(Paul McCartney will be honored as the 2012 MusiCares Person of the Year on Feb. 10 at a special tribute performance and dinner in Los Angeles, recognizing his accomplishments as an artist and humanitarian. MusiCares' mission is to ensure that music people have a compassionate place to turn in times of need while focusing the resources and attention of the music industry on human service issues that directly impact the health and welfare of the music community.)

To state the obvious, Sir Paul McCartney is many things.

He's a Beatle. An artist. A musician. A singer. A songwriter. A producer. A collaborator. A husband. A father. A philanthropist. An icon. A knight. A vegetarian. And a doctor, given his honorary doctorates from Yale University and University of Sussex.

Appropriately, McCartney's mantle has been crowded by countless awards over the years, with highlights including 14 GRAMMY Awards and a Recording Academy Trustees Award (1972), Lifetime Achievement Award (1990) and President's Award (2004). His name is also inscribed on 15 recordings that have been inducted into the prestigious GRAMMY Hall Of Fame.

On Feb. 10 McCartney will add another Recording Academy-related accolade to his incomparable résumé when he is feted as the 2012 MusiCares Person of the Year, an honor celebrating his musical accomplishments and philanthropic endeavors.

As for those musical accomplishments, they form the touchstones of a career laced with gold. From his historic output as a member of the Beatles to his songs with Paul McCartney And Wings and as a solo artist, McCartney is an institution. He's also an inspiration, a dedicated craftsman who is always pressing forward as evidenced by 2011's Ocean's Kingdom, McCartney's first orchestral score for dance, and Kisses On The Bottom, his latest studio album featuring two fresh McCartney-penned songs alongside spirited interpretations of classic American standards.

Following is a chronology detailing McCartney's impressive Recording Academy legacy to date, providing historical context around his GRAMMY wins, Special Merit Awards, the recordings earning GRAMMY Hall Of Fame induction, and his current 54th GRAMMY nomination. Of course, the output listed below represents an abbreviated overview of a career that has "touched billions of lives" according to President Barack Obama.

1964:

Best New Artist: 7th Annual GRAMMY Awards

When the Beatles picked up this honor on April 13, 1965, McCartney, George Harrison, John Lennon, and Ringo Starr had lit the fuse of Beatlemania. The Fab Four had already collected four No. 1 albums in the UK, Please Please Me (1963), With The Beatles (1963), A Hard Day's Night (1964), and Beatles For Sale (1964). A year earlier, in February 1964, the Beatles made their historic U.S. television debut on "The Ed Sullivan Show," performing songs such as "I Want To Hold Your Hand," "All My Loving" and "I Saw Her Standing There." By April 1964, the Beatles held the top five positions on the Billboard singles chart.<o:p>

A Hard Day's Night
Best Performance By A Vocal Group: 7th Annual GRAMMY Awards

When the Beatles picked up this honor on April 13, 1965, McCartney, George Harrison, John Lennon, and Ringo Starr had lit the fuse of Beatlemania. The Fab Four had already collected four No. 1 albums in the UK, Please Please Me (1963), With The Beatles (1963), A Hard Day's Night (1964), and Beatles For Sale (1964). A year earlier, in February 1964, the Beatles made their historic U.S. television debut on "The Ed Sullivan Show," performing songs such as "I Want To Hold Your Hand," "All My Loving" and "I Saw Her Standing There." By April 1964, the Beatles held the top five positions on the Billboard singles chart.<o:p>

1966:

"Eleanor Rigby"
Best Contemporary (R&R) Solo Vocal Performance — Male: 9th Annual GRAMMY Awards

Featured on 1966's Revolver, "Eleanor Rigby" is arguably one of McCartney's finest compositions. Though credited to both he and Lennon, the song was "Paul's baby, and I helped with the education of the child," Lennon once remarked. Interestingly, none of the Beatles actually perform instrumental parts on this song — the music is provided courtesy of two string quartets, arranged by producer George Martin. With a poetic lyric encapsulating loneliness, the song reads like a chapter in a classic novel. "I don't think there has ever been a better song written," once said the late legendary GRAMMY-winning songwriter and fellow Trustees Award recipient Jerry Leiber. "Eleanor Rigby" was inducted into the GRAMMY Hall Of Fame in 2002.<o:p>

