Paul McCartney

In celebration of the former Beatle's 80th birthday, we look back at the songs that showcase his melodic genius.

You might hate some of the songs that were chosen, and you might love some that were left off. For the purposes of this list, McCartney’s solo career includes things like Ram, which is credited to Paul and Linda McCartney, and the releases with his post-Beatles band Wings. Not included, however, is McCartney’s classical work or the Fireman, his experimental project with Youth. Obviously, these kinds of lists are subjective and intensely personal, and many of you will have issues with this one. McCartney’s solo work has undergone a well-deserved critical reevaluation since the ’90s, with once reviled albums like Ram and McCartney II now hailed as hidden gems and ahead-of-their time masterpieces.

Paul McCartney is turning 80 and in honor of his brilliant songwriting, we've ranked his 80 best songs. See if you agree with our list.

Forget about the astute narration (barbershops, bankers and roundabouts). Don’t even pay much attention to the heavenly pop melody. Yes. Indicative of McCartney’s desire to stay on the charts (i.e., commercial)? Sure. But it’s also unfairly maligned because Macca is completely in on the ridiculously catchy joke. The original is a gratifying valentine. At just over two minutes, the mostly instrumental platform would barely be a blip for most bands. Part of McCartney’s new wave/disco phase of the times that initially included sped-up vocals. Between the intricate guitar work from George Harrison and Lennon and a set of double-tracked vocals, a new sound in 1960s British pop was born. Songs that he wrote that became hits for others (such as Badfinger’s "Come and Get It" and Elvis Costello’s “Veronica”) weren’t included. As in, that is an insane amount of foresight, even for this guy. Noteworthy because it’s McCartney’s debut single following the Beatles’ breakup in 1970, and was therefore instantly dissected with microscopic precision. While his voice might have more warble to it, his ability to turn the bucolic into something infinitely listenable is still formidable. But – and this is why it squeaked onto the list – it can be considered a bold zigzag that, in retrospect, is at least interesting. But it’s hard to fault McCartney’s intentions – or the song’s easily digestible tunefulness.

The limited-edition collection, dubbed McCartney I II III, presents McCartney (1970), McCartney II (1980), and McCartney III (2020) — three albums on which he ...

McCartney also celebrated his birthday Thursday night during the New Jersey stop of his Got Back tour. Similarly, McCartney II signified the artist’s separation from his post-Beatles group Wings. He wrote, produced, and performed the entire album himself. Fifty years after the first McCartney, the artist decided to do it again with McCartney III, which came out in December 2020. The first McCartney album was the artist’s declaration of independence from the Beatles, an opportunity to show that he could do everything himself. It will be available on colored vinyl, black vinyl, and CD in slipcases that sport new design and typography (that highlights the word “art” within McCartney’s name) by pop artist Ed Ruscha on Aug. 5. A day before he turns 80, Paul McCartney has picked out his own present: a compendium of his self-titled albums, which span a half-century of his life.

Paul McCartney welcomed his 80th birthday singing timeless tunes with Bruce Springsteen and getting serenaded by Jon Bon Jovi in concert.

McCartney was so touched, he took to social media to share a photo of his birthday surprise after the concert. “Paul always has the audience eating out of his hand. Bon Jovi gave Paul a kiss before he handed Paul the birthday balloon.”

Just two days before his 80th birthday, Paul McCartney put on quite a show at MetLife Stadium.

Bruce Springsteen joined the Beatles legend to sing his hit "Glory Days." He wish McCartney a happy birthday, saying, "Here's to 80 more years of glory days." Springsteen wasn't the only New Jersey rocker to share the stage. This was the final night of McCartney's brief U.S. tour.

We're celebrating the Paul McCartney at 80 by looking back at the life, times and music he has produced from The Beatles to Ram and 'Here Today'.

