Paul's solo debut 'McCartney'. The album topped record charts in the UK and US, as well as many other countries. To add to its success, the motion picture of the same name, released in tandem, won a Grammy Award for for the Best Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or Television Special.
Including legendary tracks such as 'The Long and Winding Road', 'I've Got a Feeling', 'Dig a Pony' and, of course, 'Let It Be'.
Due to Paul announcing his departure from the band just one month before, this album marked the last for the Beatles, with the band officially breaking up in April 1970.
1971: Paul McCartney and Wings
A year later, in 1971, Paul McCartney and Wings were born. The band, shortened to Wings, began with Paul and his wife Linda, with their first album, 'Ram', being released that same year and hitting the Number 1 spot on the UK Charts. Following the album's release, the Wings line-up saw various changes, including the addition of names such as Denny Seiwell, Denny Laine, Hugh McCracken, Jimmy McCulloch and Geoff Britton.
Wings' first official album as a group was 'Wild Life' in 1971, with the band releasing a total of seven albums.
1980 - 'McCarney II'
10 years after leaving the band, Paul released his second studio album, 'McCartney II' - this was soon followed by the dissolution of his band Wings. Paul recorded the album in his home studio in Sussex. Similar to his first album, the tracks consisted of him performing all of the instrumental parts, whilst his wife Linda co-wrote as well as contributing additional vocals.
The album hit the Number 1 spot on the UK Albums Chart, including huge tracks such as 'Coming Up', 'Waterfalls' and 'Temporary Secretary'.
1980 - The death of John Lennon
On the evening of 8th December 1980, John Lennon was tragically killed outside of his residence, The Dakota, in New York City. John was shot, and fatally wounded, in the archway outside of his home.
Following the tragic event, George Harrison released a statement saying: "After all we went through together, I had and still have great love and respect for him. I am shocked and stunned. To rob a life is the ultimate robbery in life. The perpetual encroachment on other people's space is taken to the limit with the use of a gun. It is an outrage that people can take other people's lives when they obviously haven't got their own lives in order."
Almost a week later, on 14th December, millions of people around the world held a 10-minute silence to remember John, who was just 40-years-old at the time of his death. 30,000 gathered in Lennon's hometown of Liverpool, while over 225,000 gathered in Central Park, close to the scene of the shooting.
1988 - The Beatles are inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
In 1988, eight years after the shocking death of John Lennon, the Beatles were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Inducted by Mick Jagger at the ceremony, former bandmates George Harrison and Ringo Starr were joined by the late John Lennon's wife, Yoko Ono, to accept the honour.
1997 - Paul McCartney is knighted by Queen Elizabeth II
Over 30 years after receiving a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire medal, as a member of the Beatles, Paul was knighted by Queen Elizabeth for his services to music. Paul was appointed an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire at Buckingham Palace, on 11th March 1997.
1998 - The Beatles get a Hollywood Star
In December 1998, the Beatles were honoured with their very own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
All four of the Beatles members now also have their own stars on Hollywood Boulevard. John Lennon received his star in 1988, eight years after his death. George then received his in 2009, with Ringo receiving his in 2010 and Paul in 2012.
1999 - Paul McCartney is inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist
Over 10 years after the Beatles were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Paul McCartney was inducted as a solo artist. Inducted by Neil Young, the ceremony included performances from stars such as Billy Joel and Bruce Springsteen.
Paul had inducted his late friend John Lennon into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994, with George Harrison also being inducted in 2004. Paul later inducted his other former bandmate Ringo Starr later in 2015.
2001 - The death of George Harrison
Sadly, on 29th November 2001, George Harrison passed away in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, aged 58. The star died of cancer, after first announcing that he was battling with the disease in 1998. Speaking on his friend's tragic passing, Paul said: "I am devastated and very very sad. We knew he'd been ill for a long time. He was a lovely guy and a very brave man and had a wonderful sense of humour. He is really just my baby brother."
George had enjoyed a successful solo career following the disbanding of the Beatles, releasing a total of 12 studio albums. His 12th album, 'Brainwashed', was released in 2002 - a year after his death.