"Michelle"
Song Of The Year: 9th Annual GRAMMY Awards

Primarily written by McCartney, "Michelle" was a prime example of the Beatles' dynamic creativity, songwriting and studio experimentation showcased on 1965's Rubber Soul. With a breezy melody and understated jazz guitar stylings from Harrison, the gorgeous ballad is cloaked in a French cabaret-type arrangement, with McCartney actually singing portions of the song in French. The song proved to be a charm for the Fab Four, marking their first Song Of The Year award following nominations for "A Hard Day's Night" (1964) and "Yesterday" (1965). Rounded out by classics such as "Drive My Car," "Nowhere Man" and "In My Life," Rubber Soul earned induction into the GRAMMY Hall Of Fame in 2000.

1967:

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Album Of The Year, Best Contemporary Album: 10th Annual GRAMMY Awards

From the title track's opening sounds of audience chatter and an orchestra tuning up to the final ringing E major chord closing "A Day In The Life," Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band is a masterpiece. Named the No. 1 album of all time by Rolling Stone, it was the first Beatles album to be inducted into the GRAMMY Hall Of Fame (1993). Other Beatles classics contained on the album include "With A Little Help From My Friends," "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds, "Within You Without You," and "Getting Better." With its unforgettable cover, unique fictitious concept and memorable songs, the album ultimately became a catalyst for the advent of album-oriented rock.<o:p>

1970:

Let It Be
Best Original Score Written For A Motion Picture Or A Television Special: 13th Annual GRAMMY Awards

Originally started in 1969 and ultimately released in 1970, Let It Be turned out to be the Beatles' final album. Glyn Johns was originally tapped to produce the collection of songs that would ultimately materialize as the soundtrack to the film Let It Be. Johns was replaced by Phil Spector in an attempt to commercialize the material for the soundtrack's release. With its lush arrangement, McCartney's introspective ballad "The Long And Winding Road" offers one example of Spector's patented orchestral production. (McCartney was displeased with the results and wrote an angry letter to Apple Corps' Allen Klein. In 2003 Let It Be… Naked was released, featuring McCartney's preferred mixes and album sequence.) McCartney's first solo album was released April 17, 1970, predating the soundtrack's release and the New York film premiere by a month. By the end of the year, the other three Beatles would also release solo albums. "Let It Be," which garnered a nomination for Record and Song Of The Year, came to fruition following a dream McCartney had about his late mother, Mary. It features Billy Preston on organ and Lennon on bass. The song was inducted into the GRAMMY Hall Of Fame in 2004.<o:p>

1971:

"Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey"
Best Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s): 14th Annual GRAMMY Awards

In acknowledgment of his maturing musical skills, McCartney picked up this arrangement-based award. Co-written with his late wife Linda McCartney, the song was featured on 1971's Ram and became McCartney's first post-Beatles No. 1 single in the United States. "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey" contains various sound effects, including sounds of a storm, rain, telephone, chirping birds, and seashore, among others.

1972:

Trustees Award: 15th Annual GRAMMY Awards

Two years following the release of the Beatles' final album, 1970's Let It Be, The Recording Academy honored them with the prestigious Trustees Award, an honor that is bestowed to individuals who have made significant contributions to the field of recording.

1974:

"Band On The Run"
Best Pop Vocal Performance By A Duo, Group Or Chorus: 17th Annual GRAMMY Awards

One of Paul McCartney And Wings' finest recordings, McCartney teamed with his wife Linda to write this ode to liberation and musical escape. "Band On The Run" hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1974, the second Paul McCartney And Wings single to top the chart. Also featuring the Top 10 hits "Helen Wheels" and "Jet," the 1973 album of the same name has sold more than 3 million copies, making it McCartney's most commercially successful post-Beatles studio effort.<o:p>

1979:

"Rockestra Theme"
Best Rock Instrumental Performance: 22nd Annual GRAMMY Awards

This instrumental recording featured a cadre of all-star musicians, including Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour, the Who's Pete Townshend, and Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham and bassist John Paul Jones, among others. One of McCartney's harder-edged compositions, "Rockestra Theme" is featured on the final Paul McCartney And Wings album, Back To The Egg.<o:p>

