With the announcement that Sir Paul McCartney is to deliver a new album, ‘The Boys Of Dungeon Lane’, in May 2026, we thought this was the perfect time to give his post-Beatles catalogue a fresh listen and rank all 26 studio albums. Even we were surprised by some of what we discovered.
For the purpose of the exercise, we decided to stick with solo or Wings albums – his countless collaborations, side projects, soundtracks, classical works and live albums can wait for another day. All albums are credited to Paul McCartney unless otherwise stated.
So pull up a comfy chair, dust off that teetering pile of Macca classics, and get ready for a journey through almost 60 years of post-Fabs Macca. It’s quite the long and winding road!
Paul McCartney's post-Beatles albums ranked
26. Kisses On The Bottom (2012)
Performing packages of songs by crooners, and from the Great American Songbook, became something of a thing to do in the early years of the 21st century – Robbie Williams did an album of Sinatra songs while Rod Stewart did a series of Great American Songbook recordings. It seemed that the fad had passed, and then Paul pitched in with the awkwardly titled Kisses On The Bottom.
The album features fine musicians, notably Diana Krall on piano and the London Symphony Orchestra, and all the songs are strong, with loving and faithful renditions of songs his father, Jim McCartney, would have played on the family piano. And who are we to dampen that warm fire?
Key track: My Valentine
25. Off The Ground (1993)
Just to be clear, when we talk about Paul’s weakest set of originals, we’re still talking about the weakest set from arguably the greatest songwriter of the recording age, so it’s not like we’ve got a box of lemons. And even here, there are fine moments.
‘Hope Of Deliverance’ is a lively pop song, full of Paul’s trademark positivity. ‘Mistress And Maid’ and ‘The Lovers That Never Were’ are co-writes with Elvis Costello, leftover from Flowers In The Dirt, and both are better than some songs from that album.
And on closer, ‘C’Mon People’, Paul revisits a popular McCartney figure – a piano-driven, anthemic call to arms for the peace and love crowd. And why not?
Key track: Hope Of Deliverance
24. Back To The Egg (1979) – Wings
By 1979, Paul seemed to be tiring of the merry-go-round that was the Wings line-up. The fourth (depending on your definition) and final iteration of the band saw stalwarts Paul, Linda and Denny Laine augmented by Steve Holley (drums) and Laurence Juber (guitar).
Their only album together, Back To The Egg, is a much rockier affair than its predecessor, London Town, but struggles for authenticity.
Key track: Arrow Through Me
23. Сно́ва в СССР (1988)
Not long before the collapse of the Soviet Union, Paul took advantage of the relaxed restrictions offered by glasnost to release a Soviet-only LP called Сно́ва в СССР, or Back In The USSR.
The LP was recorded by Paul and a pick-up band in just two days in July 1987 and comprises covers of rock’n’roll standards, including ‘Kansas City’, ‘Lawdy Miss Clawdy’, ‘Lucille’, ‘That’s All Right Mama’ and ‘Ain’t That A Shame.’
Eventually the record became available in the West and is a fun addition to Paul’s catalogue, without ever threatening to break new ground. But then, that was never the point.
Key track: Don’t Get Around Much Anymore
22. Give My Regards To Broad Street (1984)
It’s fair to say that Give My Regards To Broad Street wasn’t a roaring success. The movie was written by and starred Paul as a rock star called Paul, who spent the day recording, rehearsing and performing songs including ‘Yesterday’, ‘For No One’ and ‘Silly Love Songs’.
‘Eleanor Rigby’ is extended by Paul’s first piece of orchestral music, ‘Eleanor’s Dream’, but very little of any merit is added to any of his own songs that he covers here.
Shame, because the new songs are all pretty good, especially the lead single, ‘No More Lonely Nights’, which was a thoroughly deserved number two hit on the UK charts (number 6 US).
