"This was the first time [a band] deciding to work separately became worldwide news, treated almost as a death," wrote the UK's The Guardian. No, this wasn't a reference to Zayn Malik's recent departure from One Direction. The split to which the paper was referring goes back to 1970, when Paul McCartney announced the end of the Beatles.

It was a breakup so significant that CBS News, reporting from the Beatles' Apple headquarters at the time, called the news "so momentous that historians may one day view it as a landmark in the decline of the British Empire."

Right now it's hard for Directioners in mourning over Malik's surprise exit from One Direction to believe it, but they are not alone. Whether it was the Beatles in 1970, Diana Ross departing from the Supremes that same year, the end of the Eagles' long run in 1980, Lionel Richie jumping ship from the Commodores in 1982, Duran Duran losing Roger Taylor in 1985, Lindsey Buckingham leaving Fleetwood Mac in 1987, the Spice Girls saying goodbye to Geri Halliwell in 1998, 'N Sync taking a "temporary hiatus" in 2002, the Backstreet Boys suffering through Kevin Richardson leaving in 2006, the disbanding of Destiny's Child in 2006, the Jonas Brothers' split in 2013, or One Direction and Malik severing ties a month ago, every generation of ardent fans has felt the pain of an era coming to a close. (And obviously, the Beatles, with their standing as arguably the most influential band of all time, are a unique entity, as dictated by the fact they are seemingly the only group that saw all four members go on to impactful solo careers.)

Poll: Which GRAMMY winner who left a popular group went on to have the greatest impact as a solo artist?

At the very least, 1D fans can take some solace in knowing that other fans have experienced similar anguish. Breakups have affected fans of pop, rock, dance/electronic music — evidenced by Swedish House Mafia's disbanding in 2012 — and even hip-hop. After West Coast hip-hop pioneers N.W.A. split in the early '90s, the group's former members released a series of "diss" tracks aimed at each other, prompting fans to pick sides. Bands who don't last are far more common than rarities such as Aerosmith, ZZ Top or U2, all of whom have been together for decades with original members. Such 30-year and 40-year relationships within a band are as uncommon as the 50-year storybook Hollywood marriage between Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward.

Yes, as much as Directioners — who have tweeted about the loss, lamented how they miss Malik in cute pictures, threatened to run away from home, and shared their collective pain via Vine — may not believe it, one member of a successful band wanting to go it alone is as much a part of music as money, fame, fan adulation, and ego.

What are the exact reasons that led to Malik leaving One Direction? And what career direction will he plot next? Only he knows for sure. But when it comes to artists striking out on their own, longtime industry experts have seen it all. Once described in Vanity Fair as the "best music manager in the business," Peter Katsis has managed the careers of artists such as the Backstreet Boys, Jane's Addiction and Smashing Pumpkins. He cites a number of reasons why a member might leave a successful group.

"I've seen it happen for health reasons, I've seen it happen for changes in musical direction, I've seen it for just the fact people don't like each other anymore," says Katsis.

The transition to solo artist can be a tricky one, with changes coming in unexpected areas. The Jonas Brothers, who rode a tidal wave of popularity with two No. 1 albums and a Best New Artist GRAMMY nomination for 2008, came to an abrupt end in October 2013. The brotherly trio cancelled a much-anticipated tour days before it was scheduled to start, citing a "deep rift within the band" over "creative differences." Nick Jonas, who recently has resurfaced with his Top 10 self-titled solo album and the Top 10 hit "Jealous," says there are pros and cons to leaving a group behind.

"I think just getting used to travelling on my own and spending more time on my own, it's something I've had to get adjusted to," says Jonas. "I think the biggest pros have been being able to create music that I love and really pushing myself as an artist to continue to grow and build a new fan base with the old fan base that I had. And all in all, it's been incredibly amazing these last couple of months."

After more than a decade of success, including platinum albums and two GRAMMYs, Seattle grunge architects Soundgarden called it quits in 1997. Chris Cornell, the group's frontman, stepped into the spotlight two years later with his solo debut, Euphoria Morning. In the midst of a creative groove, Cornell spoke with me in 2007 during the time of the release of his second solo album, Carry On.

"I've gotten so many ideas as a solo artist, and I also think at this point in my life I'm a person that probably shouldn't be in a band," said Cornell. "Someone that writes songs as much as me and has the energy and focus in terms of songwriting and performing is probably someone who's more akin to a solo artist than someone who should be in a band."

