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10. When bass player Stu Sutcliffe left the band, McCartney moved from guitar to bass. McCartney is an underrated bass player.

9. McCartney has largely resisted reversing the order of Lennon & McCartney for the songs mainly or solely written by McCartney.

8. It’s been McCartney who has become the Beatles ambassador in recent years, representing the brand, but also being a part of concerts, ceremonies and events representing the other Beatles. He was a big part of the concert for George and there when George received a star on Hollywood Boulevard.

7. At a McCartney concert, much of the music is that of the Beatles, and even songs in remembrance of John and George. McCartney had to grow into coming to grips with the shadow of the Beatles on his solo career.

6. In the late 1970s, McCartney reached out to John, they shared time together and even played a role in getting John and Yoko back together. While the relationship between McCartney and Yoko has sometimes been prickly, she gave him the tape with John’s demos, that later became Beatles songs.

5. McCartney did not forget those from the early days. Longtime Beatles employee Neil Aspinal worked tirelessly for the Beatles until he retired, and it was him that championed the Beatles Anthology project by collecting film from wherever he could find it. When Aspinal died after an illness, it was McCartney who quietly picked up the expenses.

4. The relationship between McCartney and George Harrison was also prickly, and continued to be until George’s death. They worked together on the Beatles Anthology and the Lennon demos. George set some conditions for working together and they must have been met because the project was finished. George died, peacefully and away from the media at a home owned by McCartney.

3. Paul McCartney was correct in recognizing that Allen Klein was wrong for the Beatles and holding out on being represented by him. It took the other Beatles a few years to see what McCartney already knew.

2. Touring America in 1975. Paul McCartney wasn’t the first former Beatle to tour the U.S., but he did it in grand style, in large arenas where his fans could enjoy him. By 1975, he was becoming more comfortable with his Beatles past and worked it into his set. His tour restarted the Beatles popularity in the U.S. and gained a new generation of fans.

1. Dissolving the Beatles. Yes, I said it, he filed the paperwork to dissolve their partnership. After more than 50 years of reflection and reading the Beatles’ own accounts of their last years together, the band was poised to split. Each was moving in different directions and felt a strong urge to sample life and happiness outside of the band. After the success of Abbey Road, the Beatles walked away on a high note, at the top of their game. Would I have like them to work together again as a foursome? Absolutely! It just wasn’t in the cards. This can be debated till the end of time, and yes, it’s just my opinion.