Two other new songs, ‘No Values’ and ‘Not Such A Bad Boy’ are decent rockers. But the rest, much like the accompanying computer game, can be played once and then forgotten.
Key track: No More Lonely Nights (ballad version)
21. Wings At The Speed Of Sound (1976) – Wings
It was a nice idea, to give every member of Wings their moment in the spotlight, but what it actually revealed is that, as we may have suspected, Wings was really just a vehicle for Paul’s not-inconsiderable talents.
But still, as with every McCartney album, even where the standards slip, as they do here on McCulloch’s ‘Wino Junko’, Linda’s ‘Cook Of The House’ and Denny Laine’s ‘The Note You Never Wrote’, there’s plenty to love in between.
‘Beware My Love’ and the divine ‘Silly Love Songs’ (hats off to that wonderful bassline!) are head and shoulders above the rest, but ‘Warm & Beautiful’ is well worth the entrance fee.
Key track: Silly Love Songs
20. Run Devil Run (1999)
After Linda McCartney lost her battle with cancer in April 1998, Paul spent a year in mourning.
For his first post-Beatles project without Linda by his side, Paul called on some old and trusted friends, among them Dave Gilmour of Pink Floyd, Deep Purple’s Ian Paice, producer Chris Thomas, with whom Paul had previously worked on The Beatles’ White Album and Wings’ Back To The Egg, and Geoff Emerick, engineer for many of the Beatles greatest albums and a close personal friend (Paul was Geoff’s best man).
The resulting album is, for the most part, covers of the rock’n’roll music that had first got Paul hooked as a teenager, including many that had been formative cuts for Linda too, the pair sharing that same love of music.
Among them, Gene Vincent’s ‘Blue Gene Bop’, Chuck Berry’s ‘Brown-Eyed Handsome Man’ and the Elvis Presley hit ‘All Shook Up’ are firm favourites. But it’s on the slower numbers that you can almost hear Paul’s voice crack with the pain of losing his wife.
‘No Other Baby’ is deeply felt, but nothing next to the stunning delivery on Ricky Nelson’s ‘Lonesome Town’, one of Linda’s favourites, and clearly a song that meant the world to Paul at that time.
Key track: Lonesome Town
19. London Town (1978) – Wings
After the phenomenal rise of Wings that culminated in the record-breaking Wings Over The World tour of 1975-76, Wings decamped to a yacht in the Virgin Islands that had been equipped with a mobile recording studio and began recording tracks for the follow-up to Wings At The Speed Of Sound (1976).
By the time the resulting album was completed, two more members of Wings had flown the coop (drummer Joe English and ill-fated guitarist Jimmy McCulloch), while keyboardist Linda McCartney took time out to give birth to the couple’s son, James.
The resulting album is a confusing listen. There are many great moments, some wonderful melodies and much of Paul’s genius is on show. Yet the whole somehow falls flat compared to much of the rest of his discography.
Wings, it feels, are slowly coming to the end of the line.
Key track: Morse Moose And The Grey Goose
18. Press To Play (1986)
It wasn’t received well on release, despite a huge publicity campaign, but time has been kind to Press To Play, and, while it’s no lost classic, Press To Play is well served by a revisit.
‘Footprints’ is a sweet, wintery song from the point of view of a bird – following in the footsteps of ‘Blackbird’, ‘Bluebird and ‘Single Pigeon’.
‘Stranglehold’ is a decent piece of good-time 80s rock, there’s a classic Macca ballad in the shape of ‘Only Love Remains’, and ‘Pretty Little Head’ continues the experiments begun on McCartney II.
Key track: Good Times Coming/Feel The Sun
17. Pipes Of Peace (1983)
It feels kind of mean to place Pipes Of Peace so far down the list, given that it features two brilliant chart-topping singles, in the title track and the Michael Jackon collaboration ‘Say, Say, Say’ (both with highly imaginative and entertaining videos).
