Paul McCartney – singer, songwriter, composer, poet, legend. Born on 18 June 1942 in England’s Liverpool, Sir James Paul McCartney turns 80 on Saturday. He vocalised, composed, and wrote songs, played bass, wrote poems, and painted. With more than a dozen international top 10 singles and albums, McCartney is one of the most commercially and critically successful musical artists.

Also read: Who is Paul McCartney?

McCartney was a part of that movement that changed music forever as a member of the Beatles. Despite the Beatles’ enormous influence, McCartney’s personal work is remarkable and frequently eclipsed by his former band.

Speaking to NPR on what he decided to do after The Beatles disbanded, he remarked, “It was quite difficult because I didn’t know what to do at all. And I didn’t really have any brainy ideas, except if I want to continue in music, maybe I’ll form another band. But then, how do you do that after The Beatles? How could anything I do be as good as The Beatles? The Beatles had a very special combination of talents … as has been proved by its longevity. The stuff we did together still sounds good and still lives today. So it was a question of how can you get better than that? And I think I just have to say, ‘Well, you can’t. But if you want to keep going, you should maybe think about starting something else.’ So I did.”

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Here are some of Paul McCartney’s best post-Beatles tunes:

Maybe I’m Amazed (1970)

The penultimate single on McCartney’s self-titled first album Maybe I’m Amazed demonstrated McCartney’s undeniable attractiveness as a solo performer. The harsh vocals provide a welcome contrast to the modest accompaniments, with McCartney wailing about his wife and the Beatles’ abrupt demise. It’s no coincidence that McCartney declared that he wanted to be remembered most for this song.

Band On The Run (1973)

The lead single of the album with which the song shared its name, Band On The Run, was released at a time when McCartney’s commercial and critical success was being called into doubt. The amazing shift in tone by Band On The Run twice during its runtime helped drive the music to the top of the charts. McCartney’s fifth album became a critical and popular success as a result of the song.

Too Many People (1971)

McCartney is at his silky bluesy best on the title track of his second solo album, Too Many People, singing the strongest lyrics. Taking jabs at erstwhile bandmate John Lennon and his wife Yoko Ono, McCartney used his typical sweet melody to express part of the frustration that led to the Beatles’ demise.

The Back Seat of My Car (1971)

The Back Seat of My Car features McCartney and his wife Linda singing to a tune that may be mistaken for one of the earliest Beatles’ songs. In an interview in 2001, he remarked about the song, “The two lovers are going to take on the world. I always like the underdog.”

Live And Let Die (1973)

Live and Let Die was composed for the James Bond film of the same name. It’s one of his oddest tracks, with elements ranging from orchestral rock to reggae. One of McCartney’s most noteworthy pieces is the symphonic interlude for the chorus.