1990:

Lifetime Achievement Award: 32nd Annual GRAMMY Awards

This Recording Academy Special Merit Award is bestowed upon performers who have made creative contributions of outstanding artistic significance to the field of recording. During his acceptance speech, a grateful McCartney described his career as being akin to a "dream." Fittingly, a year later Lennon was posthumously awarded the same honor.<o:p>

1995:

Abbey Road
GRAMMY Hall Of Fame

Though technically not their final album, Abbey Road is considered the culminating album of the Beatles' career. Recording sessions for the album commenced after the initial sessions that would result in Let It Be. The songwriting of Harrison arguably stole the spotlight on the album's first side with two gems, "Something" and "Here Comes The Sun." (The latter song was not released as a single, but became the top-selling Beatles song when the band's catalog appeared on iTunes in 2010.) Martin described the album as bittersweet. "I guess it was happy because everybody thought it was going to be the last [album]," he once remarked. Abbey Road opens with "Come Together," a song containing an opening line borrowed from Chuck Berry's "You Can't Catch Me." Side two's ambitious medley is rounded out by "The End," which features the unforgettable Beatles mantra, "And in the end/The love you take is equal to the love you make," and McCartney's 23-second finale, "Her Majesty."<o:p>

1996:

"Free As A Bird," Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal, Best Music Video, Short Form; The Beatles Anthology, Best Music Video, Long Form: 39th Annual GRAMMY Awards

No doubt a treat for Fab Four fans worldwide, The Beatles Anthology consisted of a documentary and series of double albums designed to provide a focused history of the band's career. "Free As A Bird," a home demo recording by Lennon, was revamped with new contributions from McCartney, Harrison and Starr to help promote the project. The song hit No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100, marking the Beatles' 34th U.S. Top 10 hit. Directed by Joe Pytka, the video is positioned from the point of view of a flying bird, and contains references to Beatles songs such as "Penny Lane," "A Day In The Life," "Eleanor Rigby," and "Helter Skelter," among others.<o:p>

1997:

"Yesterday"
GRAMMY Hall Of Fame

"Yesterday" is not only a crowning jewel in the McCartney oeuvre, it's arguably the top pop standard of all time. The somber ballad has been recorded more than 2,500 times, including covers by fellow legends such as Ray Charles, Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra, as well as Daffy Duck. Featured on the UK version of Help!, the song shot quickly to No. 1 in the United States in 1965. Historically, "Yesterday" symbolizes one of the first examples of the Beatles' willingness to experiment, with McCartney's plaintive vocal supported by an acoustic guitar and quiet string arrangement. McCartney has said the song came to him after falling out of bed. "I woke up with a lovely tune in my head," he once quipped.<o:p>

1998:

"I Want To Hold Your Hand"
GRAMMY Hall Of Fame

"I Want To Hold Your Hand" was likely the first Beatles exposure for millions of Americans. The single was officially released in the United States in December 1963 and became the first Beatles song to top the U.S. singles chart in February 1964. With a steady backbeat and ringing guitars, "I Want To Hold Your Hand" typifies the band's early explosive energy and has been described by Martin as "the apex of phase one of the Beatles' development."<o:p>

1999:

Revolver
GRAMMY Hall Of Fame

Having come off Rubber Soul, the Beatles once again were in the process of refining their studio craft and redefining their music. Released in 1966, Revolver emerged as an experimental set of songs influenced by the band's increasing use of drugs. Lennon, in particular, was reading books such as Timothy Leary's The Psychedelic Experience. McCartney's sterling contributions include not only "Eleanor Rigby," but the R&B-tinged "Got To Get You Into My Life" and the soothing "Here, There And Everywhere." McCartney has cited the Beach Boys' Pet Sounds, the album masterminded by 2005 MusiCares Person of the Year Brian Wilson, as an inspiration during this period. Revolver is closed out by the droning "Tomorrow Never Knows," which features a Lennon vocal designed to sound like the Dalai Lama chanting, a sitar and a backward guitar solo.<o:p>

