by Ian Gualtiere ’27 on April 16, 2026
A&E - Music
We all know the impact of The Beatles, whose songs like “Here Comes The Sun” and “Hey Jude” prompt mass sing-alongs and connect generations with similar musical tastes. But this is not an article about the history of the band; that article would try to encompass the wide range of musical abilities and creative songwriting that changed the conventions of music and fashion during the 1960s. What, however, is so special about the eras that came after The Beatles, especially after their breakup in 1970? What does each solo career show?
The lives of the band from Liverpool were documented, categorized, and memorized by the most die-hard fans, eager to dive into deep conversations about deep cuts from the solo careers of each Beatle. John Lennon’s Imagine (1971) explores the post-Beatles era as one of anger and confusion, while advocating for worldwide peace, but still reflecting Lennon’s complex and fragile emotions as he formed a new musical career—one that would be tragically cut short after his murder in 1980. George Harrison’s All Things Must Pass (1970) covers years of pent-up frustration that finally get a chance to flourish without the noise of other band members, while still applying a philosophical Eastern spiritual element. Ringo Starr’s Ringo (1973) represents what the band’s drummer was: a bridgebuilder, who informally got the help of his former band members to collaborate. McCartney (1970) is, perhaps, the least cohesive yet profound collection of half-written songs, home recordings, and rambling lyrics that show that one Beatle couldn’t come to terms with a solo career.
Paul McCartney, by the early 1970s, had moved his young family to an isolated farm in Scotland and recorded a one-man album, where he played and recorded every instrument, along with t some contributions from his wife Linda. As McCartney said of this experience, “I nearly had a breakdown. I suppose the hurt of it all, and the disappointment, and the sorrow of losing this great band, these great friends…I was going crazy.” The warmth and reflective nature of this album are considered to be a pioneering quality in lo-fi music, which has been adopted by aspiring musicians on YouTube and TikTok.
The career of McCartney branched out from McCartney, where the formation of his own band, Wings, culminated in a rich and rewarding discography that spans the mid to late 1970s. Albums such as Band on the Run (1973), Venus and Mars (1975), and London Town (1978) capture the rock-n-roll spirit of the times. By the early 1980s, McCartney dissolved his second band to focus again on a solo career, which saw collaborations with artists like Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, and Elvis Costello, culminating in Tug of War (1982), Pipes of Peace (1983), and Flowers in the Dirt (1989). The 1990s and 2000s saw McCartney turning into an “elder statesman” of music as he turned more acoustic and open to collaborating with the remaining members of The Beatles. The deaths of Linda and George Harrison by the turn of the century turned McCartney more reflective with Chaos and Creation In The Backyard (2005).
The past 20 years of McCartney’s career prove one defining theme that characterized The Beatles: he is chameleonic and is always willing to find ways to create. A collaboration with Kanye West and Rihanna in 2015 resulted in “FourFiveSeconds,” and a series of concerts has kept McCartney relevant. McCartney III (2020) was thought to be the accepted bookend in his solo career, which saw a similar style and structure to his first solo album, and similar circumstances of self-isolation, however, due to different reasons.
But it appears that in the past two months, there has been a resurgence in McCartney’s creative powers and public image. Man on the Run (2026) is a documentary film released in February that documents McCartney’s post-Beatles career; in March, it was announced that a new album, The Boys of Dungeon Lane, is set to be released at the end of May. McCartney will also be the musical performer on Saturday Night Live on May 16.
In a career that has spanned almost 70 years, from skiffle bands in the streets of Liverpool to the roaring crowds of Shea Stadium to isolated Scottish farms, McCartney continues to be a living testament to the power of creativity; his music has evolved and endured longer than any other musician can ever claim.