Paul McCartney’s Best Albums: A Definitive Buyer’s Guide to Macca’s Solo and Wings Classics

When The Beatles called it quits in 1970, many thought John Lennon was the cool one—the rebel with an edge. Paul McCartney? People saw him as the “safe” guy. And that idea stuck with him for years.

Sure, Macca (or Sir Paul now) made a few cringe-worthy moves—We All Stand Together with the Frog Chorus, anyone? But across four decades, he’s delivered some brilliant music. In the 1970s, with his band Wings—formed with wife Linda and Denny Laine—he made records so solid that even fictional DJ Alan Partridge praised them as “the band The Beatles could have been.”

Hits That Went Beyond the Beatles

During Wings’ best years, McCartney gave us songs like Band On The Run, Jet, Live And Let Die, Let ’Em In, and Mull Of Kintyre—which made history as the UK’s first single to sell two million copies. After a creative dry spell from the mid-’80s to the mid-’90s, he bounced back strongly with acclaimed albums like Flaming Pie and Memory Almost Full.

As KISS bassist Gene Simmons once said:

“Sir Paul McCartney is arguably the most successful songwriter in history, and I am stunned at the width and breath of his songwriting. A heartfelt salute to you, Sir Paul, for giving me all those marvellous songs that will stay with me for the rest of my life.”

Nine Must-Listen Albums

1. Band On The Run (1973)
Wings nearly fell apart before this album was recorded in Nigeria, but McCartney turned the chaos into his finest post-Beatles work. With classics like Jet and the multi-part title track, it’s a triumph born from adversity.

2. Ram (1971)
Credited to Paul and Linda, this once-dismissed gem was called “incredibly inconsequential” by Rolling Stone, which couldn’t be more wrong. It’s now hailed as one of his most creative, start-to-finish great albums.

3. McCartney (1970)
Paul played every instrument himself, crafting a raw, home-recorded solo debut just as The Beatles split. It’s rough around the edges, but full of charm, with moments like Maybe I’m Amazed that rival his best.

4. Red Rose Speedway (1973)
This mellow Wings record gave us the hit ballad My Love and the underappreciated Little Lamb Dragonfly. The reissue also includes Hi, Hi, Hi—a cheeky, banned track that adds some spice.

5. Wings At The Speed Of Sound (1976)
McCartney gave his bandmates more singing time, but it’s his songs—Let ’Em In, Silly Love Songs, and Beware My Love—that steal the show. It still topped the US charts for seven weeks.

6. London Town (1978)
Down to a trio, Wings leaned into synths and soft rock, resulting in the laid-back hit With A Little Luck. The title track is another highlight, smooth and emotionally rich.

7. Venus And Mars (1975)
This follow-up to Band On The Run isn’t perfect, but it shines with tracks like Listen To What The Man Said and Rock Show. The album ends weirdly with a soap opera theme—but hey, that’s peak McCartney quirk.

8. Wild Life (1971)
Wings’ lo-fi debut was recorded fast and loose, giving it raw energy and emotion. Dear Friend stands out as a possible peace offering to John Lennon, full of quiet power.

9. Memory Almost Full (2007)
A late-career surprise, this album is introspective, melodic, and full of heart. McCartney called it “a very personal record,” and songs like You Tell Me show he still had something to say.

And One You Can Skip

Give My Regards To Broad Street (1984) – The film flopped, and while No More Lonely Nights was a hit, the rest was just rehashed Beatles tracks. “It’s Macca pissing on his own legacy.”