Many musicians and fans will be sharing in that sentiment as his long and winding life arrives at 80 and the forthcoming ‘na na na nas’ at Glastonbury that seem so fitting in hopefully paving a way to a brighter future. But above all, people will be celebrating the man himself, and that is the true mark of his story to date. Here Today: Throughout the ‘70s, McCartney might have been a man on the run, but the undertow of his legacy was always there, and he was tragically forced to redress it when Lennon was murdered. On his first record since his passing, McCartney penned the song ‘Here Today’ which included the line, “What about the night we cried”. Later, he spoke about the being holed up in Key West, Florida in ’64 as a hurricane raged outside: “It was during that night, when we’d all stayed up way too late, and we got so pissed that we ended up crying—about, you know, how wonderful we were, and how much we loved each other, even though we’d never said anything. During times of trouble, the former Beatle recalled, “the lightbulb went off one day when we realised that we could just run away.” With that epiphany, McCartney allowed himself to recline into the fruits of his honest toil and the justly paid dues and basked in the harvest of munificent concessions. Proving himself as a solo act, in the same way that Michael Phelps might prove himself to be a viable lifeguard, he sunk into family life with Linda McCartney and his daughter Mary and entered a new chapter. And during a low point in 1970, McCartney went into a little room with the set-up “like a professor in his laboratory” and produced ‘Maybe I’m Amazed’ whereby he shouted and screamed a melodic gem that may well be his greatest performance on record. Maybe I’m Amazed: In the aftermath, McCartney was quietly struggling to come to terms with the breakup of The Beatles. He later told his daughter, Mary: “I nearly had a breakdown. The boy was John Lennon, and he was about to play a second set of the day with the Quarrymen, when their tea-chest bass player Ivan Vaughan, introduced him to his classmate ‘Macca’. When Vaughan passed away in 1993, it prompted McCartney to start writing poetry again. 12 years later, McCartney would recall, “I had a dream in the sixties, where my mum who died came to me in a dream and was reassuring me saying: It’s going to be okay. At the time, that wasn’t far from one in 16 people on the entire planet receiving a message of unified peace in one fell swoop of sonic beauty. After all, if it can be said about anyone, then it can be said about ‘Macca’, that man and music are one and the same.

It's hard to think of a better way for Paul McCartney to celebrate his 80th birthday than by...

With the help of Peter Jackson, who re-imagined the Get Back sessions for last year's television project, McCartney was able to perform a virtual "duet" with Lennon singing his part of I've Got A Feeling from the Apple rooftop concert. He couldn't have imagined that in 2022, one adult standing in line to get into MetLife being overheard asking a companion: "Where are Mum and Dad?" The fragility in his voice was evident while singing Blackbird on Thursday night at MetLife Stadium, the final night of a brief US tour. Stereogum's feature illustrated the varied entry points musicians of different generations have into a living, breathing catalogue. Another 1960s icon, Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys, is scheduled to play at the Starlight Theatre in Kansas City on his 80th birthday on Monday. -- along with an appreciation of what he still has to offer.

Paul McCartney is celebrating his 80th birthday after decades of success. He was one of the four Beatles with John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr.

David Fincher’s semi-fictional retelling of Zuckerberg’s life details the education of the Harvard student, creating the social media site on a whim one day as a result of his own social dissatisfaction. It’s no secret that Wes Anderson loves a good musical score, with The Royal Tenenbaums featuring one of the very best of his entire filmography. Like many of the films of Paul Thomas Anderson, Licorice Pizza gives audiences an objective, atmospheric impression of a certain place and time. The film was made all the better by one scene in which Russell uses ‘Live and Let Die’ by The Beatles when Jennifer Lawrence’s character is cleaning the house. As such, they have gone on to influence some of the finest minds in music and cinema, including the likes of Dave Grohl, Brian Wilson, Billy Joel, Joni Mitchell, Bruce Springsteen and Noel and Liam Gallagher. Paul McCartney also recently revealed on the radio show ‘John Lennon at 80’ that he, George Harrison, Ringo Starr and Lennon had been greatly influenced by the work of Bob Dylan.

Renowned musician and former Beatle Paul McCartney has always had a playful sense of style. To celebrate his birthday on Saturday, we take a look back at ...

