Throughout history, a select number of names have lived on throughout human consciousness for their achievements; Alexander the Great, William Shakespeare, George Washington, Albert Einstein, and Mozart, just to name a few. One person who belongs to such an elite group of people is without a doubt Sir Paul McCartney, the former Beatle who has influenced millions, possibly even billions of people worldwide for over 7 decades. 

You’ve probably heard many of his timeless hits, such as Yesterday, Hey Jude, Let It Be, Live and Let Die, Band on the Run, and countless others. At 82, he is still selling out stadiums worldwide, with his Got Back tour set to conclude on 19 December 2024 at the O2 Arena in London, England. To celebrate this monumental milestone in a mind-boggling career, let’s take a look at his one-of-a-kind career and accomplishments.

Born James Paul McCartney on 18 June 1942, the Liverpudlian’s music career (partially) started when he befriended fellow schoolmate George Harrison in 1954, eventually meeting John Lennon and joining his band The Quarrymen. Due to his father’s musical interest, Paul took it upon himself to learn the piano and the guitar, the latter of which created some complications at first (he was left-handed). By 1958, George Harrison had joined the band as the lead guitarist, and in August 1960, the band changed their name to something related to bugs. 

Paul took up the bass in 1961, which is hard to imagine, seeing as how he would write so many memorable basslines in only 5 years, up until Revolver. In 1962, Ringo Starr joined the Beatles and they released their debut single, “Love Me Do”. The song gained alarming popularity in 1963 and until 1966, Beatlemania took over the public, and their legacy was cemented even before their best albums came out. As the quintet stopped touring, they became fully-fledged studio musicians who released a couple of records you might’ve heard of, such as Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, The White Album, and Abbey Road. As the 70s rolled in, the Let It Be record signified that the Beatles had split, leaving 4 extremely accomplished musicians to pursue their solo careers.

Curiously enough, unlike his former bandmates, Macca did not have a universally acclaimed album ready out of the gate. As John released the amazing John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band, and George took the music scene by storm with All Things Must Pass, Paul’s debut McCartney, released in April 1970, “modestly” reached number one in the U.S. and number two in the United Kingdom. His second album Ram (1971), his first of many collaborations with his late wife Linda, is nowadays considered to be one of his best, although the critics at the time certainly didn’t think so. 

Paul formed the famed Wings the same year, releasing 7 albums until 1979, the highlight albums being the legendary Band on the Run (1973), Venus and Mars (1975), and Wings at the Speed of Sound (1976). As Wings’ writing was essentially Paul’s backing band, he acknowledged that the group had ceased to exist in 1982. Throughout the years, Macca’s legacy has only grown, with other notable albums such as Tug of War (1982), Flowers in the Dirt (1989), and Flaming Pie (1997). As of 2024, Sir Paul McCartney has released 26 studio albums and a whopping 111 singles. 

He is inarguably one of the most prolific songwriters of all time, his partnership with Lennon is only rivaled by the bard himself, Bob Dylan. Sir Paul, as a member of the Beatles and a prolific solo artist, has influenced every musician alive by default. Just look at the list of musicians he has collaborated with over the years, and have cited him as a direct influence.

• Elton John
• David Bowie
• Fleetwood Mac
• Radiohead
• Nirvana
• Tame Impala (Kevin Parker)
• Billy Joel
• Harry Styles
• The Beach Boys
• Oasis
• Coldplay
• Kanye West
• Tyler the Creator

And this is just the tip of the iceberg. It shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone that a former Beatle would be influential and popular, but Paul McCartney’s longevity is just ridiculous to think of. Here are some fun facts about Macca that you may not know.

• He saved music producer Mark Ronson (of “Uptown Funk” and “Shallow” fame) from drowning. Mr. Ronson later was involved in the production of Paul’s New (2013) album.
• Macca has been arrested 6 times since 1960, the most arrests of any Beatle. 
• He became a vegetarian in 1975 after experiencing a moment of realization while eating lamb chops and watching lambs playing outside their farm window.
• A species of trilobite was named Struszia Mccartneyi after him (his biggest achievement, in my opinion).
• “Mull of Kintyre”, a Wings single released in 1977, was and remains the UK’s biggest-selling non-charity single of all time. 
• Some conspiracy theorists claim that McCartney was killed in an accident in 1966 and that a look-alike has been pretending to be him ever since (Ah yes, a look-alike wrote “Hey Jude” and “Blackbird”, totally believable).
• He is the only musician to have a number 1 single as a solo artist, a duo (“Ebony and Ivory” with Stevie Wonder), a trio (Wings), a quartet (The Beatles), and a quintet (The Beatles and Billy Preston).
• Legendary NYC punk band The Ramones got their name from Paul’s original stage name “Paul Ramon”.
• He has the most number-one albums of all time (19 Beatles, 3 solo, and 5 Wings albums).
• In 1989, McCartney played a solo concert in Brazil to a crowd of over 350,000 people, which is believed to be the largest paid audience in history.

You’d think everyone would first hear Paul McCartney on a monster hit from the Fab Four, but I surprisingly first heard Paul McCartney from a Michael Jackson music video. My dad absolutely loved MJ, he even named me after him! I remember being fascinated by Paul and Michael’s shenanigans in “Say Say Say”, and that chorus is still stuck in my head after 13 years. The first solo McCartney song I ever heard was “Hope of Deliverance”, a single from Off the Ground (1992). A soft, acoustic-anchored arrangement, it became an instant favorite for me. Another memory of Paul and the boys is during my flight from Incheon to Seattle this July. The airline media section had One, the best-selling compilation album of the 2000s, and I listened to that record 4 times in full. To say he has affected me would be an understatement, and I’m sure millions of other people feel that way too.

For anyone looking to explore Paul’s incredible legacy, I’d recommend starting with 1962-1966 and 1967-1970, also known as the Red and the Blue albums. They will give you a taste of the Beatles’ most innovative and popular work while having great sound quality, as it was recently re-released in 2023 with newly remixed versions of the songs. You can later dive into the classic Beatles discography from start to finish. The progress the band made in only 9 years as a band is mind-blowing, to say the least.

As for Wings and his solo work, you can’t go wrong with the albums listed in the 6th paragraph. The live album Wings Over America (1976) documents the American leg of the 1975-1976 Wings World Tour and is an excellent gateway to Paul McCartney’s live material. The best compilation album would definitely be Pure McCartney (2016), which showcases his best work from 1970 to 2013. And Spotify always has great playlists showcasing the different eras of his career, so that’s also an option. 

Why should you listen to Paul McCartney? His gift for crafting timeless melodies and lyrics that explore universal and relatable themes has only gotten more impressive. Beyond his musical genius, McCartney’s cultural impact and enduring relevance set him apart from millions of other musicians. He has a 90% chance of being your favorite artist’s favorite artist. Whether you’re a fan of pop, rock, or just great songwriting, Macca’s extensive discography offers a masterclass in music that is simply impossible to overlook. I hope I’ve planted a seed of curiosity about this cultural icon. Do yourself a favor and check out his music over the next two weeks – you will definitely not regret it. Happy Holidays and have a great winter break!