From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how Paul McCartney made an impact.
Sir Paul McCartney is an English singer, songwriter, and musician, most notably known for his role in The Beatles. Playing bass guitar and piano, he shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John Lennon. McCartney is celebrated as one of history's most successful composers and performers, marked by his melodic bass lines, wide vocal range, and genre-spanning musical exploration from pop and classical to electronica. His songwriting partnership with Lennon is recognized as the most successful in music history.
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On July 6, 1957, at the age of fifteen, Paul McCartney met John Lennon and his band, the Quarrymen, at the St Peter's Church Hall fête in Woolton, leading to his invitation to join the band as a rhythm guitarist.
In 1957, Paul McCartney began his musical career by joining John Lennon's skiffle group, the Quarrymen.
By May 1960, the band had tried several names, including Johnny and the Moondogs, Beatals and the Silver Beetles.
In August 1960, the band adopted the name the Beatles and recruited drummer Pete Best before a residency in Hamburg.
In 1960, the Quarrymen evolved into the Beatles, marking a significant moment in music history.
In 1961, after Stuart Sutcliffe left the band, Paul McCartney became the Beatles' bass player.
In January 1962, Brian Epstein became the Beatles' manager, a pivotal moment in their development and success.
In June 1962, Paul McCartney, as a member of the Beatles, signed his first recording contract with Parlophone Records, an EMI subsidiary.
In 1963, Dick James established Northern Songs to publish the songs of Lennon–McCartney.
In 1963, The Beatles became popular in the UK.
In 1964, Paul McCartney bought an Epiphone Casino guitar, because its hollow body would produce more feedback.
In 1964, The Beatles became popular in the US.
In August 1965, The Beatles released "Yesterday", a McCartney composition featuring a string quartet, marking their first recorded use of classical music elements and becoming one of the most covered songs in popular music history.
From 1965, Paul McCartney favored his Rickenbacker 4001S for recording, though he primarily used a Höfner 500/1 bass during his early years with The Beatles.
In 1965, Northern Songs had a public stock offering, after which Paul McCartney initially owned 20% of Northern Songs, which became 15%.
In June 1966, promotional films for "Paperback Writer" and its B-side, "Rain", aired on The Ed Sullivan Show and Top of the Pops.
In November 1966, The Beatles began adopting an experimental attitude during recording sessions for the album.
In 1966, Paul McCartney completed his first musical project independent of The Beatles: a film score for the UK production "The Family Way".
In February 1967, The Beatles released the double A-side single "Strawberry Fields Forever"/"Penny Lane".
By 1967, while typically using Vox amplifiers, Paul McCartney had also begun using a Fender Bassman for amplification.
In 1967, The Beatles re-signed with EMI for another nine years.
Starting with the album "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" in 1967, McCartney began to take on a leadership role within the Beatles, driving the creative direction of their music and film projects.
During a recording session for The Beatles in 1968, Paul McCartney's critique of Ringo Starr's drum part for "Back in the U.S.S.R." led to an argument that resulted in Starr temporarily leaving the band.
In 1968, Paul McCartney played the drums on Paul Jones' rendition of "And the Sun Will Shine".
In 1968, The Beatles composition "Hey Jude", co-written by Paul McCartney, achieved the highest sales in the UK that year and topped the US charts for nine weeks. It achieved sales of over five million copies soon after its release.
In 1968, after forming their own record label, Apple Records, the Beatles' recordings would be released through Apple although the masters were still owned by EMI.
In September 1969, John Lennon privately left the Beatles but agreed to keep it secret to avoid jeopardizing ongoing business negotiations.
In 1969, Dick James sold a controlling interest in Northern Songs to Lew Grade's Associated Television (ATV) after which Paul McCartney and John Lennon sold their remaining shares.
In 1969, Paul McCartney played drums on the Steve Miller Band's tracks "Celebration Song" and "My Dark Hour".
On April 10, 1970, amidst business disagreements with his bandmates, largely concerning Allen Klein's management, Paul McCartney announced his departure from the Beatles.
On December 31, 1970, McCartney filed a lawsuit for the formal dissolution of The Beatles, marking a significant step in the band's separation.
In 1970, Paul McCartney released his first solo album, "McCartney", which reached number one in the US charts. This marked the beginning of his post-Beatles musical career.
In 1970, after the Beatles disbanded, Paul McCartney launched his solo career with the album "McCartney" and formed the band Wings with his wife Linda and Denny Laine.
In March 1971, the court appointed a receiver to oversee the finances of the Beatles' company, Apple Corps, signaling further complications in the band's affairs.
