“If you dare to experiment a little bit,” Paul McCartney told Uncut in 2020, “it’s good for you.” Looking back at his prodigious post-Beatles career, which began in 1970 and found its most recent outlet in 2026’s The Boys Of Dungeon Lane, McCartney has repeatedly pushed against what is expected of him, from the solo experiments of the McCartney albums, through the collective spirit of Wings via collaborations, one-offs, sound collages, high-class easy listening, ambient dance and some of the finest songwriting of the last six decades. As you’ll see, there’s a bit of everything in this list – ample evidence, then, of McCartney’s restless creative spirit.
We’ve come up with 33 albums in total – and that’s not including his various classical endeavours,A Toot And A Snore 74or his numerous contributions to albums by other artists.
Roll up, roll up…
33
PAUL MCCARTNEY
Press To Play
(PARLOPHONE, 1986)
The presence of hit producer Hugh Padgham couldn’t rescue Press To Play – indeed, Padgham’s attempts to introduce a contemporary sheen to songs like “Good Times Coming” and “Press” might just have made the whole thing even worse. Opening track “Stranglehold” is a sign of what could have been, with McCartney’s groove enhanced by the record’s echoey soundscape, while “Talk More Talk” and “Footprints” offer an enticing glimpse of a more experimental record that sits underneath the surface.
Recommended track: “Stranglehold”
32
WINGS
Wild Life
(APPLE/EMI, 1971)
The first proper Wings album emerged to sniffy reviews and even though Macca at this point could do nothing right as far as critics were concerned, they weren’t too far off the mark. Songs are weak and it doesn’t sound great, something unusual for McCartney even when he’s at a rare songwriting low. It’s not entirely bad – “Some People Never Know” is much underrated – while “Dear Friend” saw him extend an olive branch to his old pal John.
Recommended track: “Some People Never Know”
31
PAUL MCCARTNEY
Choba B CCCP
(MELODIYA, 1988)
Originally released only in Russia, Choba B CCCP saw McCartney tackle a bunch of rock ‘n roll classics including “Kansas City”, “That’s All Right Mama” and “Lucille”. It came as McCartney was trying to recapture his spark after the disappointing Press To Play and allowed him to immerse himself in the songs he’d loved as a kid, recording fast and focusing on feel. He also plotted a guerrilla release, the sort of fun he hadn’t had for a while. An insubstantial but entertaining addition to the canon.
Recommended track: “Don’t Get Round Much Anymore”
30
TWIN FREAKS
Twin Freaks
(PARLOPHONE, 2005)
Roy Kerr, aka The Freelance Hellraiser, made his name by mashing up Christina Aguilera with the Strokes in 2001. McCartney, already immersed in electronica with The Fireman, liked what he heard, and took Kerr on tour before releasing 12 remixes of McCartney songs – anything from Flaming Pie’s “Really Love You” to “Maybe I’m Amazed”, as well as new compositions like “Lalula”, which stitched together elements from existing songs. It doesn’t all work but the version of “Rinse The Raindrops” is great, and even “Temporary Secretary” is bearable.
Recommended track: “Rinse The Raindrops”
29
PAUL MCCARTNEY
Driving Rain
(PARLOPHONE, 2001)
An unusually heavy-going affair, as McCartney addressed a new century – and a new love – with what could be his most over-produced and over-thought solo album. Driving Rain has a denseness that makes it a difficult record to enjoy, even if songs like “She’s Given Up Talking” and “Your Way” still contain that quintessential McCartney spark.
Recommended track: “I Do”
28
PAUL MCCARTNEY
Give My Regards To Broad Street
(PARLOPHONE, 1984)
A pet project for Macca, the soundtrack to Give My Regards To Broad Street struggles to get off the ground despite the presence of the hit “No More Lonely Nights”, featuring David Gilmour’s piercing solo. The other new songs – “Not Such A Bad Boy” and “No Values” – are solid enough, but the reinterpretations of Beatles, Wings and solo material are pointless outside the context of the film.
Recommended track: “No More Lonely Nights”
27
THE FIREMAN
Electric Arguments
(ONE LITTLE INDIAN, 2008)
The final Fireman album is much more song-orientated than the two that came before. Again, it saw Martin Glover, aka Youth, and McCartney work together to create something avant-garde from Macca’s source material, but Electric Arguments features vocals and a more conventional structure amid the overbaked electronica. It probably has more in common with McCartney I, II & III than the other Fireman albums.