"Strawberry Fields Forever"
GRAMMY Hall Of Fame

"Strawberry Fields Forever" is considered one of the defining works of psychedelic rock and has been covered by such artists as the Bee Gees and Peter Gabriel. While bearing the Lennon/McCartney stamp, this composition was born from Lennon's visions of his childhood memories, which included a Salvation Army home in Liverpool that ended up forming the title. McCartney was impressed with Lennon's initial folky acoustic take on the song and would play a hand in its transformation, composing the intro on a Mellotron. Originally intended to be released on Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, the song was featured in the Magical Mystery Tour film and on its accompanying album.<o:p>

2000:

The Beatles (the "White Album")
GRAMMY Hall Of Fame

In the midst of creative and personal strife, the Beatles' 1968 self-titled set stands as another milestone in their catalog. The double album contains 30 songs, with 25 credited to Lennon/McCartney, and was incubated during a meditative band retreat in Rishikesh, India. McCartney has described the "White Album" as being "very good" but not "a pleasant one to make," alluding to the poor atmosphere that caused Starr to quit during the album's recording. McCartney's songs include the politically minded "Back In The U.S.S.R." and "Blackbird," the reggae offering "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da," and the old-fashioned "Honey Pie." The latter song was covered by 2011 MusiCares Person of the Year Barbra Streisand. Other standout songs include Harrison's "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" (featuring Eric Clapton) and Lennon's "Dear Prudence" and "Revolution 9," the latter an eight-minute avant-garde composition featuring Yoko Ono.<o:p>

2001:

"Hey Jude"
GRAMMY Hall Of Fame

This emotive optimistic anthem was penned for Julian Lennon, Lennon's son with then-wife Cynthia, who as a young child was witnessing the breakup of his parents. Originally recorded during the sessions for the "White Album," John Lennon described the song as one of McCartney's "masterpieces." The song clocks in at more than seven minutes due to its four-minute closing refrain, and it was the first release on the band's Apple Records label in August 1968.<o:p>

Meet The Beatles!
GRAMMY Hall Of Fame

Released in January 1964, Meet The Beatles! was the first Beatles album released on Capitol Records. With classics such as "I Saw Her Standing There," "I Want To Hold Your Hand," "All I've Got To Do," and "All My Loving," the collection served as an early focal point for Beatlemania. The album's memorable cover photo was shot by Robert Freeman — the image is also featured on the band's second UK album, With The Beatles.

2004:

President's Award: 46th Annual GRAMMY Awards

The Beatles were honored with this Special Merit Award to commemorate the 40th anniversary of their milestone U.S. television debut on "The Ed Sullivan Show" in February 1964, an appearance that drew an estimated 70 million viewers. An upbeat McCartney accepted the honor on behalf of the band via video, closing with an abbreviated snippet of the classic "Yesterday."<o:p>

2008:

"Help!"
GRAMMY Hall Of Fame

This Lennon/McCartney auditory note of desperation served as the title track to the soundtrack and film of the same name. Armed with the classic line "When I was younger, so much younger than today," Lennon developed the lyrical theme as a reaction to the Beatles' nonstop touring, recording and filming schedule, in addition to a demanding family life that included wife Cynthia and son Julian. In contrast, McCartney had recently met actress Jane Asher and was enjoying London's high-society scene. Released in August 1965, Help! was the eighth Beatles album released in the United States in less than two years, and it garnered them their first-ever Album Of The Year nomination.<o:p>

2010:

"Helter Skelter"
Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance: 53rd Annual GRAMMY Awards

McCartney's most recent GRAMMY came in the form of a live recording of the Beatles' classic "Helter Skelter" from his 2009 live album Good Evening New York City. The original revved-up recording, featured on 1968's "White Album," showcases McCartney at his screechy best, Lennon on bass and saxophone, and Starr's famous one-liner: "I've got blisters on my fingers!" With a career-spanning set list of 33 songs, Good Evening New York City chronicles McCartney's three-night stay in July 2009 at Citi Field in New York that served as the stadium's inaugural concerts.<o:p>

2011:

"Penny Lane"
GRAMMY Hall Of Fame

This 1967 hit formed half of one of the most famous double-sided singles of all time. The other side, "Strawberry Fields Forever," was inducted into the GRAMMY Hall Of Fame in 1999. While "Penny Lane" is credited to Lennon/McCartney, the latter took the lead, naming the song after a section of Liverpool where Lennon grew up. In addition to bass, McCartney also played piano, harmonium, drums, and a hand bell. The song was featured on Magical Mystery Tour.<o:p>