Proving that sentiments can change with the passage of time, Cornell ultimately reunited with his Soundgarden bandmates in 2010. And like other artists in this day and age, he enjoys the best of both career worlds. Cornell has recently toured and released albums with Soundgarden, but he also just revealed he finished recording his fourth solo album.

Idiosyncratic guitarist Lindsey Buckingham, who similarly does double duty as a solo artist and member of GRAMMY-winning collective Fleetwood Mac, likens the dichotomy to the film world. "It's like having the large movie and the small movie," Buckingham told me in 2011. "It's the independent movie that's going to help you grow and take chances."

Fleetwood Mac recently wrapped a successful U.S. concert trek following the return of longtime member Christine McVie. But the group's classic Rumours-era lineup, which tried to go on without Buckingham in 1987 after he left due to feeling stifled creatively, and then later without Stevie Nicks, is proof of what can happen to a band behind when a key member departs. The band's first album sans Buckingham, 1990's Behind The Mask, went gold in the States, a far cry from previous efforts. And without both Buckingham and Nicks, 1995's Time didn't even dent the Billboard 200, a dismal performance for a band that has sold more than 100 million albums.

One of the more recent bands to experience soap-opera-style drama is Blink-182. In January, Mark Hoppus and Travis Barker revealed that Tom DeLonge had "indefinitely" left the group. DeLonge responded via Facebook, stating he "never quit the band." While the issue has yet to reach a formal resolution, Barker and Hoppus recruited Alkaline Trio guitarist Matt Skiba to fill DeLonge's shoes. With Skiba, the trio headlined the Musink Tattoo Convention and Music Festival in Southern California in March. Meanwhile, since his indefinite departure from Blink-182, DeLonge has debuted a new video from his new solo album, To The Stars.

Sometimes the sting of a band relationship gone wrong is prone to leave a lingering bitter aftertaste. Ringo Starr recently gave a telling interview to The Times, telling the paper he was "drunk" for much of the '70s and '80s following the demise of the Beatles.

"I was mad," said Starr. "For 20 years. I had breaks in between of not being."

Of course, Starr went on to a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame-worthy solo career and, given his iconic status as one of the four Beatles, has remained an appealing live draw. Very few acts are in that stratosphere, however, so being able to balance a career duality — a la Buckingham and Cornell — is important. Artists who strike out on their own and make it are few and far between. The likes of Richie, Ross and Justin Timberlake are more the exception than the rule.

AEG Live's Brian Murphy is a veteran in the concert promotion game, having previously run leading Los Angeles concert promoter Avalon Attractions for decades. He recalls working with the Eagles' Don Henley in the '80s on a solo tour. At that point, Henley was a commercial and critical success as a solo artist, having won a GRAMMY for the smash "The Boys Of Summer." But as a touring act, Henley the solo artist was different than a touring behemoth like the Eagles, according to Murphy.

"His … solo records [Building The Perfect Beast and The End Of The Innocence] were hugely successful, but the business that he did when he went out on the road, I think we aimed too high and I don't mean that just from the perspective of an agent or a manager, I think the promoters as well," Murphy says. "We all bought into [the notion that] he should still be able to do arenas. But as it turned out it was like [8,000] or 9,000 seats. The Eagles were the Eagles and I think therein lies a big significant difference."

Spotify Playlist: Band Breakups Are Hard To Do

These days, platinum acts can yield big revenue on the touring front. And One Direction are a touring juggernaut. The group is coming off a huge year in 2014, when they grossed $282.2 million in touring revenue to place No. 1 on Pollstar's worldwide tours list. The Malik-less One Direction lineup has upcoming world tour dates scheduled from June through October. While the long-term effect of the group's lineup change on touring is hard to predict, business looks to stay robust in the near future, evidenced by a six-night run at The O2 in London in September.

A member leaving behind a career with a successful touring act creates an interesting conundrum in this current musical climate as Murphy explains.

"There's a very big difference today in touring artists than there was when I got into the business and the way I grew up in the business," says Murphy. "At one time bands toured to sell record product and with record product came the royalties from publishing. The least important economic factor was the concert ticket."