Recommended Track: “Sun Is Shining”
26
WINGS
Back To The Egg
(PARLOPHONE, 1979)
Wings’ final album was McCartney’s most experimental since Ram. It was also the band’s weakest effort since Wild Life, with McCartney’s efforts to harness some of the energy of punk and new wave falling short despite the band’s best attempts to work up a sweat on “Spin It On”. “Getting Closer” and “Arrow Through Me” are the highlights, but it’s a generally flat ending to the Wings story.
Recommended track: “Getting Closer”
25
PAUL MCCARTNEY
Pipes Of Peace
(PARLOPHONE, 1983)
It’s a fine line between a hit and a flop. Pipes Of Peace saw McCartney repeat many of the tricks that made its predecessor, Tug Of War, such a triumph, with George Martin producing, Ringo guesting and two duets – this time with Michael Jackson rather than Stevie Wonder. But Macca and Jacko don’t gel on “Say Say Say” and “The Man”, while few other songs – “Sweetest Little Show” and “Pipes Of Peace” being honourable exceptions – meet the expectations set by Tug Of War.
Recommended track: “Pipes Of Peace”
24
PAUL MCCARTNEY
Kisses On The Bottom
(HEAR MUSIC/MPL, 2012)
Given his mile-wide sentimental streak – and the fact he’d already recorded two albums of rock ‘n’ roll covers – it’s a bit of a surprise that it took Macca so long to get round to recording an album of standards. Among versions of “Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire”, Irving Berlin’s “Always” and “It’s Always A Paper Moon”, McCartney tosses in a couple of originals – “My Valentine” and “Only Our Hearts”. He just can’t help himself!
Recommended track: “We Three” (My Echo, My Shadow And Me)”
23
PAUL MCCARTNEY AND WINGS
Red Rose Speedway
(APPLE/EMI, 1973)
A bit of a mess, unavoidably perhaps given it was originally conceived as a double album, Red Rose Speedway – now credited to Paul McCartney And Wings – is still a major improvement on Wild Life, with “Big Barn Bed” introducing a group that at least seemed to have spent some time thinking about what they wanted to sound like. Unfortunately, neither of the best songs Macca released at this time – “Hi, Hi, Hi” and “Live And Let Die” – made the album.
Recommended track: “Big Barn Bed”
22
THE FIREMAN
Strawberries Oceans Ships Forest
(PARLOPHONE, 1993)
The first Fireman album came about when Youth was hired to remix “Hope Of Deliverance”. Instead, he created nine separate mixes that mixed elements from Off The Ground with demos, songs from Back To The Egg and some fresh music by McCartney. The result is a swirling, textural slab of dance music, if a little repetitive. Originally released without fanfare, the news soon broke that this was Macca’s latest adventure.
Recommended track: “Pure Trance”
21
PAUL MCCARTNEY
Memory Almost Full
(HEAR MUSIC/MPL, 2007)
Although Memory Almost Full was recorded either side of its predecessor Chaos And The Creation In The Backyard, it’s a solid and consistent album. “Ever Present Past” was a knowing nod to his history, while “See Your Sunshine” is proof that glittering pop melodies were still running through his veins. There’s even a decent medley, a trick he hadn’t tried to pull off for a decade or more.
Recommended track: “See Your Sunshine”
20
PERCY THRILLS THRILLINGTON
Thrillington
(REGAL ZONOPHONE, 1977)
McCartney has always loved a pseudonym, and cooked up the name Percy Thrillington for this instrumental version of Ram, recorded in 1971 but unreleased until 1977. Recorded with some of the UK’s best session men – Herbie Flowers, Vic Flick, Clem Cattini – it’s a lot of fun; a bit swing, a bit easy listening, but with an energy and rhythm that takes the sparkle of the original songs into surprising new directions.
Recommended track: “Monkberry Moon Delight”
19
PAUL MCCARTNEY/YOUTH/SUPER FURRY ANIMALS
Liverpool Sound Collage
(HYDRA, 2000)
Created as an aural backdrop for a Peter Blake exhibition, Liverpool Sound Collage might be the closest we will ever get to knowing what “Carnival Of Light” sounds like. It features a mash-up of Beatles songs and studio conversations, with found sound, Paul’s interviews with other Scousers, manipulated sounds and elements from McCartney’s Liverpool Oratorio. Deeply strange and kind of crazy.
Recommended track: “Free Now”
18
PAUL MCCARTNEY
Off The Ground
(PARLOPHONE, 1993)
A couple of very good Elvis Costello co-writes (“Mistress And Maid” and “The Lovers That Never Were”) were carried over from Flowers In The Dirt, while McCartney himself addressed more social and political themes on “Looking For Changes”, “C’Mon People” and the effortless charm of “Hope Of Deliverance”. The songwriting isn’t always up to the mark, but this has some of Paul’s best singing for a while.