<o:p>2012:

<o:p>Band On The Run (Paul McCartney Archive Collection — Deluxe Edition)
Best Historical Album nominee: 54th Annual GRAMMY Awards

<o:p>McCartney's nomination as compilation producer of the deluxe edition of the 1973 Paul McCartney And Wings classic album, Band On The Run, marks the 72nd GRAMMY nomination of his career. The collection includes a 120-page book containing unseen and unpublished photos; three CDs featuring a digitally remastered version of the album, audio documentary and bonus tracks; and a DVD containing rare behind-the-scenes footage, original promotional videos and a documentary. Band On The Run was initially nominated for Album Of The Year at the 17th Annual GRAMMY Awards in 1974.

Follow GRAMMY.com for our inside look at GRAMMY news, blogs, photos, videos, and of course nominees. Stay up to the minute with GRAMMY Live. Check out the GRAMMY legacy with GRAMMY Rewind. Keep track of this year's GRAMMY Week events, and explore this year's GRAMMY Fields. Or check out the collaborations at Re:Generation, presented by Hyundai Veloster. And join the conversation at Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

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.

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

Bon Jovi have officially been in the cultural conversation for five decades — and it looks like we'll never say goodbye. 

The band's self-titled debut album was unleashed upon the world in 1984, and lead single "Runaway" made some waves. Yet the New Jersey group didn't truly break through until their third album, the 12 million-selling Slippery When Wet. By the late 1980s, they were arguably the biggest rock band in the world, selling out massive shows in arenas and stadiums. 

Since, Bon Jovi releases have consistently topped album charts (six of their studio albums hit No. 1). A big reason for their continued success is that, unlike a majority of their ‘80s peers, frontman Jon Bon Jovi made sure that they adapted to changing times while retaining the spirit of their music — from the anthemic stomp of 1986’s "Bad Medicine" to the Nashville crossover of 2005’s "Who Says You Can’t Go Home." It also doesn’t hurt that the 2024 MusiCares Person Of The Year has aged very gracefully; his winning smile and charismatic personality ever crush-worthy.

Their fifth decade rocking the planet has been marked by many other milestones: The release of  a four-part Hulu documentary, "Thank you, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story"; Bon Jovi's 16th studio album Forever, and fan hopes for the return of original guitarist Richie Sambora who left unexpectedly in 2013. Despite all of these positive notes, there is an ominous cloud hanging over the group as their singer had to undergo vocal surgery following disappointing, consistently off-key performances on the group's 2022 U.S. tour. Even afterward, he remains unsure whether he’ll be able to tour again. But Bon Jovi remains popular and with Sambora expressing interest in a reunion, it's plausible that we could see them back on stage again somehow.

Jon Bon Jovi has also had quite a multifaceted career spun off of his success in music, as shown by the following collection of fascinating facts.

Jon Bon Jovi Sung With Bruce Springsteen When He Was 17

By the time he was in high school, Jon Bongiovi (his original, pre-fame last name) was already fronting his first serious group. The Atlantic City Expressway was a 10-piece with a horn section that performed well-known tunes from Jersey acts like Bruce Springsteen and Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes.

They regularly played The Fast Lane, and one night Bruce Springsteen was in the audience. To Bon Jovi’s surprise, The Boss jumped onstage to join them. The two later became good friends — during his MusiCares performance, Bon Jovi introduced Springsteen as "my mentor, my friend, my brother, my hero."

Although "Runaway" was the debut single and lone Top 40 hit from Bon Jovi's first two albums, it was recorded as a professional demo back in 1982. 

Bon Jovi got a gig as a gopher at Power Station, the famed studio co-owned by his second cousin Tony Bongiovi where artists like the Rolling Stones, Diana Ross, and David Bowie recorded. (He watched even watched Bowie and Freddie Mercury record the vocals for "Under Pressure.")