By 1993, the singer had ditched the '70s lapels and moved with the times. Graphic knits and striking shirts were a mainstay for the former Beatle, pictured here with British rock group Wings at Abbey Road Studios in 1974. While performing his theme tune for the new Bond movie "Live and Let Die," McCartney paired a beaded necklace with a funky sweater vest. Anywhere was a runway for McCartney -- including the airport runway, where he was often photographed boarding and exiting jets sporting purple-lense aviator sunglasses or decorative Western shirts with a child perched on his hip. While the former Beatle may be known for his immeasurable contribution to music, Paul McCartney also has a well-documented penchant for fashion. Renowned musician and former Beatle Paul McCartney has always had a playful sense of style.

McCartney turned 80 on Saturday (18 June), 11 months after Starr reached the milestone age. To mark the ocassion, Starr tweeted out a photo of himself flashing ...

Start your Independent Premium subscription today. By clicking ‘Register’ you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use, Cookie policy and Privacy notice. Lennon was killed in 1980, while Harrison died of cancer in 2001.

It's hard to think of a better way for Paul McCartney to celebrate his 80th birthday than by singing Glory Days onstage with Bruce Springsteen or being serenaded by some 60,000 well-wishers. That's right, the "cute Beatle" turns 80 on Saturday.

With the help of Peter Jackson, who re-imagined the Get Back sessions for last year's television project, McCartney was able to perform a virtual "duet" with Lennon singing his part of I've Got A Feeling from the Apple rooftop concert. He couldn't have imagined that in 2022, one adult standing in line to get into MetLife being overheard asking a companion: "Where are Mum and Dad?" The fragility in his voice was evident while singing Blackbird on Thursday night at MetLife Stadium, the final night of a brief US tour. Stereogum's feature illustrated the varied entry points musicians of different generations have into a living, breathing catalogue. Another 1960s icon, Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys, is scheduled to play at the Starlight Theatre in Kansas City on his 80th birthday on Monday. -- along with an appreciation of what he still has to offer.

The 'Yesterday' singer, who turns 80 on Saturday (18.06.22) is said to be planning to be 'joined' with his former Beatles bandmate on stage at the festival next ...

During his concert on June 16 at MetLife Stadium, Paul McCartney took time out to sing birthday songs and odes to deceased Beatles.

The music was set up and followed by McCartney's dialogue, which was somewhat more talkative than on previous tours. McCartney, who turns 80 on Saturday, June 18, appeared to get stronger as the evening progressed. The music was set up and followed by McCartney's dialogue, which was somewhat more talkative than on previous tours. The yells he makes during "Helter Skelter" still gave goosebumps. McCartney, who turns 80 on Saturday, June 18, appeared to get stronger as the evening progressed. The yells he makes during "Helter Skelter" still gave goosebumps.

Fans and stars alike have flocked to social media to pay tribute to Paul McCartney on the legendary singer-songwriter's 80th birthday.

Recreating Band On The Run with Kasabian in 2010, Cologne was something else on tour in 2009 (I think?), visiting Windmill studios in Sussex or MPL in Soho, where he noodled away on an acoustic. “Let it be” that Sir @PaulMcCartney know that his musical generosity of spirit and love have forever changed the world with positivity, joy and screaming happiness. you have inspired me and many others through your music and through the years you've never stopped sharing your talents with us, thank you so so much. He asked “What should we do”? I said, “Can we sing ooooooh”? Happy Birthday Sir. ❤️ @PaulMcCartney pic.twitter.com/fF8DbeOEjq (And, yes, I was a John person, but how can you not LOVE Paul?)pic.twitter.com/dUe7IZXqAg Happy 80th Birthday to his royal highness Paul McCartney. Here's an illustration I did in celebration. Working class northern council estate kid who changed the history of the world. Thanks for all the memories Paul. Love you x pic.twitter.com/ZX0taiV5JX Thanks for all the memories Paul. Love you x” He shares his birthday with my Daughter who is now 15 and admires the Beatles enormously. Simply Red‘s Mick Hucknall tweeted: “Britains greatest living songwriter Sir Paul McCartney is 80 today. The official Twitter accounts for McCartney’s late bandmates John Lennon and George Harrison each posted a birthday message.