In 1971, Paul McCartney bought the publishing rights to Buddy Holly's music catalog.
In 1971, following the Beatles' break-up, Paul McCartney and his wife Linda formed the band Wings. Despite facing criticism regarding Linda's musical abilities, Paul defended her contributions, noting her skill with the Minimoog synthesizer.
In 1972, Paul McCartney re-signed with ATV for seven years in a joint publishing agreement between ATV and McCartney Music.
In 1972, Wings began their first concert tour, debuting at the University of Nottingham in front of an audience of 700. They toured UK universities, staying in modest accommodations and avoiding Beatles songs.
In March 1973, Wings achieved their first US number-one single, "My Love", which was included on their second LP, Red Rose Speedway, which also topped the US charts and reached the UK top five.
In 1973, Paul McCartney contributed instrumentation and backing vocals for "Six O'Clock", a song he wrote for Ringo Starr's album Ringo. McCartney also played a kazoo solo on "You're Sixteen" from the same album.
In 1973, Paul McCartney was voted the best rock bassist in Creem's Reader Poll Results.
In 1973, after McCullough and Seiwell's departure, Wings recorded "Band on the Run". The album became a US and UK number one and remained on the UK charts for 124 weeks.
In 1974, Paul McCartney was voted the best rock bassist in Creem's Reader Poll Results for the second consecutive year.
In 1974, Wings achieved a second US number-one single with the title track from their album "Band on the Run". Also in 1974, McCartney hired guitarist Jimmy McCulloch and drummer Geoff Britton.
On January 9, 1975, an English court legally dissolved the Beatles' partnership, officially ending the band's formal association.
In 1975, Paul McCartney was voted the third best rock bassist in Creem's Reader Poll Results.
In 1975, Wings released the chart-topping album "Venus and Mars" and began the Wings Over the World Tour, which lasted fourteen months with stops in the UK, Australia, Europe, and the US.
On 24 April 1976, Paul McCartney and John Lennon considered a $3,000 offer to reunite the Beatles on Saturday Night Live while watching the show at Lennon's home in the Dakota. Although tempted, they decided it was too late to go to the studio, making it their last time together.
Following the break-up of the Beatles, Paul McCartney's music continued to be released by Apple Records under the Beatles' 1967 recording contract with EMI which ran until 1976.
In 1976, Wings released the chart-topping album "Wings at the Speed of Sound", continuing their run of successful releases.
In 1976, on what would have been Buddy Holly's fortieth birthday, Paul McCartney started the annual "Buddy Holly Week" in England to celebrate Holly's legacy.
In 1977, Paul McCartney was voted the third best rock bassist in Creem's Reader Poll Results.
In 1978, Paul McCartney acquired the publishing rights to two of The Beatles' earliest songs, "Love Me Do" and "P.S. I Love You", from Ardmore & Beechwood.
In 1978, Wings released "London Town", which spawned the US number-one single "With a Little Luck" and achieved top-five status in both the US and the UK.
In 1979, Paul McCartney signed with Columbia Records in the US and Canada, reportedly receiving the industry's most lucrative recording contract to date, while remaining with EMI for distribution throughout the rest of the world.
In 1979, Wings last number one hit was the live version of "Coming Up", which was recorded in Glasgow, Scotland.
In 1979, Wings released "Back to the Egg", which featured a rock supergroup called "Rockestra" and included 20 shows in the UK, debuting Beatles songs like "Got to Get You into My Life", "The Fool on the Hill" and "Let It Be".
Since 1979, MPL Communications has published Paul McCartney's songs.
In 1980, Paul McCartney released his second solo LP, "McCartney II", which he self-produced. The album peaked at number one in the UK and number three in the US.
In 1980, Paul McCartney resumed his solo career after the dissolution of Wings.
In April 1981, Paul McCartney discontinued Wings after Denny Laine quit due to disagreements over royalties and salaries, marking the end of the band.
In 1981, Paul McCartney and Yoko Ono attempted to purchase the Northern Songs catalogue, but their offer was declined.
In 1981, Paul McCartney sang backup on George Harrison's tribute to John Lennon, "All Those Years Ago", which also featured Ringo Starr on drums.
In 1981, Paul McCartney wrote, produced, and contributed character voices for a short animated film directed by Geoff Dunbar called Rupert and the Frog Song. His song "We All Stand Together" from the film's soundtrack reached No. 3 in the UK Singles Chart.
In 1982, McCartney collaborated with Stevie Wonder on "Ebony and Ivory" and with Michael Jackson on "The Girl Is Mine", marking significant collaborations in his solo career.