The future rockstar cut "Runaway" (which was co-written mainly by George Karak) and other demos with session musicians — his friend, guitarist Aldo Nova, Rick Springfield/John Waite guitarist Tim Pierce, Springsteen keyboardist Roy Bittan, bassist Hugh McDonald (a future Bon Jovi member), and Scandal drummer Frankie LaRocca. The song first appeared on a WAPP compilation under his name, but then it was placed on Bon Jovi’s debut album. When the video for "Runway" was created nearly two years later, members of Bon Jovi were miming to other people’s performances. 

Although it is a classic, original guitarist Richie Sambora hates it and never wants to play it again.

He Eloped With His High School Sweetheart In April 1989

During the band’s world tour in support of New Jersey, Bon Jovi and Dorothea Hurley spontaneously eloped in a quickie wedding in Vegas. His bandmates and management were shocked to find this out; the latter probably feared that his ineligible bachelor status would harm their popularity with their ardent female fans. But it simply played more into his more wholesome image that differed from other hard rockers of the time. 

In May 2024, Bon Jovi’s son Jake secretly married "Stranger Things" actor Millie Bobby Brown. It was like history repeating itself, except this time family was involved.

Listen: Revisit Jon Bon Jovi's Greatest Hits & Deep Cuts Ahead Of MusiCares' Person Of The Year 2024 Gala

Back in the ‘80s, parents often didn’t like their kids’ music. However, Bon Jovi’s parents completely supported his. Mother Carol Bongiovi often chaperoned his early days when he was an underaged kid playing local clubs and bars in New Jersey. Father Jon Sr. was the group’s hair stylist until their third album, Slippery When Wet. He created his son's signature mane. 

Jon’s brother Matthew started as a production assistant in the band’s organization, then worked for their management before becoming his brother’s head of security and now his tour manager. His other brother Anthony became the director of a few Bon Jovi concert films and promo clips. He’s also directed concert films for Slayer and the Goo Goo Dolls.

After writing songs for the Golden Globe-winning "Young Guns II soundtrack (released as the solo album Blaze Of Glory) and getting a cameo in the Western’s opening, Bon Jovi was bitten by the acting bug. He studied with acclaimed acting coach Harold Guskin in the early ‘90s, then appeared as the romantic interest of Elizabeth Perkins in 1995's Moonlight and Valentino.

In other movies, Bon Jovi played a bartender who’s a recovering alcoholic (Little City), an ex-con turning over a new leaf (Row Your Boat), a failed father figure (Pay It Forward), a suburban dad and pot smoker (Homegrown), and a Navy Lieutenant in WWII (U-571). The band’s revival in 2000 slowed his acting aspirations, but he appeared for 10 episodes of "Ally McBeal," playing her love interest in 2002. 

Elsewhere on the silver screen, the singer has also portrayed a vampire hunter (Vampiros: Los Muertos), a duplicitous professor (Cry Wolf), the owner of a women’s hockey team (Pucked), and a rock star willing to cancel a tour for the woman he loves (New Year’s Eve). He hasn’t acted since 2011, but who knows when he might make a guest appearance?

Jon Bon Jovi Once Co-Owned A Football Team

In 2004, Bon Jovi became one of the co-founders and co-majority owner of the Philadelphia Soul, which were part of the Arena Football League (AFL). (Sambora was a minority shareholder.) The team name emerged in a satirical scene from "It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia" during which Danny DeVito’s character tries to buy the team for a paltry sum and twice butchers the singer’s name.

Jon stuck with the team until 2009, a year after they won Arena Bowl XXII, defeating the San Jose SaberCats. He then set his eyes on a bigger prize, the Buffalo Bills, aligning himself with a group of Toronto investors in 2011. One of his biggest competitors? Donald Trump, who ran a smear campaign alleging that the famed singer would move the team to Toronto. 

In the end, neither man purchased the team as they were outbid by Terry and Kim Pegula, who still own the Bills today.

Having cranked out massive hits with songwriter Desmond Child, Bon Jovi and Sambora decided to write or co-write songs for and with other artists. 

In 1987, they co-wrote and produced the Top 20 hit "We All Sleep Alone" with Child for Cher, and also co-wrote the Top 40 hit "Notorious" with members of Loverboy. In 1989, the duo paired up again Loverboy guitarist Paul Dean for his solo rocker "Under The Gun" and bequeathed the New Jersey outtake "Does Anybody Really Fall in Love Anymore?" (co-written with Child and Diane Warren) to Cher. 