Given that artists such as Henley and Buckingham, as big as the bands they were in, weren't able to translate their massive stature into arena shows in their own right, the likelihood that Malik will maintain headliner status as a solo act isn't favorable.

"I think history has taught us that if Mick Jagger cannot make a solo career a success then it's pretty daunting," singer/actor/radio personality Michael Des Barres says. "This does not mean it can't be done, but it does seem hard. It's like a TV star trying to be a movie star."

From a business perspective, today's artists who try and strike out on their own are leaving behind a potentially huge part of their revenue. Shirley Halperin, news director at Billboard, agrees. "It is more of a gamble today," she says.

In the case of One Direction, both fans and industry professionals will have to bet on which member might be able to pull off a successful solo career because the history of boy bands indicates it's very likely that only one member, if any, will go on to be a solo star.

"There can only be one, that never changes," says Halperin. "You had Bobby Brown from New Edition, Justin Timberlake [from 'N Sync], who will it be from One Direction? Who will have the best chance for solo success? There can't be more than one so you have to bet on the right one. You have to hope you pick the Robbie Williams or Justin Timberlake that can cross over."

Having worked with countless acts over the years, Katsis knows a great deal about guiding artists and he has advice that applies to an artist thinking of going solo, returning back to the Beatles to make his point.

"The first guy that really stepped out was McCartney and, as with anything else our industry is driven by, the songs are really what made it possible for him," says Katsis. "When he came up with melodies like 'Maybe I'm Amazed,' it really set a tone that the music was just so good. And I think that's always going to be the case. That's the key: If you're really gonna do it you have to come through with the goods. If there's only one good song on that album you'll never have a shot."

Though Malik has yet to formally release new music, a demo of his supposed first solo song was leaked via SoundCloud less than a week following his departure from the band. But with a source close to Malik telling the Daily Mail the song was in fact an old demo, 1D fans have been left to hang in the balance, speculating as to Malik's next career move.

Speaking from recent experience, Jonas knows such a solo career move is a difficult one, but it can be successfully accomplished with hard work. "I think that there are always obstacles to overcome when transitioning from being in a group to going solo and it's just about staying dedicated and motivated to continue to grow and push your audience to come with you," he says.

It's not to say that Malik would not be able to succeed on his own, only that history says it's going to be an uphill battle. What most experts do agree on is that One Direction should be fine. The Backstreet Boys remained a successful touring act and scored two Top 10 albums following Richardson's departure. Duran Duran also continued to thrive as a touring act and had huge success with their 1993 eponymous album featuring the hits "Come Undone" and "Ordinary World" after Taylor left.

However, as successful as both acts remained, they never matched the frenzy of their respective complete original lineups. The Backstreet Boys' full-fledged reunion with Richardson in 2011 brought them back to arenas and when all five members of Duran Duran reunited in 2005 for an intimate show at the Roxy, I covered the gig for Rolling Stone and watched in disbelief as someone offered me $1,000 for my ticket (which was turned down).

In more proof of the power of reunion nostalgia, the Eagles settled their differences to reunite in 1994 for arguably the biggest reunion in music history, marked by a monumental three-year world tour and the GRAMMY-nominated Hell Freezes Over reunion album. In 2013 'N Sync reunited for a performance at the MTV Video Music Awards and, earlier this year, Destiny's Child reunited for a one-off live performance — both situations leaving millennials to salivate about possible reunions down the road. And a recently rumored Spice Girls reunion recently had their fans saying "zig-a-zig-ah."

But for now, One Direction and Malik are going their separate ways. According to a band statement, One Direction are "looking forward to recording the new album and seeing all the fans on the next stage of the world tour." Making his first public appearance since the breakup on April 17 at the Asian Awards in London, a newly shorn Malik took the stage to pay tribute to his One Direction bandmates. "I'd also like to take this moment to thank four of the best guys that I ever met whilst being in the band and doing all the amazing things that I did. Some of the things that we did will stay with me for the rest of my life," he said.

While there is little doubt that 1D can continue to sell out arenas or even stadiums, and though the future is unknown for Malik, fans will likely long for the magic of the original five members being together. Unless they are that very rare case that, as Katsis points out, "is just over it," a reunion could be in the cards at some point. In other words, history offers some hope that hell could one day freeze over for One Direction and their devout Directioners.

