ARTIST · ROCK / POP

Paul McCartney

Baselines that sing and bridges that detour—pop architecture disguised as effortless.

Rock
Pop

Updated 27 October 2026

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Biography

Band on the Run proved post-Beatles identity could be its own grand saga.

Later solo eras embraced classical flirtation, electronica experiments, and stubborn rock stamina.

Live shows stretch hours because catalogs refuse to narrow.

Lossless streams expose Hofner thump, tape slap, and vocal double nuances.

McCartney was born in Liverpool in 1942 and met John Lennon at a church fête in 1957. With The Beatles he wrote Yesterday, Hey Jude, Let It Be, and Penny Lane. After the band split in 1970 he made McCartney (1970), recorded alone, and formed Wings.

His solo career includes Ram (1971), Band on the Run (1973), Tug of War (1982), Flaming Pie (1997), and Egypt Station (2018). He was knighted in 1997 and has worked on classical music, including the Liverpool Oratorio. He is a long-time vegetarian and animal-rights campaigner.

Paul McCartney: recent news, 2020–2026

2020 McCartney III, which he recorded alone during lockdown, was released in December.
2021 The Hulu series McCartney 3,2,1, with producer Rick Rubin, and the book The Lyrics were released.
2022 At 80 he headlined Glastonbury, with Dave Grohl and Bruce Springsteen as guests.
2023 Now and Then, completed from a John Lennon demo, was released as the last Beatles song.
2024 Wings: One Hand Clapping, a filmed studio session from 1974, was released, and the Got Back tour continued.

Rumors and plans

McCartney has not announced a new studio album. Sam Mendes’s four Beatles films, planned for 2028, will have his and Ringo Starr’s cooperation.

Interesting facts about Paul McCartney

01 English singer-songwriter born in Liverpool; founding member of The Beatles.
02 Multiple Grammy Awards including wins with The Beatles and as a solo artist.
03 Knighted in 1997 and inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice (Beatles 1988; solo 1999).
04 Met John Lennon at a church fête in Liverpool in 1957.
05 Was knighted in 1997.