Paul McCartney and Wings

Paul McCartney and Wings, often billed simply as Wings, were a British-American rock band formed in 1971 by former Beatles bassist and singer Paul McCartney, his wife Linda McCartney on keyboards, session drummer Denny Seiwell, and former Moody Blues guitarist Denny Laine. Wings were noted for their commercial successes, musical eclecticism and frequent personnel changes; going through three lead guitarists and four drummers. However, the core trio of the McCartneys and Laine remained intact throughout the group's existence.

The band did not become extremely popular until the release of Live and Let Die (after which Seiwell resigned) and Band on the Run, a commercial success with Jet and its title song reaching the top ten. Two new members, Jimmy McCulloch, a guitarist, and Joe English, a drummer (replacing Geoff Britton, who joined earlier but later left), who released Venus and Mars, with its song Listen to What the Man Said reaching number one in the US. Wings then had a major world tour, during which Wings at the Speed of Sound was released.

Never had Wings earned a number one single until Mull of Kintyre, where it broke records as the best-selling single in the UK, and it remains fourth today. McCulloch and English left, replaced with Laurence Juber and Steve Holley as London Town released. Their final album, Back to the Egg, was critically panned and underperformed at the charts. This, combined with the 1981 arrest of McCartney of cannabis possession in Japan during the tour that supported said album and McCartney's solo single, Coming Up, Wings finally broke up in 1981.

Wings gave McCartney a new reputation, as his albums before had been dismissed as mediocre. With Wings, he performed better than the other former Beatles. Wings provided inspiration and knowledge for McCartney and its members, like Laine's album Holly Days, which had major contributions from Linda and Paul; his other album, Japanese Tears, had performances from Wings itself. Twelve of their tracks managed to reach the top ten in the UK, and fourteen in the US reached the top ten. Their successes were so grand, Lennon began to envy McCartney, forcing him to reignite his musical career in 1980. Their music still remains popular today.