2015: The Beatles statue in Liverpool
Donated by the famous Cavern Club, December 2015 saw the arrival of the Beatles statue on Liverpool's Waterfront. The statue's erection marked 50 years since the band's last concert in Liverpool, with the four figures appearing larger than life size and weighing 1.2 tonnes in total.
Since the placement of Paul, George, Ringo and John's figures, some interesting hidden features have been noticed on the statue - including the number '8' printed on the sole of Ringo's shoe, crediting his hometown of Liverpool's postcode 'L8', as well as two acorns in John's hand, cast from ones picked up outside the Dakota building in New York.
2016 - The Beatles: Eight Days a Week
2016 saw the release of their very own documentary, The Beatles: Eight Days a Week, which was about their touring years in the 1960s. The premier took place on 15th September, and welcomed appearances from Paul and Ringo.
Produced in cooperation with Paul and Ringo, along with John and George's widows Yoko Ono and Olivia Harrison, the 97-minute long film follows the boys' careers while touring from 1962 to 1966.
2018 - Ringo Starr is knighted by Prince William
Ringo Starr officially became Sir Ringo in 2018, when he was appointed an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire at Buckingham Palace. The musician was knighted by Prince William at the Palace on 20th March.
2020 - Ringo Starr's birthday livestream
In June 2020 Ringo Starr announced that he would be broadcasting 'Ringo's Big Birthday Show' on his YouTube channel, on 7th July of that year. The livestream was to benefit four charities - Black Lives Matter Global Network, the David Lynch Foundation, Musicares and WaterAid - and included unique home performances as well as appearances from huge names such as ex bandmate Paul McCartney, Joe Walsh, Sheryl Crow, Sheila E and Ben Harper.
Sadly, Ringo wasn't able to throw his usual birthday bash gathering due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Announcing his 2020 broadcast, the star said: 'As everyone knows I love gathering with fans for peace and love on my birthday. But this year, I want everyone to be safe at home - so I called up a few friends and we put this Big Birthday Show together so we could still celebrate my birthday with you all, with some great music for some great charities. I hope you will all join me! Peace and Love, Ringo.'
2020 - 'McCartney III'
December 2020 saw the release of Paul's 18th solo studio album 'McCartney III'. Similar to 'McCartney' and 'McCartney II', Paul plays all instrumental parts on the album - it's no surprise, therefore, that the album hit the Number 1 spot on the UK Albums Chart.
2021 - The Beatles: Get Back
The documentary film The Beatles: Get Back, directed by Peter Jackson includes never before seen footage of the band. The project was announced back in January 2019, however production was sadly delayed due to the global pandemic.
Over 55 hours of footage and 140 hours of audio stemming were provided from the Beatles' original 'Get Back' project, and were filtered down and featured in the film, along with a 42-minute rooftop concert.
Despite being delayed due to the global pandemic, all three parts of the film arrived on Disney+ on 27th November 2021. It later got a cinematic release and was released on DVD in July 2022.
2021 - 'My Sweet Lord' music video
On 15th December, a music video for George Harrison's 'My Sweet Lord' was created by a celebrity cast including bandmate Ringo Starr. The video was created to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the song.
2022 - 'Get Back (Rooftop Performance)' album
In January 2022, The Beatles released the audio from their legendary rooftop concert in 1969 on streaming platforms as a live album called 'Get Back (Rooftop Performance)'.
2022 - Ringo Starr releases Lifted book
In February 2022, Ringo Starr released a book titled Lifted, which includes photos and memories from his incredible life and career.
Proceeds from the book go to Ringo's charity the Lotus Foundation.
Ringo also collaborated with Pearl Jam musician Eddie Vedder to create the song 'Mrs Mills' for his 'Earthling' album which came out in February 2022.
2022 - Paul McCartney at Glastonbury
Paul McCartney was announced as a headline act for Glastonbury 2022, where he took to the Pyramid Stage on Saturday 25th June. Paul was meant to perform at the 2020 festival, but it was cancelled due to Covid-19.
The last time Paul performed at Glastonbury was in 2004, where he played songs from The Beatles, Wings and his solo music.