The Bon Jovi/Sambora song "Peace In Our Time" was recorded by Russian rockers Gorky Park. In 1990, Paul Young snagged the New Jersey leftover "Now and Forever," while the duo penned "If You Were in My Shoes" with Young, though neither song was released. In 2009, Bon Jovi and Sambora were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame for their contributions to music.

Jon Bon Jovi Once Ran His Own Record Label

For a brief time in 1991, he ran his own record label, Jambco, which was distributed through Bon Jovi’s label PolyGram Records. The only two artists he signed were Aldo Nova and Billy Falcon, a veteran singer/songwriter who became Bon Jovi's songwriting partner in the 2000s. Neither of their albums (Aldo Nova’s Blood On The Bricks and Billy Falcon’s Pretty Blue World) were big sellers, and the label folded quickly when they began losing money.

Still, the experience gave Bon Jovi the chance to learn about the music business. That experience helped after he fired original manager Doc McGhee in 1991 and took over his band’s managerial reins until 2015.

Bon Jovi's Vocal Issues Aren't New

Although Jon Bon Jovi's vocal problems have become a major issue recently, they stem back to the late 1980s. It's doubtful as to whether Jon had proper vocal training for a rock band at the start. 

The group did 15-month tours to support both the Slippery When Wet and New Jersey albums. Near the end of the grueling Slippery tour, Bon Jovi was getting steroid injections because his voice was suffering.

While his voice held up into the 2000s, it has become apparent over the last decade that his singing is rougher than it used to be. As shown in the Hulu new documentary, the singer has been struggling to maintain his voice. It’s natural for older rock singers to lose some range — it’s been very rare to hear him sing any of the high notes in "Livin’ On A Prayer" over the last 20 years — but he admitshe is unsure whether he can ever tour again, even with recent surgery.

Back in the 1980s, the upbeat Bon Jovi made it clear that they were not going to be a toned-down political band. But in the ‘90s, he and the band toned down their look, evolved their sound, and offered a more mature outlook on life. 

Reflecting this evolved viewpoint,  the band started an annual tradition of playing a December concert in New Jersey to raise money for various charitable causes; the concert series began in 1991 and continued with the band or Jon solo through at least 2015. The group have played various charitable concert events over the years including the Twin Towers Relief Benefit, Live 8 in Philadelphia, and The Concert For Sandy Relief. 

By the late 2000s, Jon and Dorothea founded the JBJ Soul Kitchen to serve meals at lower costs to people who cannot afford them. COVID-19 related food shortages led the couple to found  the JBJ Soul Kitchen Food Bank. Their JBJ Soul Foundation supports affordable housing and has rebuilt and refurbished homes through organizations like Project H.O.M.E., Habitat For Humanity, and Rebuilding Together.

While he may be a superstar, Jon Bon Jovi still believes in helping others. For his considerable efforts, he was honored as the 2024 MusiCares Person Of The Year during 2024 GRAMMY Week.

Listen: Revisit Jon Bon Jovi's Greatest Hits & Deep Cuts Ahead Of MusiCares' Person Of The Year 2024 Gala

What is about the Beatles' Let it Be sessions that continues to bedevil diehards?

Even after their aperture was tremendously widened with Get Back — Peter Jackson's three-part, almost eight hour, 2021 doc — something's always been missing. Because it was meant as a corrective to a film that, well, most of us haven't seen in a long time — if at all.

That's Let it Be, the original 1970 documentary on those contested, pivotal, hot-and-cold sessions, directed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg. Much of the calcified lore around the Beatles' last stand comes not from the film itself, but what we think is in the film.

Let it Be does contain a couple of emotionally charged moments between maturing Beatles. The most famous one: George Harrison getting snippy with Paul McCartney over a guitar part, which might just be the most blown-out-of-proportion squabble in rock history.

But superfans smelled blood in the water: the film had to be a locus for the Beatles' untimely demise. To which the film's director, Michael Lindsay-Hogg, might say: did we see the same movie?

