Few artists have impacted modern music as much as Paul McCartney, who has continued to release innovative projects and perform for fans worldwide for over six decades. The now 81-year-old was just a teenager when his friend John Lennon invited him to join the Quarrymen, a band that would eventually evolve into what we now know as the Beatles.
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Alongside Lennon, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr, McCartney saw his life change nearly overnight as the Beatles became one of rock and roll’s most influential acts. In the years following the band’s dissolution, McCartney never stopped creating, whether through his solo works or with his chart-topping band Wings.
[RELATED: Paul McCartney’s Solo Masterpieces: 7 Albums That Define His Post-Beatles Career]
As McCartney’s career has stretched on through the years, his experiences and memories have been preserved in an array of biographies and curated compilations. Here are five McCartney books that are essential reads for any longtime fan.
1. Blackbird Singing: Poems and Lyrics, 1965–1999
This 2001 release served as McCartney’s published collection of written works that features a selection of compositions from over three decades. Curated by McCartney with editor Adrian Mitchell, Blackbird Singing highlights his immeasurable talents as a songwriter and poet.
2. 1964: Eyes of the Storm
The latest release on our list, 1964: Eyes of the Storm, transports readers to the year that changed everything for McCartney and his Beatles bandmates. Fans get a first-hand look at the group’s worldwide travels, captured in photos shot on 33mm film by McCartney himself.
3. Wingspan: Paul McCartney’s Band on the Run
Released in 2002, Wingspan: Paul McCartney’s Band on the Run is another photo-centered book that gives visual context to his captivating life and career. This time, McCartney looks back at the evolution of his post-Beatles project, Wings, during the 1970s. Through snapshots taken by the influential singer/songwriter and his late wife, photographer, and Wings bandmate Linda McCartney, fans get an intimate look at the pair’s personal life and creative pursuits.
4. The Lyrics: 1956 to the Present
McCartney offers an essential read for any songwriter with this 2021 New York Times best-seller. The comprehensive retrospective gives context and commentary to 154 of his lyrical works, from his early days with the Beatles to his celebrated solo efforts.
5. Paul McCartney: The Life
Author Philip Norman delivers a thoughtful outsider’s perspective on McCartney’s captivating story with this best-selling 2016 biography. Along with his landmark achievements as a musician and songwriter, Norman digs into some of the darker moments of McCartney’s journey, from battles with his Beatles bandmates to the devastating loss of his wife, Linda, to breast cancer in 1998.
(Photo by Harry Durrant, Courtesy of Getty Images)
