# Wings discography
The Wings discography is the recorded catalog of Wings, the British-American rock band formed in 1971 by [Paul McCartney](https://www.edgepedia.org/paul-mccartney) with his wife [Linda McCartney](https://www.edgepedia.org/linda-mccartney) and guitarist [Denny Laine](https://www.edgepedia.org/denny-laine), which released seven studio albums between 1971 and 1979 before dissolving in 1981.[1](https://www.paulmccartney.com/wings) • [2](https://www.lemonde.fr/en/culture/article/2024/12/05/paul-mccartney-cuts-a-fine-figure-at-paris-concert_6735254_30.html) The catalog also includes a live album, compilations, and a body of non-album singles, several of which became the band's biggest hits.
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Studio albums | Seven, from *Wild Life* (1971) to *Back to the Egg* (1979)[1](https://www.paulmccartney.com/wings) |
| UK Number 1 albums | *Band on the Run* (1973) and *Venus and Mars* (1975)[3](https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/14556/wings/) |
| Biggest single | "Mull of Kintyre" (1977), the first song to sell over two million copies in the UK and an Official Christmas Number 1[3](https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/14556/wings/) |
| UK chart totals | 1 Number 1 single, 12 Top 10 singles, 2 Number 1 albums, 8 Top 10 albums[3](https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/14556/wings/) |
| US singles | Six Number 1 hits with Wings in the 1970s[4](https://time.com/4822795/paul-mccartney-beatles-birthday-75/) |
| Career span | 1971 to 1981[2](https://www.lemonde.fr/en/culture/article/2024/12/05/paul-mccartney-cuts-a-fine-figure-at-paris-concert_6735254_30.html) |
## Studio albums
After releasing two solo albums following the Beatles' split, McCartney assembled Wings as a full-fledged recording and touring band, anchoring it with the core trio of himself, Linda McCartney, and the ex-Moody Blues guitarist Denny Laine, with drummer Denny Seiwell completing the first lineup.[5](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/wings-mn0000022402) The debut album *Wild Life* appeared in December 1971.[5](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/wings-mn0000022402)
The band's commercial stride came in 1973 with *Red Rose Speedway*, followed by *Band on the Run*, which yielded two transatlantic Top Ten singles, "Jet" and the title track.[5](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/wings-mn0000022402) *Band on the Run* was the first of Wings' two UK Number 1 albums, alongside the 1975 follow-up *Venus and Mars*.[3](https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/14556/wings/) *Wings at the Speed of Sound* followed in 1976 and was the first Wings record to feature songwriting contributions from the other bandmembers.[5](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/wings-mn0000022402)
The later studio albums were *London Town* (1978) and *Back to the Egg* (1979).[6](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/wings-mn0000956707) After *Back to the Egg*, guitarist [Jimmy McCulloch](https://www.edgepedia.org/jimmy-mcculloch) left the band to join the re-formed [Small Faces](https://www.edgepedia.org/small-faces), and Wings released no further studio albums.[5](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/wings-mn0000022402)
## Singles and chart performance
Wings' singles career began in early 1972 with "Give Ireland Back to the Irish" (UK peak 16) and "Mary Had a Little Lamb" (peak 9), followed by "Hi Hi Hi"/"C Moon" (peak 5) in December 1972.[3](https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/14556/wings/) Across the band's career it placed 17 singles in the UK Top 40, with 12 reaching the Top 10 and one, "Mull of Kintyre", reaching Number 1.[3](https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/14556/wings/) In the United States the band accumulated six Number 1 hits during the 1970s.[4](https://time.com/4822795/paul-mccartney-beatles-birthday-75/)
Other chart-topping singles included "Listen to What the Man Said" and "Silly Love Songs", and the band's highlights included the Oscar-nominated James Bond theme "Live and Let Die".[5](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/wings-mn0000022402) After the success of "Mull of Kintyre" in 1977, McCartney called time on Wings and resumed his solo career shortly afterward.[5](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/wings-mn0000022402)