In 1982, Paul McCartney released "Here Today", a song described as a tribute to his friendship with John Lennon.
In 1983, Paul McCartney became interested in painting after watching artist Willem de Kooning work in his Long Island studio and started painting himself.
In 1984, McCartney starred in "Give My Regards to Broad Street", a film he also wrote and produced. Although the film received poor reviews, the soundtrack reached number one in the UK.
In 1984, Ringo Starr appeared as a fictional version of himself in Paul McCartney's film Give My Regards to Broad Street and played drums on most tracks of the soundtrack album.
Until the 1984 release of "Do They Know It's Christmas?", the Wings song "Mull of Kintyre" held the UK sales record with 2.5 million copies sold.
In 1985, McCartney participated in Live Aid and performed "Let it Be", with technical difficulties initially affecting the audio quality.
In 1985, Michael Jackson purchased ATV Music, the parent company of Northern Songs, leading to criticism from McCartney.
In 1985, Paul McCartney produced and hosted The Real Buddy Holly Story, a documentary featuring interviews with Keith Richards, Phil and Don Everly, the Holly family, and others.
In 1985, Paul McCartney returned to Capitol Records in the US, remaining with EMI until 2006.
In 1986, Paul McCartney collaborated with Eric Stewart on "Press to Play", with Stewart co-writing more than half of the album's songs.
In 1988, Paul McCartney released Снова в СССР, which was initially available only in the Soviet Union and contained eighteen cover songs recorded over two days.
In September 1989, Paul McCartney launched the Paul McCartney World Tour, his first tour in over a decade. That same year, he released Flowers in the Dirt; a collaborative effort with Elvis Costello.
In 1989, Paul McCartney began touring as a solo artist.
In 1989, Paul McCartney participated in the charity recording of "Ferry Cross the Mersey".
Since the Rich List began in 1989, Paul McCartney has been the UK's wealthiest musician.
Until 1989, sporadic lawsuits against EMI, Allen Klein, and the former Beatles members persisted, extending the legal entanglements following the band's dissolution.
On April 21, 1990, Paul McCartney performed for the largest paying stadium audience in history, with 184,000 people attending his concert at Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Around 1990, Paul McCartney switched back to using the Höfner bass because it inspired him to play more sensitively, something he considers fundamental to his playing style.
In 1991, Paul McCartney premiered his orchestral piece "Liverpool Oratorio" and performed on MTV Unplugged, later releasing a live album of the performance titled "Unplugged (The Official Bootleg)".
In 1992, Paul McCartney worked with Geoff Dunbar on an animated film about the work of French artist Honoré Daumier, which won them a BAFTA award.
In 1993, McCartney collaborated with Youth of Killing Joke as "the Fireman", releasing the album "Strawberries Oceans Ships Forest", and released the rock album "Off the Ground", followed by the New World Tour and the "Paul Is Live" album.
In 1995, Northern Songs was formally dissolved and absorbed into the Sony/ATV catalogue after Jackson merged his catalogue with Sony. McCartney receives royalties from commercial proceeds.
In 1995, Paul McCartney made a guest appearance on The Simpsons episode "Lisa the Vegetarian" and directed a short documentary about the Grateful Dead.
In 1995, Paul McCartney narrated the documentary 'Devour the Earth', written by Tony Wardle.
In 1997, Barry Miles wrote Paul McCartney's official biography, Many Years from Now.
In 1997, Paul McCartney spoke out in support of decriminalization of cannabis, arguing that making people criminals for smoking pot was wrong.
In 1997, Ringo Starr played drums and sang backing vocals on "Beautiful Night" from Paul McCartney's album Flaming Pie.
In 1998, Paul McCartney collaborated on Ringo Starr's Vertical Man, providing backing vocals on three songs and instrumentation on one.
In 1999, Paul McCartney first exhibited his paintings in Siegen, Germany. The 70-painting show featured portraits of John Lennon, Andy Warhol, and David Bowie.
In 1999, Paul McCartney spent £3,000,000 to ensure Linda McCartney Foods remained free of genetically engineered ingredients.
In September 2000, Paul McCartney's first UK exhibition of paintings opened, featuring 500 canvases at the Arnolfini Gallery in Bristol, England.
In October 2000, Paul McCartney's art debuted in his hometown of Liverpool at the Walker Art Gallery.
In 2001, Paul McCartney published "Blackbird Singing", a volume of poems and lyrics to his songs.
In 2003, Paul McCartney and Heather Mills met with Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin, urging Russia to join the anti-landmine campaign.
