On This Day, April 17, 1970: Paul McCartney released his debut solo album

On This Day, April 17, 1970…

Paul McCartney released his self-recorded debut solo album, McCartney, after refusing to delay its release until after The Beatles’ Let It Be.

McCartney recorded the entire album alone, playing all the instruments and using home recording equipment at his house.

While the album did receive some negative criticism, it topped the U.S. charts for three weeks – until it was replaced by Let It Be. The one song that stood out on McCartney was the future classic “Maybe I’m Amazed.” A live version of that song, recorded with McCartney’s band Wings became a Top 10 hit in the U.S.

McCartney later revisited this DIY-type of recording for two more albums, 1980’s McCartney II and 2020’s McCartney III. In 2022, all three albums were released together as a box set.