"Looking back from history's vantage point, it seems like everybody drank the bad batch of Kool-Aid," he tells GRAMMY.com. Lindsay-Hogg had just appeared at an NYC screening, and seemed as surprised by it as the fans: "Because the opinion that was first formed about the movie, you could not form on the actual movie we saw the other night."

He's correct. If you saw Get Back, Lindsay-Hogg is the babyfaced, cigar-puffing auteur seen throughout; today, at 84, his original vision has been reclaimed. On May 8, Disney+ unveiled a restored and refreshed version of the Let it Be film — a historical counterweight to Get Back. Temperamentally, though, it's right on the same wavelength, which is bound to surprise some Fabs disciples.

With the benefit of Peter Jackson's sound-polishing magic and Giles Martin's inspired remixes of performances, Let it Be offers a quieter, more muted, more atmospheric take on these sessions. (Think fewer goofy antics, and more tight, lingering shots of four of rock's most evocative faces.)

As you absorb the long-on-ice Let it Be, here are some lesser-known facts about this film, and the era of the Beatles it captures — with a little help from Lindsay-Hogg himself.

The Beatles Were Happy With The Let It Be Film

After Lindsay-Hogg showed the Beatles the final rough cut, he says they all went out to a jovial meal and drinks: "Nice food, collegial, pleasant, witty conversation, nice wine."

Afterward, they went downstairs to a discotheque for nightcaps. "Paul said he thought Let it Be was good. We'd all done a good job," Lindsay-Hogg remembers. "And Ringo and [wife] Maureen were jiving to the music until two in the morning."

"They had a really, really good time," he adds. "And you can see like [in the film], on their faces, their interactions — it was like it always was."

About "That" Fight: Neither Paul Nor George Made A Big Deal

At this point, Beatles fanatics can recite this Harrison-in-a-snit quote to McCartney: "I'll play, you know, whatever you want me to play, or I won't play at all if you don't want me to play. Whatever it is that will please you… I'll do it." (Yes, that's widely viewed among fans as a tremendous deal.)

If this was such a fissure, why did McCartney and Harrison allow it in the film? After all, they had say in the final cut, like the other Beatles.

"Nothing was going to be in the picture that they didn't want," Lindsay-Hogg asserts. "They never commented on that. They took that exchange as like many other exchanges they'd had over the years… but, of course, since they'd broken up a month before [the film's release], everyone was looking for little bits of sharp metal on the sand to think why they'd broken up."

About Ringo's "Not A Lot Of Joy" Comment…

Recently, Ringo Starr opined that there was "not a lot of joy" in the Let it Be film; Lindsay-Hogg says Starr framed it to him as "no joy."

Of course, that's Starr's prerogative. But it's not quite borne out by what we see — especially that merry scene where he and Harrison work out an early draft of Abbey Road's "Octopus's Garden."

"And Ringo's a combination of so pleased to be working on the song, pleased to be working with his friend, glad for the input," Lindsay-Hogg says. "He's a wonderful guy. I mean, he can think what he wants and I will always have greater affection for him.

"Let's see if he changes his mind by the time he's 100," he added mirthfully.

Lindsay-Hogg Thought It'd Never Be Released Again

"I went through many years of thinking, It's not going to come out," Lindsay-Hogg says. In this regard, he characterizes 25 or 30 years of his life as "solitary confinement," although he was "pushing for it, and educating for it."

"Then, suddenly, the sun comes out" — which may be thanks to Peter Jackson, and renewed interest via Get Back. "And someone opens the cell door, and Let it Be walks out."

Nobody Asked Him What The Sessions Were Like

All four Beatles, and many of their associates, have spoken their piece on Let it Be sessions — and journalists, authors, documentarians, and fans all have their own slant on them.

But what was this time like from Lindsay-Hogg's perspective? Incredibly, nobody ever thought to check. "You asked the one question which no one has asked," he says. "No one."

So, give us the vibe check. Were the Let it Be sessions ever remotely as tense as they've been described, since man landed on the moon? And to that, Lindsay-Hogg's response is a chuckle, and a resounding, "No, no, no."

The Beatles' Final Song: Giles Martin On The Second Life Of "Now And Then" & How The Fab Four Are "Still Breaking New Ground"