## Live albums and touring
Wings' record-breaking international tour of 1976 was documented on the live album *Wings Over America*, which included a hit live version of "[Maybe I'm Amazed](https://www.edgepedia.org/maybe-im-amazed)".[5](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/wings-mn0000022402) The band's touring history ran from small gigs around the UK and Europe in 1972 to large arena shows later in the decade.[5](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/wings-mn0000022402)
A second major live recording, *One Hand Clapping*, a live-in-the-studio set taped at [Abbey Road Studios](https://www.edgepedia.org/abbey-road-studios) in August 1974 for a video documentary, circulated for decades on bootlegs before receiving its first full official release in June 2024.[7](https://www.grammy.com/news/paul-mccartney-wings-one-hand-clapping-band-guide-catalog)
## Reissues and later releases
Many Wings albums have been reissued in McCartney's Archive Collection series, including *Wild Life*, *Red Rose Speedway*, *Band on the Run*, *Venus and Mars*, *Wings at the Speed of Sound*, and *Wings Over America*; *London Town* and *Back to the Egg* also appear in the official Wings album discography.[8](https://www.paulmccartney.com/discography/albums/wings) In 2024, the 50th anniversary of *Band on the Run*, McCartney released *Band on the Run (Underdubbed Mixes)*, a version that strips back overdubs added after the original rough mixes, uses a slightly different song order from the US release, and omits "Helen Wheels", which McCartney had added to the album only after it became a hit single.[9](https://apnews.com/article/f05f4ab1b3c8e98af63b441875385dca) The original *Band on the Run* remains McCartney's best-selling post-Beatles release.[9](https://apnews.com/article/f05f4ab1b3c8e98af63b441875385dca)
In November 2025 the compilation *WINGS*, described as the definitive self-titled collection, was released, personally overseen by McCartney and including the international hits "Band on the Run", "Live and Let Die", "Jet", and "Let 'Em In".[10](https://www.paulmccartney.com/discography/albums/wings-collection) A Rock & Roll Hall of Fame exhibition, "Paul McCartney and Wings", opened in 2026 and traces the arc from McCartney's 1970 solo debut through the band's 1981 dissolution.[11](https://rockhall.com/press-release/paul-mccartney-and-wings-exhibition-now-open-at-the-rock-roll-hall-of-fame/)
## References
1. [Wings | Paul McCartney (official site)](https://www.paulmccartney.com/wings)
2. [Paul McCartney cuts a fine figure at Paris concert, Le Monde](https://www.lemonde.fr/en/culture/article/2024/12/05/paul-mccartney-cuts-a-fine-figure-at-paris-concert_6735254_30.html)
3. [WINGS songs and albums | full Official Chart history, Official Charts Company](https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/14556/wings/)
4. [Paul McCartney Turns 75, Time](https://time.com/4822795/paul-mccartney-beatles-birthday-75/)
5. [Paul McCartney & Wings — Biography, Discography, Albums & Expert Reviews, AllMusic](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/wings-mn0000022402)
6. [Wings — Biography, Discography, Albums & Expert Reviews, AllMusic](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/wings-mn0000956707)
7. [Wings Release 'One Hand Clapping': How To Get Into Paul McCartney's Legendary Post-Beatles Band, Grammy.com](https://www.grammy.com/news/paul-mccartney-wings-one-hand-clapping-band-guide-catalog)
8. [Paul McCartney | Discography albums (Wings)](https://www.paulmccartney.com/discography/albums/wings)
9. [Music Review: Paul McCartney and Wings' release bare bones 'Band on the Run' on 50th anniversary, AP News](https://apnews.com/article/f05f4ab1b3c8e98af63b441875385dca)
10. [Paul McCartney | WINGS (The Definitive Self-Titled Collection)](https://www.paulmccartney.com/discography/albums/wings-collection)
11. ["Paul McCartney and Wings" Exhibition Now Open at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame](https://rockhall.com/press-release/paul-mccartney-and-wings-exhibition-now-open-at-the-rock-roll-hall-of-fame/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Music › Musical works and recordings › Discographies and musical catalogues › Artist and group discographies › Rock, metal, punk, and indie discographies › Classic and mainstream rock discographies*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license