Why Paul McCartney Doesn’t ‘Take That Much Notice’ of Significant Career Anniversaries
For many fans who grew up with The Beatles, it can be alarming to look back on how many years it’s been since each album or song debuted. In the 2020s, many of the albums will be turning 60, proving the powerful legacy the band has that continues to find fans in new generations. While Paul McCartney was involved in the making of these iconic pieces of music, he says he doesn’t care much about anniversaries in his career.
Many Beatles albums get remastered to celebrate anniversaries
The Beatles had many successful albums during the 1960s, and they continue to remain relevant today. During the 2010s, these albums celebrated their 50th anniversaries, including Abbey Road, Revolver, Rubber Soul, and Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. Several of these albums got remixed and remastered for these anniversaries, allowing fans to hear their favorite songs in improved quality.
When these remasters come out, they often return to the charts in the U.S. and the U.K. The 50th-anniversary re-release of Abbey Road set a Guinness World Record for the album with the longest duration between holding the No. 1 spot in the U.K. The album debuted at No. 1 in 1969 and went 49 years and 252 days before returning to the No. 1 spot.
Paul McCartney doesn’t ‘take that much notice’ of anniversaries in his career
In an interview with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe, Paul McCartney talked about how he doesn’t notice the passing of time in his career. He always remains busy, so when someone lets him know about a significant anniversary, he’s surprised, but he doesn’t usually notice it.
“I don’t really take that much notice to tell you the truth…I’m doing stuff. I’m not thinking about having done stuff…I’m always kind of moving forward in my mind. So, people will say to me, ‘It’s 50 years since Abbey Road,’ I go, ‘What? It is?’ And people will say to me, ‘What year was it when you did your first Australian tour?’ I’ll go, ‘Ummm…I’m not sure.’ And I can be lazy because I know we can look it up…I’m not that careful about that. I don’t remember years or anniversaries so much.”
However, the former Beatle said he does remember wedding anniversaries and important birthdays. Careerwise, he doesn’t pay as much attention to significant dates from his past.
McCartney does enjoy going on nostalgia trips
While Paul McCartney said he’s often too busy to remember essential dates from his career, he likes revisiting the past and feeling nostalgic. He especially likes to rediscover more obscure tunes that were “bonus tracks” and think about when he made them.
“I don’t have much time to look back. When I do, I love it,” McCartney told Lowe. “On an album, you’ll have a remaster or reissue, and then there’s like bonus tracks that I haven’t heard in forever, but it’s like my little home demo of that song, and some of those things can be very nostalgic. Generally, time isn’t something I worry about too much.”