2022 - Paul McCartney lauches The Forthlin Sessions.
Paul McCartney and his brother Mike launched The Forthlin Sessions initiative in 2022 to give undiscovered musicians a place to write and perform in their famous childhood home.
Mike said of the project: "I think it's a brilliant idea, inviting young people to this house and giving them the opportunity of doing the same as us, coming from nothing and seeing where it takes them."
2022 - Olivia Harrison writes Came The Lightening poetry book
Olivia Harrison has written a book of poems dedicated to her late husband George Harrison, which is due to be published in June 2022.
With an introduction written by Martin Scorsese, the book is a poetic autobiography of George and Olivia's life together and includes never-before-seen photos of the couple.
2022 - Paul McCartney duets with John Lennon
Paul McCartney returned to Glastonbury in 2022 to headline the festival with an incredible three-hour set. To fans' delight, his performance included a special rendition of 'I've Got A Feeling' which included a digitally created duet with former bandmate John Lennon.
2022 - John Lennon's family home to be sold at auction
John Lennon's family home is to be sold at auction and expected to get around £250,000. It is Blomfield Road in Liverpool, belonged to the singer's mum, Julia Lennon and her husband John 'Bobby' Dykins.
2022 - The Beatles share music video for 'I'm Only Sleeping'
In November, an animated video was shared for the remastered version of The Beatles' track 'I'm Only Sleeping'. The video was created by artist Em Cooper using 1,300 oil paintings of the band members and other scenes.
2023 - Abbey Road documentary 'If These Walls Could Sing'
In January 2023, the documentary If These Walls Could Sing about Abbey Road Studios directed by Paul's daughter Mary McCartney was released on Disney+. The doc featured many musicians who've recorded music at the studios over the years - including Sir Paul, of course. To celebrate the release, a behind-the-scenes video snippet was shared by Abbey Road Studios showing Paul recreating the famous crossing walk from the Beatles' 'Abbey Road' album artwork - only to be nearly hit by a car driver who clearly did not appreciate the historic moment!
2023 - Paul McCartney announces The Beatles 'final' song
Paul McCartney announces The Beatles 'final' song. The song has been recorded using AI to recreate John Lennon's vocals and is due for release later this year.
2023 - John Lennon docuseries - John Lennon: Murder Without A Trial
A docuseries called John Lennon: Murder Without A Trial has been announced for Apple TV+. The series follows the tragic murder of The Beatles and solo singer, narrated by Kiefer Sutherland.
2023 - The Beatles release 'Now And Then'
The Beatles released their final song called 'Now And Then'. The song was originally written and recorded by John Lennon, with the help of advances in technology, and the help of Peter Jackson's team, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr separated out John Lennon's vocals and created the new track. It was released on 2nd November and became the band's 18th UK Number 1 and first for 54 years.
2024 - Four Beatles films confirmed
In February 2024, it was confirmed that four films would be made, with director Sam Mendes directing all four. Each of the films would follow the individual members of the band, with interconnecting plotlines.
2024 - Let It Be released on Disney+
Documentary feature film, originally released in 1970 was restored and re-released on Disney+ on 8th May 2024.
2024 - The Beatles celebrating 60 years of global Beatlemania
The first time The Beatles had set foot on American soil was in 1964, when John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, touched down at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport. Just a couple of nights later, the band made their American TV debut, as they performed on CBS in front of 73 million viewers in the US, and millions more north of the border in Canada. To celebrate 60 years since Beatlemania a new boxset has been released.
2024 - Beatles '64 documentary film
Beatles '64 is a brand new documentary produced by Martin Scorsese, which follows the band as they made their first appearance in America, back in 1964. The new film will be released on Disney+ on 29th November.
2024 - Ringo Starr announces a new country album called 'Look Up'
In October 2024 the legendary Beatles drummer announced he will be releasing a country music album on 10th January 2025. The new album will feature 11 songs, nine of which have been written or co-written by American record producer and guitarist T Bone Burnett.
The album is the result of a chance meeting between Ringo and T Bone after they were at an event in Los Angeles back in 2022, after having originally met back in the 1970s.
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