In 2003, Paul McCartney earned £40 million, making him the highest income earner that year within media professions in the UK.
In 2004, Paul McCartney and Geoff Dunbar worked together on the animated short film Tropic Island Hum. The accompanying single, "Tropic Island Hum"/"We All Stand Together", reached number 21 in the UK.
In 2004, Paul McCartney donated a song to an album to aid the "US Campaign for Burma", in support of Aung San Suu Kyi.
In July 2005, Paul McCartney's performance of "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" with U2 at Live 8 became the fastest-released single in history, reaching number one on the UK Official Download Chart within forty-five minutes of its recording.
By 2005, Paul McCartney's income rose to £48.5 million.
In 2005, Paul McCartney's first children's book, "High in the Clouds: An Urban Furry Tail", a collaboration with writer Philip Ardagh and animator Geoff Dunbar, was published by Faber & Faber.
In 2006, Paul and Heather McCartney traveled to Prince Edward Island to raise international awareness of seal hunting and debated with Newfoundland's Premier Danny Williams on Larry King Live.
Paul McCartney's contract with EMI ended in 2006.
In 2007, Paul McCartney signed with Hear Music, becoming the label's first artist.
In 2008, Paul McCartney donated a song to Aid Still Required's CD, which was organized as an effort to raise funds to assist with the recovery from the devastation caused in Southeast Asia by the 2004 tsunami.
In 2009, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr performed "With a Little Help from My Friends" at a benefit concert for the David Lynch Foundation.
In 2009, Paul McCartney narrated a video for PETA titled "Glass Walls", which was critical of slaughterhouses and the meat industry.
In 2009, Paul McCartney wrote to the 14th Dalai Lama questioning his meat consumption.
On 7 July 2010, Paul McCartney made a surprise appearance at Ringo Starr's seventieth birthday concert at Radio City Music Hall in New York, performing the Beatles' song "Birthday" with Starr's band.
In 2010, Paul McCartney collaborated on Ringo Starr's album Y Not, playing bass on "Peace Dream" and singing a duet with Starr on "Walk with You".
In 2011, a Rolling Stone readers' poll voted Paul McCartney the third best bassist of all time.
In 2012, Paul McCartney joined the anti-fracking campaign Artists Against Fracking.
Paul McCartney's 18-date "On the Run Tour" grossed £37 million in 2012.
On 26 January 2014, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr performed "Queenie Eye" from McCartney's album New at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards.
As of 2014, McCartney's most recent UK number one was the title track of his LP "Pipes of Peace", showcasing his enduring success.
In April 2015, Paul McCartney inducted Ringo Starr into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
In 2015, Paul McCartney had an estimated fortune of £730 million.
In 2015, Paul McCartney opposed the reintroduction of fox hunting in Britain, following David Cameron's decision to allow a free vote on the law.
In 2017, Paul McCartney played bass on Ringo Starr's album Give More Love.
In 2017, Paul McCartney played drums on the song "Sunday Rain" from the Foo Fighters' album Concrete and Gold.
On 16 December 2018, Ringo Starr and Ronnie Wood joined Paul McCartney onstage to perform "Get Back" at his concert at London's O2 Arena.
In 2018, Paul McCartney returned to Capitol Records for his album Egypt Station.
In 2018, Paul McCartney wrote the children's book Hey Grandude! together with illustrator Kathryn Durst.
In July 2019, Ringo Starr made an appearance on the final day of Paul McCartney's Freshen Up tour, performing "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)" and "Helter Skelter".
In September 2019, the children's book Hey Grandude!, written by Paul McCartney and illustrated by Kathryn Durst, was published by Random House Books.
In December 2020, the release of Paul McCartney's album McCartney III and its subsequent charting at number 2 on the US Billboard 200 earned McCartney the feat of being the first artist to have a new album in the top two chart positions in each of the last six decades.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, in 2020, Paul McCartney called for Chinese wet markets to be banned, citing health and animal cruelty concerns. He also commented on ecocide.
In 2020, Rolling Stone magazine ranked Paul McCartney the ninth greatest bassist of all time. Also, in 2020, Bass Player magazine ranked him the third best bass player of all time.
In September 2021, Paul McCartney released a follow-up children's book to Hey Grandude!, titled Grandude's Green Submarine.
In 2021, Paul McCartney was voted the fifth greatest bassist of all time in a MusicRadar readers' poll.
On 19 December 2024, Ringo Starr and Ronnie Wood joined Paul McCartney at the O2 Arena in London, performing "Get Back", "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)", and "Helter Skelter".
In 2024, McCartney sponsored the first ever Tree Register Yearbook.
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