It's hard to think of a better way for Paul McCartney to celebrate his 80th birthday than by singing Glory Days onstage with Bruce Springsteen or being ...

He couldn’t have imagined that in 2022, one adult standing in line to get into MetLife being overheard asking a companion: “Where are Mum and Dad?” The fragility in his voice was evident while singing Blackbird on Thursday night at MetLife Stadium, the final night of a brief US tour. Stereogum‘s feature illustrated the varied entry points musicians of different generations have into a living, breathing catalogue. Another 1960s icon, Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys, is scheduled to play at the Starlight Theatre in Kansas City on his 80th birthday on Monday. He struggled for the high notes in Here Today, his love letter to John Lennon, who was robbed of a long life by an assassin’s bullet. — along with an appreciation of what he still has to offer.

in the 1950s, the likes of Elvis Presley, Hill Haley, and Chuck Berry streamlined the music of black blues musicians, interfusing it with white country music to ...

With The Beatles, Paul McCartney played a key role in forming the blueprint for pop stardom. We played it through a few times and changed some of the tapes till we got what we thought was a real good one.” There was one rule: the album was to be released solely in the USSR and nowhere else. We had one and tried the bass through it and it sounded really good.” McCartney’s use of the fuzz bass was subsequently adopted by everyone from Black Sabbath and Metallica to Tame Impala. Today, it is one of the most iconic sounds in rock music. While recording ‘A Day In The Life’ in the studio, The Beatles decided to leave a long gap after Paul’s “I’d love to turn you on” lines. The difficulty was that his manager had already had a batch of LPs pressed with special Russian-language covers. That was the whole idea of the album: all the normal things that you record that are great and have all this atmosphere but aren’t that good as recording or production jobs. Today, the track endures as the perfect encapsulation of the inventiveness of the psychedelic era. While it’s George Harrison we have to thank for The Beatles’ absorption of early synth technology, it was Paul McCartney who ended up using the Mellotron most effectively. With Sgt. Pepper’s The Beatles held a mirror up to the countercultural age, offering an idealised image of hippiedom. Not only did it allow for a new camaraderie among the ‘Fab Four’ but it also afforded McCartney a new sense of possibility. The Beatles, who had grown up on the music of Presley and the like, made their name by imbuing this American art form with a uniquely British flavour.

"See you next time", musician Paul McCartney walks on stage after celebrating his birthday with Bruce Springsteen and Jon Bon Jovi. Paul McCartney | Twitter.

McCartney also paid tribute to George Harrison, who died in 2001, with a version of “Something” that began with Paul on a ukulele George gave him and built to a full band version. He couldn't have imagined that in 2020, one adult standing in line to get into MetLife being overheard asking a companion: “Where are Mom and Dad?” The fragility in his voice was evident while singing “Blackbird” on Thursday night at MetLife Stadium, the final night of a brief US tour. “He has a youthful exuberance that is ageless,” said Bob Spitz, a Beatles biographer. Another 1960s icon, Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys, is scheduled to play at the Starlight Theatre in Kansas City on his 80th birthday Monday. The Johnny Depp-Amber Heard defamation case and its verdict have been publicly presented as a resounding victory for Depp and confirmation of his 'objective' truth.

The former Beatle's long and rich musical career is marked by a refusal to rest on his artistic laurels.

For the past several years, he has made a point of performing Jimi Hendrix's epic guitar lick for "Foxy Lady" during the outro for "Let Me Roll It," a Wings-era track from "Band on the Run." As you raise a glass in honor of McCartney's 80th birthday, consider his motives for breaking off the same guitar pyrotechnics virtually every time he steps on stage. Take last Thursday night at MetLife Stadium, where McCartney closed out the Stateside leg of his "Got Back" tour. The same composer who reconceived the rock album in 1967 with "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" was still mining out new sounds in 2020 with "McCartney III." And still he persists in searching out uncharted creative vistas — and, whenever possible, showing off. He was barely 21 when British Beatlemania came into vogue in the autumn months of 1963. By all rights, he should be marking time as a pensioner, renting a cottage in the Isle of Wight or some such thing. A decade later, when the Who declared "I hope I die before I get old" in "My Generation," no self-respecting rocker set his sights on retirement, much less living into middle-age.