(Steve Baltin has written about music for Rolling Stone, Los Angeles Times, Mojo, Chicago Tribune, AOL, LA Weekly, Philadelphia Weekly, The Hollywood Reporter, and dozens more publications.)

Throughout his ongoing Got Back tour, Paul McCartney has reliably opened with "Can't Buy Me Love."

It's not the Beatles' deepest song, nor their most beloved hit — though a hit it was. But its zippy, rollicking exuberance still shines brightly; like the rest of the oldies on his setlist, the 82-year-old launches into it in its original key. For two minutes and change, we're plunged back into 1964 — and all the humor, melody, friendship and fun the Beatles bestowed with A Hard Day's Night.

This week in 1964 — at the zenith of Beatlemania, after their seismic appearance on "The Ed Sullivan Show" — the planet received Richard Lester's silly, surreal and innovative film of that name. Days after, its classic soundtrack dropped — a volley of uber-catchy bangers and philosophical ballads, and the only Beatles LP to solely feature Lennon-McCartney songs.

As with almost everything Beatles, the impact of the film and album have been etched in stone. But considering the breadth of pop culture history in its wake, Fab disciples can always use a reminder. Here are six things that wouldn't be the same without A Hard Day's Night.

All Music Videos, Forever

Right from that starting gun of an opening chord, A Hard Day's Night's camerawork alone — black and white, inspired by French New Wave and British kitchen sink dramas — pioneers everything from British spy thrillers to "The Monkees."

Across the film's 87 minutes, you're viscerally dragged into the action; you tumble through the cityscapes right along with John, Paul, George, and Ringo. Not to mention the entire music video revolution; techniques we think of as stock were brand-new here.

According to Roger Ebert: "Today when we watch TV and see quick cutting, hand-held cameras, interviews conducted on the run with moving targets, quickly intercut snatches of dialogue, music under documentary action and all the other trademarks of the modern style, we are looking at the children of A Hard Day's Night."

Emergent Folk-Rock

George Harrison's 12-string Rickenbacker didn't just lend itself to a jangly undercurrent on the A Hard Day's Night songs; the shots of Harrison playing it galvanized Roger McGuinn to pick up the futuristic instrument — and via the Byrds, give the folk canon a welcome jolt of electricity.

Entire reams of alternative rock, post-punk, power pop, indie rock, and more would follow — and if any of those mean anything to you, partly thank Lester for casting a spotlight on that Rick.

Read more: Living Legends: Roger McGuinn On The History Of The Byrds, His One-Man Show And Editing His Own Wikipedia Page

The Ultimate Love Triangle Jam

From the Byrds' "Triad" to Leonard Cohen's "Famous Blue Raincoat," music history is replete with odes to love triangles.

But none are as desperate, as mannish, as garment-rending, as Derek and the Dominoes' "Layla," where Eric Clapton lays bare his affections for his friend Harrison's wife, Pattie Boyd. Where did Harrison meet her? Why, on the set of A Hard Day's Night, where she was cast as a schoolgirl.

Debates, Debates, Debates

Say, what is that famous, clamorous opening chord of A Hard Day's Night's title track? Turns out YouTube's still trying to suss that one out.

"It is F with a G on top, but you'll have to ask Paul about the bass note to get the proper story," Harrison told an online chat in 2001 — the last year of his life.

A Certain Strain Of Loopy Humor

No wonder Harrison got in with Monty Python later in life: the effortlessly witty lads were born to play these roles — mostly a tumble of non sequiturs, one-liners and daffy retorts. (They were all brought up on the Goons, after all.) When A Hard Day's Night codified their Liverpudlian slant on everything, everyone from the Pythons to Tim and Eric received their blueprint.

The Legitimacy Of The Rock Flick

What did rock 'n' roll contribute to the film canon before the Beatles? A stream of lightweight Elvis flicks? Granted, the Beatles would churn out a few headscratchers in its wake — Magical Mystery Tour, anyone? — but A Hard Day's Night remains a game-changer for guitar boys on screen.

The best part? The Beatles would go on to change the game again, and again, and again, in so many ways. Don't say they didn't warn you — as you revisit the iconic A Hard Day's Night.

Who could have guessed that a track recorded in under an hour would become an iconic celebratory anthem of female empowerment and friendship? It seems like the Spice Girls did.

