

Once again on the cusp of new music trends, he included heavy use of synthesizers and electronic beats. In 1980, he released the second album in his self-titled series, McCartney II. 1 spot in the U.K while staying in the U.S. RAM was similarly adventurous, seeing both the McCartneys take the No. Rich in experimentation, the LP saw McCartney take a step back from the often polished nature of the Beatles, opting for a spacier sound. A month before the Beatles’ swansong, Let It Be, he shared his first self-titled album, notable for the fact that he performed all the instruments and vocals himself, aside from some back-up from Linda. Producing iconic tracks like “Come Together,” “Oh! Darling,” “Here Comes The Sun” and “I’ve Got A Feeling.” The two albums finished the group’s recording career, solidifying them as one of the biggest bands of all time.īefore taking over the world with Wings, McCartney released two solo records, McCartney and RAM.

Their final two albums, Abbey Road and Let It Be, balanced their new sound with their bluesy rock roots. Pepper’s Loney Hearts Club Band and Yellow Submarine. In this era of their career, the group took a step back from touring due to widespread backlash thanks to an off-hand comment made by John Lennon that the group was “more popular than Jesus.” A trip to India, took the group all the way into their trippy new sound on Sgt. Later they took a turn for psychedelia, releasing albums like Rubber Soul and Revolver. Their career launched to new heights with an iconic appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, where they played “All My Lovin,” “Till There Was You” and “She Loves You.” charts – a streak that would continue throughout their career. single, “Please Please Me” topped the U.K. The Beatles did just that beginning in the early ’60s, taking their homegrown success to a world eagerly opening up to the burgeoning phenomenon that was rock n’ roll.Īfter signing with manager Brian Epstein, the Beatles saw on a non-stop upward spiral, recording some of their first tracks like “Love Me Do,” “Ask Me Why,” and “PS I Love You.” It was also around the same time Ringo Starr joined the group, completing the enduring line-up of the Beatles.īy 1964, it was full-fledged “Beatlemania” worldwide, as the four mop tops dominated the U.S. In the late ’50s, it was difficult to imagine a band hailing from the relatively poor, small town of Liverpool could break into the bustling London music scene, let alone the rest of the world. A friend of Lennon’s, Stuart Sutcliffe, joined the group to play bass and is often credited with coming up with the Beatles’ name. The name of the band was in flux during this period with the group playing under several monikers, including Johnny and the Moon Dogs, The Silver Beatles, and The Silver Beats. Though still playing as the Quarrymen, McCartney, Lennon, and Harrison created what would become the Beatles. Later George Harrison joined the group taking over lead guitar. Struck by his performance, Lennon asked McCartney to join the outfit permanently. While setting their instruments up for the evening show, the band’s original bass player introduced the two future writing partners, telling McCartney to join in for a few numbers. McCartney was introduced to music from a young ageĪ 15-year-old McCartney met John Lennon during a fateful performance of Lennon’s skiffle band, The Quarrymen. His sound has evolved over his six-plus decades as a musician but one thing that remains the same is his ability to capture his audience with incomparable songwriting.

Known for his melodic approach to bass-playing, McCartney is one of the most celebrated musicians of all time. Happy Birthday Paul McCartney! To celebrate the iconic musician’s 80th, we’re taking you through his career from the Beatles, to Wings, his solo albums, and beyond.