But the issue is with the fact that, beyond these and a handful of other strong efforts (‘So Bad’, ‘Through Our Love’) the album is padded out with sub-par filler, which makes the listener feel somewhat short changed.
It’s no surprise that many of the songs for Pipes Of Peace were leftovers from Tug Of War, which is a shame, because had he continued at the higher level, this could have been a classic. As it is, ‘Hey Hey’, ‘Tug Of Peace’ and ‘Average Person’ (at least) don’t stand up to repeat listens.
But let’s focus on the positives. George Martin’s production brings out the best in Paul as an arranger, and many of the songs here feature some of his most creative and multi-textured arrangement outside of the Beatles.
‘Pipes Of Peace’ itself is a fine example, with tablas, pan flute and a children’s choir supplementing Paul’s own multi-instrumentalism. Even a song with as weak a set of lyrics as ‘Sweetest Little Show’ boasts a splendid arrangement that harks back to Sgt Pepper.
A case of what might have been.
Key track: Pipes Of Peace
16. Wild Life (1971) – Wings
For Wings’ first outing, it feels very much like Paul was feeling his way in the dark – perhaps surprising for someone who had achieved all that he had over the last decade. A bit of light reggae? Sure, here’s ‘Love Is Strange’. A jolly piece of music-hall-influenced positivity? Take ‘Tomorrow’. A song with social comment? Take a listen to the title track.
One criticism is that many of the 10 tracks could have done with a bit of an edit, but that aside, it’s an earthy, organic record that sets out a draft manifesto for what Wings would become.
Key track: Some People Never Know
15. Flowers In The Dirt (1989)
Paul hooked up with Elvis Costello as a songwriting partner for a number of songs on his 1989 hit album, a partnership that reminded him of working with John Lennon.
This fruitful collaboration delivered the single ‘My Brave Face’ (which features an amusing video about a Japanese McCartney memorabilia collector) and the duet ‘You Want Her Too’ (a kind of update and definite improvement on’ The Girl Is Mine’).
The album led to Paul’s first world tour in a decade, and many of the songs were arranged with the idea of being played live. ‘Figure Of Eight’ was the opening song of that set, and others such as ‘Put It There’ (an affectionate ode to Paul’s father, Jim) and ‘This One’ were central to the show.
‘Distractions’, meanwhile, is one of his most touching love songs of the 80s.
Key track: My Brave Face
14. New (2013)
With production duties shared between Giles Martin, Mark Ronson, Ethan Johns and Paul Epworth, New has a distinctly contemporary feel in line with its title.
A perfect blend of top-class songwriting, brilliant musicianship and modern production delivered an album worthy of the five-year wait since Memory Almost Full.
As with that album, Paul looks back on a life less ordinary on ‘Early Days’, a response to the Beatle historians who claim to know the story of his life – ‘They can’t take it from me’. ‘On My Way To Work’ brings to mind A Day In The Life, as Paul sits daydreaming on the top deck of a bus.
Key track: New
13. Memory Almost Full (2007)
It stands to reason that a man in his 60s becomes more reflective, and so it is on the delightfully titled Memory Almost Full. On ‘Ever Present Past’, he sings of times that flew past in a flash.
Later, on ‘You Tell Me’, he sounds sorrowful, mourning summers past, while ‘That Was Me’ finds him reflecting on his childhood, and the Beatles’ formative days – ‘Merseybeatin’ with the band’.
But this isn’t an album of sadness, more of acceptance and curiosity. On ‘Vintage Clothes’ he seems to revel in the idea that things of a certain vintage come back into fashion. And on the powerful ‘The End Of The End’, McCartney declares almost triumphantly:
"On the day that I die I'd like bells to be rung
And songs that were sung to be hung out like blankets
That lovers have played on
And laid on while listening to songs that were sung"
Finally, he insists that there’s no reason to cry and no need to be sad. A fine sentiment indeed.