The music industry was ripe for a bouncy pop hit in 1996, and "Wannabe" entered the arena with undeniable power. With an infectious blend of dance-pop and hip-hop, as well as catchy lyrics promoting female empowerment, "Wannabe" carried on the spirit of the early '90s riot grrrl movement while delivering a radio-friendly bop.

The Spice Girls' debut single proved that the girl group wouldn't be wannabe stars for long. The song spent four weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, and was certified platinum multiple times in the U.S., United Kingdom, Australia, and several other countries.

Producer Richard Stannard told BBC that the now-canonical British quintet battled Virgin Records to release "Wannabe" as their debut single (executives pushed for "Love Thing"). While both songs would appear on Spice, the Spice Girls' 1996 debut album, the group's instinct and confidence paid off. Twenty-eight years later, "Wannabe" remains an iconic pop song and one of the Spice Girls' most enduring tracks.

While the Spice Girls may have seemed like an overnight success in America, its members had been working their way through the British music scene for years. In March 1994, hundreds of aspiring stars crammed into Dancework Studios in London after an advertisement was posted in The Stage magazine looking for the next girl band.

The groups were randomly split up, taught a dance routine, and then had to perform the song for talent managers and father-son duo, Bob and Chris Herbert. One month later, with 10 girls left, the initial final four — Melanie "Scary Spice" Brown, Melanie "Sporty Spice" Chisholm, Victoria "Posh Spice" Adams, and Geri "Ginger Spice" Halliwell — were all chosen to form the final group with a then-17-year-old Michelle Stephenson. The group moved into a home together, where they received additional dance training and vocal coaching. However, Michelle was soon replaced by Emma "Baby Spice" Bunton, completing the lineup of Spice Girls that as we know them today.

"Of course I regret I'm not a multi-millionaire like them. But at the time I left the group I knew I was doing the right thing and I still think it was the right thing," Stephenson told The Mirror in 2001. "It wasn't my kind of music and they were not living the lifestyle I wanted." 

Read More: The Evolution Of The Girl Group: How TLC, BLACKPINK, The Shirelles & More Have Elevated Female Expression

The group's charisma and corresponding archetypal personalities were put on display in the music video for "Wannabe." The iconic, single-take music video shot in London’s Midland Grand Hotel (now St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel), became as legendary as the track itself. In 2015, Billboard included the video for "Wannabe" in a list of 10 iconic girl group videos, solidifying the video's lasting impression.

Directed by Johan Camitz, the video was the perfect visual introduction to the group: Ginger Spice unapologetically dances through the hotel in a sparkly Union Jack leotard alongside Scary Spice, whose bold persona is conveyed through carefree dances that included whipping her hair around. The group's distinct, playful personalities remained a key selling point used throughout their career.

"Wannabe" producers Matt Rowe and Stannard first saw the Spice Girls at a showcase, and the duo instantly knew that they had the next group of superstars. Soon after, Rowe and Stannard worked with the group to produce "Wannabe," and the chemistry was undeniable.

In her 2002 book, Catch a Fire: The Autobiography, Brown recalls that the producer duo understood the group's vision and automatically knew how to blend "the spirit of five loud girls into great pop music."

"Wannabe" was an inescapable radio hit in the '90s — for all the right reasons. From the punchy beat and distinctive vocal inflections, to the shouts of "if you wanna be my lover," the song remains as a persistent earworm.

Even science backs that claim up. According to a 2014 study conducted by the University of Amsterdam and Manchester's Museum of Science and Industry, researchers found that study participants were able to identify and name "Wannabe" in an average of 2.29 seconds, making it the quickest recognized song in the study. This was ahead of Lou Bega’s "Mambo No 5" and Survivor’s "Eye of The Tiger," and underscores "Wannabe’s" celebrated and timeless status.

While the song itself is a lively, carefree summer anthem perfect for blasting in the car with the windows down, its lyrics resonate with a powerful message of female empowerment and friendship, standing tall above conventional romantic themes.

Read more: 'Spiceworld' At 25: How The Spice Girls' Feminine Enthusiasm & Camp Became A Beacon For Queer Youth 

"Girl Power embodies much more than a gender," Gerri Horner, formerly Halliwell, told BBC in 2017. "It's about everybody. Everybody deserves the same treatment, whatever race you are, gender you are, age you are. Everybody deserves a voice." 