Recommended track: “Mistress And Maid”
17
PAUL MCCARTNEY
New
(HEAR MUSIC/MPL, 2013)
Never frightened of engaging with younger musicians, McCartney’s 17th solo album employed Giles Martin, Mark Ronson, Paul Epworth and Ethan Johns, who were tasked with giving the record a contemporary-classic feel. Macca’s songwriting felt refreshed, even on songs like “On My Way To Work” and “Early Days” that were crammed with unabashed nostalgia, while “Queenie Eye” and “New” found a balance between the past and present.
Recommended track: “Queenie Eye”
16
PAUL MCCARTNEY
McCartney
(APPLE, 1970)
Macca’s solo debut, recorded as the Beatles dissolved, is a distracted, fragmentary series of sketches, recorded alone and largely at home, with occasional moments of honest beauty (“Every Night”, “Junk”). As a record, it’s self-consciously modest, but has a fragility that gives some insight into his overall state of mind, and the recording technique is a genuine breakthrough. Plus, “Maybe I’m Amazed”, the first solo track that stood up to anything else he’d recorded.
Recommended track: “Maybe I’m Amazed”
15
WINGS
London Town
(PARLOPHONE, 1978)
Wings were falling apart as London Town was coming together, ending the sessions reduced to the core trio of Paul, Linda and Denny Laine. That said, it’s a very good record, with “London Town”, “Café On The Left Bank” and “With A Little Luck” all close to top tier McCartney, and the likes of “Girlfriend” and “I’m Carrying” bubbling under. A little safe and one-paced, but the songwriting is first class. “Mull Of Kintyre” was also recorded at this time but wasn’t placed on the album, which could be a blessing or a curse.
Recommended track: “With A Little Luck”
14
PAUL MCCARTNEY
Run Devil Run
(PARLOPHONE, 1999)
While Choba B CCCP was a bit of a throwaway, Run Devil Run was a more considered set of rock ‘n’ roll covers recorded with an all-star cast that included David Gilmour, Mick Green and Ian Paice. Despite the talent, there’s a desperation in the grooves, as McCartney, grieving from the death of Linda, thrashes out some of his most potent rockers in years. Amid excellent versions of “Blue Jean Bop”, “Lonesome Town” and “All Shook Up”, Macca drops three originals in the same style, celebrating his lost love with great humanity.
Recommended track: “No Other Baby”
13
WINGS
Venus And Mars
(Capitol, 1975)
A new line-up of Wings, and following the success of Band On The Run an emboldened McCartney took the chance to indulge in some delightful granny music – “You Gave Me The Answer” – and pastiches – “Magneto And Titanium Man” – alongside retreads of the melodic semi-hard rock that distinguished Band On The Run. A fine record that just lacks a single stand-out moment.
Recommended track: “Letting Go”
12
PAUL MCCARTNEY
Flowers In The Dirt
(PARLOPHONE, 1989)
McCartney’s temporary alliance with Elvis Costello produced his best album since Tug Of War, as he reset his career with a new band and more focussed approach to recording. The tracks written with Costello – “My Brave Face”, “You Want Her Too”, “Don’t Be Careless Love” and “That Day Is Done” – are an interesting collage of their two songwriting styles, while Macca’s own compositions include the excellent “Distractions”, “This One” and “We Got Married”.
Recommended track: “Distractions”
11
PAUL MCCARTNEY
Egypt Station
(CAPITOL 2018)
“I Don’t Know” is an unusual sentiment for a Paul McCartney song and makes an arresting opener for the contemplative Egypt Station. It’s a more traditional sounding record after the boldly adventurous New but one with many superb songs including “I Don’t Know”, “Happy With You” and “Despite Repeated Warns”, plus the exceptional “Dominoes”. It became Macca’s first No 1 in the US since 1982.
Recommended track: “Dominoes”
10
PAUL MCCARTNEY
The Boys Of Dungeon Lane
(CAPITOL, 2026)
Like most of his recent albums, The Boys Of Dungeon Lane sees McCartney examine his past in the company of a trendy young producer – in this case Andrew Watt. The pair cook up a more muscular album, finding a rougher timbre that suits McCartney’s increasingly gravelly voice. If the duet with Ringo on “Home To Us” is underwhelming, “We Two”, “Down South”, and “Days We Left Behind” are often beautiful exercises in nostalgia, while “Mountain Top” is his most psychedelic moment since the 60s.
Recommended track: “Down South”
9
PAUL MCCARTNEY
Flaming Pie
(PARLOPHONE, 1997)
Following the triumph of Anthology, McCartney continued working with Jeff Lyne and actively engaged with his storied past. Flaming Pie was the first time McCartney really looked back, and in doing so, he managed to counter the nostalgia and sentimentality of “The Song We Were Singing” with vulnerability and even self-doubt on tracks like “Somedays”, “Souvenir” and the sublime “Calico Skies”.