Key track: Dance Tonight
12. McCartney III (2020)
The final part of Paul’s eponymous trilogy was recorded, according to the singer, ‘in rockdown’, at his home studio. Like the previous McCartney and McCartney II, Paul plays everything, and like those, many of the songs are born from experiments.
If you want to hear Paul noodling around, and lapping up the musical ideas that seem to spill out of him 24 hours a day, McCartney III is a delicious buffet. Simple ideas like ‘The Kiss Of Venus’ are full of charm, while ‘Lavatory Lil’ sounds like the long lost sister of ‘Polythene Pam’.
Key track: Long Tailed Winter Bird
11. Red Rose Speedway (1973) – Paul McCartney and Wings
Originally planned as a double album, Red Rose Speedway suffers for being cut back but the seeds of what would become Band On The Run are sown here. A stomping ‘Big Barn Bed’ kicks things off before the beautiful ‘My Love’ sends it rocketing skywards.
Later, Paul enjoys some sonic experimentation with the rhythmic ‘Loup (1st Indian On The Moon)’, written in an almost progressive style as an instrumental story about, according to Paul, the first Native American to land on the moon.
To finish, Paul revisits a trick used on the second side of Abbey Road by joining a number of songs together to create a medley that takes the listener on a meandering journey. Is it as good as that Beatles album? No – but then again, what is? Is it a rollicking good listen? Yes, as is most of what makes up Red Rose Speedway.
Key track: My Love
10. Egypt Station (2018)
For his first album of new material in five years, McCartney hooked up with producer Greg Kurstin and delivered an album of great variety, but with a contemporary flourish across the board.
Opener ‘I Don’t Know’ finds him in uncharacteristically frank and confessional mode – ‘I got crows out my window/Dogs at my door/I don't think I can take anymore’, while the gentle ‘Confidante’ is a friendly note to a missed friend, namely his trusty Martin acoustic guitar.
The epic ‘Despite Repeated Warnings’ is a thinly veiled reference to Donald Trump, and other world leaders denying the climate emergency.
Following a style McCartney has returned to throughout his career (‘A Day In The Life’, ‘Band On The Run’, ‘Uncle Albert/Admiral Halse’y), the song goes through many style changes. At the other end of the spectrum, the playful ‘Fuh You’ feels like McCartney trying to find out what he can get away with.
Key track: Do It Now
9. Driving Rain (2001)
It’s hardly surprising that Driving Rain has an air of anger and sadness that seeps through the grooves. His first album of new original material since the death of wife Linda sees him exorcise some of his demons. ‘I don’t want to walk that lonely road’ he sings on the opener, while ‘Rinse The Raindrops’ feels like a primal release.
There are tender moments too. On ‘Magic’, he recalls the night he met Linda, supposing that there must have been magic that night. ‘From A Lover To A Friend’ is one of his most beautiful late-period love songs, while Paul’s voice on ‘I Do’ is tender and exposed.
There’s no hit single (although ‘Freedom’, Paul’s response to 11 September attacks on New York, which Paul witnessed first-hand, was tagged on last-minute), which may explain why it sometimes sails under the radar, but repeat listening reveals Driving Rain to be up there as one of his finest solo outings.
Key track: From A Lover To A Friend
8. Flaming Pie (1997)
Taking its title from an old John Lennon tale about how the Beatles got their name, Flaming Pie emerged as the Beatles were enjoying a renaissance thanks in equal measure to the recent Anthology project and being championed by the current crop of Britpop stars.
It’s an album full of warmth, organic textures and fond memories. Opener ‘The Songs We Were Singing’ reflects on the 1960s; ‘Calico Skies’ has echoes of ‘Blackbird’; ‘Little Willow’ is a touching ballad written by Paul in tribute to Maureen Cox, Ringo Starr’s first wife who had died in 1994; and the closer ‘Beautiful Night’ is one of the most unashamedly Beatle-esque songs in Paul’s solo catalogue – even going as far as to feature Ringo Starr on drums.