With such a strong debut as "Wannabe," it's clear why the Spice Girls weren't just a one-hit wonder. The British girl group went on to deliver dozens of other pop hits like "Say You'll Be There" and "2 Become 1," which defined the late '90s and early '00s. Released months after "Wannabe," Spice would spend 15 weeks at No. 1 on the Official Charts U.K. Album Chart and also topped the U.S. Billboard 200 chart. The album sold more than 23 million copies worldwide. 

Even after 28 years, the meaning of "zig-a-zig-ah" remains a mystery, but it's a small price to pay for the beloved dance-pop song we cherish today.

Whether it be "Band on the Run" or "Jet" or "My Love," chances are you've heard a Wings song at least once — in all their polished, '70s-arena-sized glory. More than four decades after they disbanded in 1981, we're getting a helping of raw, uncut Wings.

Last February, Wings' classic 1973 album Band on the Run got the 50th anniversary treatment, with a disc of "underdubbed" remixes, allowing Paul McCartney, spouse and keyboardist Linda McCartney, and guitarist Denny Laine to be heard stripped back, with added clarity.

After a few months to digest that, it was time to reveal a session that, for ages, fans had been clamoring for. On June 14, in came One Hand Clapping, a live-in-the-studio set from August 1974 that captured Wings at the zenith of their powers.

Back then, Wings had the wind in their sails, with a reconstituted lineup Band on the Run at the top of the charts. They opted to plug in at Abbey Road Studios with cameras rolling, and record a live studio album with an attendant documentary. The film wouldn’t come out until a 2010 reissue of Band on the Run; the music’s popped up on bootlegs, but had never been released in full.

That long absence is a shame; while One Hand Clapping is a bit of a historical footnote, it absolutely rips; Giles Martin shining up the mixes certainly helped. Epochal Macca ballads, like "Maybe I'm Amazed" and "Blackbird," are well represented, but when Wings rock out, as on "Jet," "Nineteen Hundred and Eighty Five," and "deep cut "Soily," they tear the roof off.

Basically, in range and sequencing, One Hand Clapping shows McCartney prepping Wings like a rocket; soon, it'd rip through the live circuit. If you've never taken a spin through McCartney's post-Fabs discography, though, you may not know where to go from here.

So, for neophytes (or just fans wanting a refresher), here's a framework through which to sift through the Wings discography — with One Hand Clapping still ringing in your ears.

The Essentials

Remember, as you get into Wings: don't cordon off their catalog from McCartney's solo work as a whole. In other words: if you haven't heard masterpieces like 1971's Ram yet, don't go scrounging through Back to the Egg deep cuts yet: check all that stuff out, then return to this list.

That being established: the proper Wings entryway is almost unquestionably Band on the Run. Like Sgt. Pepper's and Abbey Road before it, it's an exhilarating melodic and stylistic rush, a sonic adventure — whether you go for the original or the "underdubbed" version.

In the grand scheme of solo Beatles, Band on the Run is also the one McCartney album that slugs it out with John Lennon's Plastic Ono Band and George Harrison's All Things Must Pass, in terms of artistic realization.

That being said: despite slightly inferior contemporaneous reviews, its follow-up, 1975's Venus and Mars, is almost as good — and if grandiosity isn't your bag, you might actually enjoy it more than Band on the Run. (Think of Harrison following up All Things with the sparser, more spacious Living in the Material World, and you'll get the picture.)

Between those two albums, you've got a wealth of indispensable Macca songs — "Jet," "Let Me Roll It," "Nineteen Hundred and Eighty Five," "Rock Show," "You Gave Me the Answer" — as well as satisfying deep cuts, like doomed Wingsman Jimmy McCulloch's "Medicine Jar."

From there, it's time to understand Weird Wings — which rewinds the clock to their beginnings.

The Weirdness

As the McCartney canon goes, Ram's stock seems to shoot up every year, single handedly inspiring new generations of psych-pop weirdos. By comparison, Wings' debut, Wild Life, was critically savaged in 1971, and its reputation isn't much better today.

As you'll learn so often in your solo Macca voyage — you've just got to ignore the critics sometimes. Even McCartney himself said "Bip Bop" "just goes nowhere" and "I cringe every time I hear it." What he leaves out it's a maddening earworm — to hear this loony, circuitous little sketch once is to carry it to your deathbed.