Recommended track: “Calico Skies”
8
PAUL MCCARTNEY
McCartney III
(CAPITOL, 2020)
McCartney’s lockdown album allowed him to consciously riff on the lo-fi experimental approach of McCartney and McCartney II. From the jammy groove of opener “Long Tailed Winter Bed” to the mutant gospel “Deep Deep Feeling”, there’s something charming but mysterious about the album, as McCartney explores a series of different moods and voices, like a man trying to settle on the best approach to take given his stage of his life and then deciding he might as well give them all a go.
Recommended track: “Women And Wives”
7
WINGS
Wings At The Speed Of Sound
(CAPITOL, 1976)
How do you rate an album that features “Silly Love Songs” alongside “Cook Of The House”? The presence of songs written or sung by other members of the band – Denny Laine, Jimmy McCulloch and Joe English – also complicates matters, as McCartney responded to criticism that Wings were just a solo project by another name. But there’s loads of good stuff here – “Let ‘Em In” obviously, but don’t sleep on “Beware My Love” or “The Note You Never Wrote” – making it Wings’s best after Band On The Run.
Recommended track: “Silly Love Songs”
6
THE FIREMAN
Rushes
(HYDRA/EMI, 1998)
The second Fireman album was more considered than Strawberries Oceans Ships Forest, which had been created almost by accident as a remix of Off The Ground. For Rushes, Youth and McCartney were working with material written in 1995 and 1998, then manipulating and adding to build them into songs. Less frantic than its predecessor, this is often very beautiful ambient electronica and perhaps the most successful of all McCartney’s experimental side projects.
Recommended track: “7am”
5
PAUL MCCARTNEY
Chaos And Creation In The Backyard
(PARLOPHONE, 2005)
McCartney’s decision to work with a contemporary producer hadn’t worked out on Press To Play but this collaboration with Nigel Godrich was much more satisfying. Rather than introducing electronics and studio trickery, Godrich encouraged McCartney to scale down and deliver a record that was more intimate and personal. Playing most of the instruments himself, McCartney was in his element, with highlights including another great bird song – “Jenny Wren” – the ballad “Anyway”, and “Friends To Go” about George Harrison.
Recommended track: “Friends To Go”
4
PAUL AND LINDA MCCARTNEY
Ram
(APPLE/EMI, 1971)
Macca’s first post-Beatles album has a joie de vivre along with a consistency of sound and material. It was recorded in New York with a proto-Wings line-up of Paul and Linda with Danny Selwell on drums plus guitarists David Spinozza and Hugh McCracken. Tracks like “Dear Boy”, “Ram On” and “The Back Seat Of My Car” showed McCartney was able to write superior songs without Lennon, Harrison or George Martin looking over his shoulder. It’s the carefree feel, though, that really makes it sing.
Recommended track: “The Back Seat Of My Car”
3
PAUL MCCARTNEY
McCartney II
(PARLOPHONE, 1980)
Either liberated or discombobulated by the demise of Wings, McCartney continued the experimentation of Back To The Egg with even greater conviction, doubling down on the use of electronics and synths to produce the delightfully odd McCartney II. McCartney played everything himself, but was at his most judicious when it came to editing and producing. It’s a fascinating record, inventive and vulnerable, with the occasional misstep almost as interesting as the many successes.
Recommended track: “Waterfalls”
2
WINGS
Band On The Run
(APPLE/EMI, 1973)
Wings finally hit their stride. Much of the love for Band On The Run comes from the opening pair of “Band On The Run” and “Jet”, two powerhouses that neatly set up the rest of the album. While nothing that follows can quite match these openers, there are numerous wonderful moments as a newly confident Macca delivers minor masterpieces like “Mrs Vandebilt”, “Nineteen Hundred And Eighty Five” and the yearning “Bluebird”.
Recommended track: “Jet”
1
PAUL MCCARTNEY
Tug Of War
(PARLOPHONE, 1982)
A real gem, Tug Of War saw McCartney reunite with George Martin, who helped McCartney produce one of his most focussed records, but also one that contained an unnervingly high ratio of excellent songs. It was recorded following the death of John Lennon, and his absence haunts “Tug Of War” and “Here Today” – two album highlights alongside “Somebody Who Cares”, “Wanderlust” and “Take It Away”. Ringo pops up, and there’s also “Ebony And Ivory”, one of two collaborations with Stevie Wonder, and one of McCartney’s best duets.
Recommended track: “Here Today”