It's another day in Twickenham studios, where McCartney is single-handedly wrestling the Beatles into recording a new album. John Lennon, George Harrison and ...

In recent decades, he has worked with younger producers including Mark Ronson, Nigel Godrich and Kanye West and recorded three freewheeling albums with Youth under the alias The Fireman. He is also a generous live performer who knows fans want to hear three hours of the songs that have soundtracked their lives. He closed, as always, with The End, his simple valediction to the Beatles, Lennon’s favourite McCartney lyric, and the purest expression of his worldview: “And in the end the love you take is equal to the love you make.” Rock stars are accustomed to receiving love: McCartney is just as good at giving it back. Standards such as Let It Be and Yesterday are almost too famous to appreciate as entities that a young man sat down and wrote rather than plucking out of the ether. “It was going to be: John was the one.” What must be especially satisfying for McCartney is the long, ongoing reassessment of his post-Beatles work: the DIY farmhouse intimacy of his self-titled solo debut; the ambitious multi-part songwriting of Wings’ 1973 blockbuster Band on the Run, recorded in Lagos; the eccentric synthesizer experiments of 1980’s McCartney II. Tom Doyle’s biography Man on the Run: Paul McCartney in the 1970s makes a strong case for McCartney as a risk-taking adventurer whose efforts to reinvent himself were far from cosy. “People say, I’m really scared to meet you,” he told Q in 2001. The Beatles became a global advertisement for youth and friendship – Paul and John wrote many of those early hits knee to knee, eyeball to eyeball – and their split was a generational trauma. “He used to be the one to get things moving,” Starr said after the band’s break-up in 1970. “I understood that now there was going to be revisionism,” he told Esquire in 2015. “It was this idea of ‘What do I do now?’” His daughter Stella, the fashion designer, reflected that “we spent a lot of our childhood with dad recovering from the turmoil and the break-up”. “The job was gone, and it was more than the job, obviously – it was the Beatles, the music, my musical life, my collaborator,” he told the New Yorker last year. In this particular scene he’s at the piano, guiding the band through a hymn-like new number while his fiancée Linda Eastman chats to Yoko Ono in the foreground.

Sir Paul McCartney was greeted with a plethora of well wishes on Saturday as a host of celebrities wished him a happy 80th birthday, with Yoko Ono, ...

He said: '“Let it be” that Sir @PaulMcCartney know that his musical generosity of spirit and love have forever changed the world with positivity, joy and screaming happiness. He said: '“Let it be” that Sir @PaulMcCartney know that his musical generosity of spirit and love have forever changed the world with positivity, joy and screaming happiness' Today is a beautiful day.' (This version is a bit rough because it’s such a pretty song I kept getting choked up and staring again!).' Today is a beautiful day' Simply Red's Mick Hucknall meanwhile shared a touching message on Twitter, he said: 'Britain's greatest living songwriter Sir Paul McCartney is 80 today. Lovely: Simply Red's Mick Hucknall meanwhile shared a touching message on Twitter, he said: 'Britain's greatest living songwriter Sir Paul McCartney is 80 today. Tribute: Meanwhile, Paul's daughter Mary took to her stories and wished her father a happy birthday alongside snap of her in a Beatles top with the words 'They say it's your birthday' Meanwhile, Paul's daughter Mary took to her stories and wished her father a happy birthday alongside snap of her in a Beatles top with the words 'They say it's your birthday'. Well wishes: Yoko, the widow of Paul's Beatles bandmate John Lennon, took to Twitter at the weekend to share a throwback snap of herself and the birthday boy Yoko, the widow of Paul's Beatles bandmate John Lennon, took to Twitter at the weekend to share a throwback snap of herself and the birthday boy. While fellow Beatles star Ringo Starr uploaded an image of himself flashing a peace sign as he penned: 'They say it’s your birthday Saturday happy birthday Paul love you man have a great day peace and love Ringo and Barbara love love peace and love.'