Indeed, Wild Life is full of moments that will stick with you. In the title track, McCartney screams about the zoo like his hair's on fire; "I Am Your Singer" is a swaying dialogue between Paul and Linda; "Dear Friend" is one of McCartney's most moving songs about Lennon.

Wild Life's follow-up, Red Rose Speedway, is a little more candy-coated and commercial — but outside of the polarizing hit "My Love," it has some integral McCartney tunes, like "Little Lamb Dragonfly" and "Single Pigeon."

In the end, though, Wild Life is arguably the early Wings offering that will really stick to your ribs. It's not a crummy follow-up to Ram, but an intriguing off-ramp from its harebrained universe — and as the opening statement from McCartney's post-Beatles vehicle, worth investigating just on that merit.

The Deep Cuts

McCartney has always been a hit-or-miss solo artist by design — digging through the half-written pastiches and questionable experiments is part of the deal.

1976's Wings at the Speed of Sound features a key track in the irrepressibly jaunty "Let 'Em In," and an (in)famous disco-spangled hit in "Silly Love Songs." From there, with tunes like "Cook of the House" and "Warm and Beautiful," your mileage may vary wildly.

The ratio holds for 1978's London Town: you could put the gorgeous "I'm Carrying" on your playlist and scrap the rest, or you can go spelunking. And McCartney being McCartney, despite 1979's Back to the Egg being choppy waters, he nailed it at least once — on the lithe, sophisticated, Stevie Wonder-like "Arrow Through Me."

Today, at 81, McCartney is an 18-time GRAMMY winner and an enormous concert draw — charging through his six-decade catalog in stadiums the world over. These albums only comprise one decade in his history, where he flourished as a mulleted stadium act alongside his keyboarding wife. But his catalog would be so much different if he never got his Wings.

5 Lesser Known Facts About The Beatles' Let It Be Era: Watch The Restored 1970 Film

For countless Americans, "American Idol" is intertwined with core memories as a show that had families eagerly glued to their TVs twice a week. It brought generations together, creating moments of both suspense and excitement that are still remembered today, as the show continues to run in its 22nd season.

Created by visionary entrepreneur Simon Fuller, "American Idol" premiered on June 11, 2002, as a fresh spin-off of the British program "Pop Idol." It revolutionized how Americans engaged with reality TV through its interactive, viewer-driven voting system, which encouraged audience participation in the success of their favorite contestants. The show also offered viewers a glimpse into contestants' candid backstories and personal journeys, anchoring emotional investment and skyrocketing the show's popularity.

The show's debut season featured a dynamic trio of judges: singer Paula Abdul, TV personality Simon Cowell, and producer Randy Jackson. Their contrasting personalities brewed a chemistry as captivating as the hopeful performances. Abdul’s warmth, Cowell's blunt wit, and Jackson’s humor added extra layers of entertainment, making the twice a week broadcasts a must-watch.

The first season of "American Idol" also unforgettably introduced the country to Kelly Clarkson. Since her debut — with a heart-tugging backstory about being the average girl-next-door with big dreams — Clarkson has gone on to tour the world, host her own TV talk show, and secured her spot as one of music’s most beloved talents. 

"I had dreams since I was a little girl that I wanted to be on the GRAMMYs, or some award show and sing on there," Clarkson mentioned in her pre-audition interview. Flash forward 22 years, the pop singer has accumulated 17 GRAMMY nominations and three wins, propelled by a powerful vocal gift.

Other artists who launched their careers from the show's platform include Jordin Sparks, Carrie Underwood, Adam Lambert, and Jennifer Hudson, who each serve as testament to the show’s impact in music.

"American Idol" has not only opened our eyes to some of our favorite musicians, but it also has given us some of our favorite pop culture moments.

A video that frequently resurfaces on social media captures a memorable moment between Katy Perry and contestant Noah Davis, where they bond over the slang term 'wig'. 

"No, it’s not your language. It’s just for us," Perry joked to her fellow judges, Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan, when they questioned the term’s meaning.

After two decades on air, "American Idol" has etched a lasting legacy in pop culture. It has paved the way for other reality TV music shows and created lasting memories for music fans along the way.

“The show transcends age, gender, ethnicity, everything,” Underwood told Billboard in 2005. 

How Many "American Idol" Winners Have Won GRAMMYs? A Rundown Of Wins And Nominations For Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood & More