Wings at the Speed of Sound Soared to No. 1—49 Years Ago Today

Photo: By Jim Summaria [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

On this very day, forty-nine years ago, the sound of America’s radios changed forever as Paul McCartney and Wings soared to No. 1 with Wings at the Speed of Sound. It was April 26, 1976—a year when bicentennial celebrations were sweeping the United States, and the airwaves were filled with the irresistible hooks of “Let ’Em In” and “Silly Love Songs.” Even now, nearly half a century later, those melodies remain as joyful and inviting as a spring morning.

McCartney, just a few years removed from the monumental shadow of The Beatles, had something to prove. With Wings at the Speed of Sound, he didn’t just cement his place as a solo superstar—he created a musical home where every member of Wings could shine. For the first time, Paul opened the spotlight wide, sharing vocal duties with his wife Linda, guitarist Denny Laine, drummer Joe English, and the fiery Jimmy McCulloch. The result was an album bursting with personality and a sense of camaraderie you can actually hear in the grooves. Not everyone was happy with the idea of other members of the band singing lead, but over time, we’ve gotten used to it, and it really became an enjoyable outlier in his post Beatles releases.

The album’s success was incredible. It claimed the top spot on the Billboard 200 for seven non-consecutive weeks, making it McCartney’s most successful American release outside of The Beatles. “Let ’Em In” greeted listeners with a doorbell and an invitation—“someone’s knockin’ at the door, somebody’s ringin’ the bell”—reminding everyone that pop music could still be playful. “Silly Love Songs,” McCartney’s witty answer to critics who called his work lightweight, turned out to be the sweetest kind of revenge. With its buoyant bassline and clever harmonies, it spent five weeks at No. 1 and became one of the decade’s most beloved hits.

But the magic of Wings at the Speed of Sound went beyond the hits. Songs like “Time to Hide,” sung by Denny Laine, and “Must Do Something About It,” featuring Joe English on vocals, gave the album a sense of unity rarely found in superstar projects. The record became the heartbeat of the band’s epic 1976 “Wings Over the World” tour, when McCartney and his bandmates brought their energy, humor, and showmanship to packed stadiums across three continents.

The critics, as they often do, offered mixed opinions at the time—some called the record uneven, others praised its warm, eclectic charm. History, though, has been kind. Decades on, the songs still sparkle with wit, optimism, and McCartney’s trademark melodic genius. While “Let ’Em In” and “Silly Love Songs” might have dominated the radio waves, it’s the deeper tracks on Wings at the Speed of Sound that continue to spark passion among devoted McCartney fans. No song captures that energy more than “Beware My Love.” For many, this six-minute rocker stands tall as one of Paul McCartney’s most electrifying performances of the 1970s

So on April 26, 2025, let’s tip our hats and remember that moment in 1976, when Paul McCartney and Wings gave us the soundtrack to a springtime that never really ended.