Key track: Beautiful Night
7. Venus And Mars (1975) – Wings
By 1975, Wings were flying high, and in Venus And Mars had a worthy successor to Band On The Run (1973). And what’s more, they were ready to take it to the world – as can be seen from the opening pairing of ‘Venus And Mars’ with ‘Rockshow’.
These were apparently purpose-written to open the Wings live show, beginning with a description of the moment in real time – ‘Sitting in the stand of the sports arena/Waiting for the show to begin’ before exploding into life as the band hits the stage: ‘The lights go down, they're back in town, OK’.
From that show-stopping start, Venus And Mars is a performance. ‘Magneto and Titanium Man’ brings cartoon heroes to life, ‘Letting Go’ a foot-stomping rocker in the vein of ‘Let Me Roll It’, and ‘Call Me Back Again’ shows the influence of New Orleans, where the album was recorded.
This was an album on which to tour the world, and the unparalleled success of that tour vindicated McCartney’s determination to do things his way.
Key track: Venus And Mars/Rockshow
6. McCartney (1970)
Famously recorded by Paul alone, largely on a makeshift home studio, but completed at EMI Studios on Abbey Road, Paul’s first post-Beatles outing set itself up to fail by including a self-interview in which he all but announced the end of the Beatles. How do you follow that?
In hindsight, perhaps something a bit more polished would have helped garner positive notes from critics expecting a new Abbey Road, but given the distance of time, this DIY offering is pure McCartney.
And while throwaway instrumentals like ‘Valentine Day’ and ‘Hot As Sun’ bring down the overall rating, ‘Every Night’ is a bona fide Macca masterpiece, ‘Man We Was Lonely’ is a delicate assessment of his current state of mind, and ‘Junk’ is a wonderfully melodic piece of the kind of daydreaming he does better than anyone.
The feeling of the whole is warm and homely, inviting and welcoming.
Add on the majestic ‘Maybe I’m Amazed’ and you had his first classic solo album.
Key track: Maybe I’m Amazed
5. Chaos And Creation In The Backyard (2005)
How enjoyable the sessions were with Nigel Godrich at the helm is unclear. In interviews, Godrich admitted to sending the former Beatle back to improve songs he didn’t deem good enough, while Paul has stated that he took exception to being told he wasn’t up to scratch.
Regardless, the tactic worked, with Paul delivering his best work in a couple of decades (at least). Paul was inspired by Godrich to allow his creative juices to flow, the producer encouraging him to experiment more than he had in recent years, and out of the chaos of improvisation, a wonderful album was created.
‘Too Much Rain’ is a deeply personal song, apparently questioning why so many people close to him had died. ‘English Tea’ is Paul at his most playful, almost sending himself up for accusations of tweeness, ‘Anyway’ is a powerful ballad that sees Paul deliver one of the performances of his later years, and ‘This Never Happened Before’ is a gentle, beautiful song about falling in love.
It’s a shame the pair never worked together again, but we’re just glad they did that once.
Key track: Too Much Rain
4. McCartney II (1980)
In the immediate aftermath of the poor showing for the final Wings albums, Back To The Egg (1979), Paul retreated to his home studios in the south of England and Scotland’s Mull of Kintyre and, much as in the wake of the Beatles’ dissolution, he began noodling around on his own with his improvised set up.
This time, however, the focus was on new synthesizers and drum machines for what is the most electronic-focused album in Paul’s main catalogue.
Today, it’s revered by musicians and critics alike as being a playful but rewarding foray into the then-new world of electronic experimentation. And, despite the frankly baffling 'Bogey Man' and disposable 'Nobody Knows', the standard is high.
'Temporary Secretary' is a standout – an infectious return to the ‘Paperback Writer’ school of songwriting in letter form. And ‘Coming Up’ is so catchy a piece of modern pop that it even jolted John Lennon back into songwriting mode as he felt he had to try and catch up with his old partner.