Ex-Beatle turned 80 on Saturday, days after a brief US tour which saw him joined on stage by Bruce Springsteen.

During his career, Sir Paul has won 18 Grammys, been awarded an OBE and inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice. Thank you for raising awareness of the SaveCrueltyFreeCosmetics European Citizens’ Initiative.” The ex-Beatle turned 80 on Saturday, days after finishing a brief US tour.

As a worldwide treasure, everyone poured out love for McCartney's 80th trip around the sun. Happy 80 birthday to the legendary Paul McCartney! pic ...

Some of the more famous (or, really, the very best, in this writer’s opinion) include: Back in 2017, our Charles Curtis embarked on quite an ambitious endeavor and ranked all 188 (!) Beatles songs and ranked all of their albums the following year. With McCartney celebrating his 80th birthday Saturday, we thought it appropriate to quickly sum up the man, the myth, the heartthrob.

Sean Ono Lennon calls Paul McCartney the "emperor of pop" in his thoughtful birthday message, complete with a song as tribute.

In his Instagram video, he plays ‘Here, There and Everywhere’ as a tribute to the artist, a song his father had once called one of The Beatles best. Sean Ono Lennon posted on both Twitter and Instagram to wish McCartney a happy birthday, calling him the “emperor of pop” in the process. Having the names Ono and Lennon tacked onto your title is enough to create a big expectation or two.

Paul McCartney turned 80 years old on June 18 and received numerous celebratory tributes on social media.

— Brian Wilson (@BrianWilsonLive)June 18, 2022 — Aerosmith (@Aerosmith)June 18, 2022 — Julian Lennon (@JulianLennon)June 18, 2022 — The Beatles (@thebeatles)June 18, 2022 “So Happy Birthday! Thank you for all the beautiful music. Yoko Ono also tweeted a birthday message to McCartney. “Dear Paul, Happy 80th Birthday and many, many more!

A little birdy told me this was one of your your fav Beatles tunes. So Happy Birthday! Thank you for all the beautiful music. You have mine and the whole ...

The Beatles’ Twitter also marked the occasion with a minute-long tribute video: (This version is a bit rough because it’s such a pretty song I kept getting choked up and staring again!)” You have mine and the whole world’s undying love and respect.

Paul McCartney wasn't really one for major criticism when it came to The Beatles, but he gave a rather glib assessment towards a cut from 'Revolver'.

“That’s what Doctor Robert is all about, just a pill doctor who sees you all right.” “I was the one that carried all the pills on tour. Whether it was the shortest of medley segues or the most off-hand of album filler, McCartney never went into full-on flippancy very often.

Renowned musician and former Beatle Paul McCartney has always had a playful sense of style.

Aging Beatle marks milestone with New Jersey concert, highlighting over a half-century of music, and all he still has to offer.

McCartney also paid tribute to George Harrison, who died in 2001, with a version of “Something” that began with Paul on a ukulele George gave him and built to a full band version. The fragility in his voice was evident while singing “Blackbird” on Thursday night at MetLife Stadium, the final night of a brief US tour. For most artists, the appearance of such local royalty would be a hard-to-top moment. He struggled for the high notes in “Here Today,” his love letter to John Lennon, who was robbed of a long life by an assassin’s bullet. “He has a youthful exuberance that is ageless,” said Bob Spitz, a Beatles biographer. Another 1960s icon, Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys, is scheduled to play at the Starlight Theatre in Kansas City on his 80th birthday Monday.

McCartney II, released in 1980, saw the English musician shortly before the break-up of his band Wings. For the album, McCartney recorded the majority of the ...

McCartney also saw the singer at a humble at-home recording studio playing much of the album himself. Departing from his typical sound, the album relied heavily on synthesizers, embracing new wave and elements of electronica. McCartney, McCartney II, and McCartney III span five decades altogether, showcasing the lasting appeal of the former Beatle.