On ‘One Of These Days’, Paul returns to his old trusty Martin acoustic guitar for a wistful gaze off into the distance. It feels very much an ‘OK, so what next?’ moment. Quite.
Key track: Temporary Secretary
3. Tug Of War (1982)
If you wanted to explain to an alien who Paul McCartney was, you could just play them Tug of War; it’s got everything he does, effortlessly. From the title track’s plea for peace and love, through single ‘Take It Away’s' journey through the rise and fall of a rock band, and the classic Macca ballad ‘Wanderlust’.
Paul was reunited with Beatles producer George Martin for this album, and it shows. ‘Here Today’, Paul’s heartbreakingly simple response to the murder of John Lennon remains central to his live show, while ‘Ballroom Dancing’ is a rocking reflection on the days when the Beatles would stomp it up at Liverpool’s dancehalls.
There are great guest spots – Carl Perkins on the affectionate ‘Get It’ and Stevie Wonder on the brilliantly funky ‘What’s That You’re Doing?’ (which is lightyears ahead of the cloying ‘Ebony & Ivory’), and the tender ‘Somebody Who Cares’.
Quite why Tug of War isn’t given higher critical status is something we just don’t get.
Key track: Here Today
2. Ram (1971) – Paul & Linda McCartney
With criticism of his debut solo outing ringing in his ears, McCartney hot-footed it to New York, recruited some top class session players and set about creating the album he knew would get him the critical and commercial acclaim that his wounded ego needed.
He did his part, in making a superb album, packed with great songs, melodies, harmonies, arrangements and performances. It sparkles with both wit and grit, and packs enough of a punch to stand shoulder to shoulder with pretty much anything he’s done since.
The only downer is that the critics failed to recognise this. In fact, they panned it completely – NME called it "An excursion into almost unrelieved tedium". Harsh.
‘Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey’ is almost a mini rock opera in three acts, while ‘Too Many People’ and ‘Dear Boy’ are not-very-thinly-veiled messages to Lennon.
There’s enough eccentricity in ‘3 Legs’, ‘Eat At Home’ and ‘Monkberry Moon Delight’ to keep the listener entertained, while ‘Back Seat Of My Car’ is a quintessential piece of Paul power pop, soaring as it roars off into the sunset.
Key track: Back Seat Of My Car
1. Band On The Run (1973) – Paul McCartney and Wings
Out of adversity (two-fifths of the band quit on the eve of departure for Lagos, where the album was recorded), McCartney created not just his best post-Beatles offering but one of the albums of the 70s.
In doing so, he silenced critics, wowed fans, and created a platform solid enough on which to build his entire career since.
From the opening guitar lick of the title song, the production, the performance, the playing, all are of the highest peak, right through until the final seconds, when the relentless, pounding groove of ‘Nineteen Hundred And Eighty Five’ finally bursts, and a faint refrain of the title song fades the album to a close, leaving the listener thinking, ‘I might stick that on again’.
Band On The Run has it all. There’s a smash hit in ‘Jet’, the gentle acoustic flight of ‘Bluebird’, the sprawling concept song ‘Picasso’s Last Words (Drink To Me)’ and the scorching riff that drives ‘Let Me Roll It’ – a live favourite to this day.
But between these towering peaks lie hidden gems – not least ‘Mamunia’, one of McCartney’s greatest pieces of sonic daydreaming, in which he looks at the rain falling, and watches it fill a stream and so to the sea...
The title track itself is a medley of three separate parts, and was inspired originally by a comment from George Harrison during one of the Beatles’ endless business meetings 'If we ever get out of here’ and ultimately sees Paul break for freedom: all he needs is a pint a day. So simple, yet so perfect.
Key track: Band On The Run
All photos Getty Images
All album covers Amazon
Top image Paul McCartney performs on stage with Wings, Netherlands, August 1972
