Today Is His Birthday: Watch Paul McCartney Performing Live Through The Decades

Paul McCartney celebrates his 83rd birthday today. Sir Paul has written many of the most beloved and popular songs in rock ‘n’ roll history, as part of the legendary songwriting team with John Lennon during their time together in The Beatles and throughout McCartney’s subsequent solo career. McCartney has performed — and continues to perform — those remarkable songs in front of audiences worldwide for over 50 years.

In honor of Paul’s birthday today, below is a YouTube playlist featuring live performance videos that progress through each decade, beginning in the 1960s and continuing through the present era. Each decade is represented by a video of Paul in concert in a variety of settings around the globe playing his transcendent songs.

The set begins with The Beatles 1965 Ed Sullivan appearance in which Paul plays solo acoustic guitar on “Yesterday.” The next clip comes from 1976 and features Wings performing “Band On The Run” at the Kingdome in Seattle. The playlist then showcases “Let It Be” from the all-star Live Aid concert at London’s Wembley Stadium in 1985 featuring David Bowie, Pete Townshend, Bob Geldof and others.

The journey through the decades continues with “Hey Jude” from another all-star benefit concert in Knebworth in 1990. Then comes “Helter Skelter” from the Geldof-organized all-star Live 8 benefit concert at London’s Hyde Park in 2005. The playlist proceeds with “Birthday,” performed by McCartney at Grand Central Station in New York City in September 2018 and closes with Macca’s virtual “I’ve Got A Feeling” duet with John Lennon at Glastonbury 2022. Click through the playlist to watch Sir Paul performing live through the decades:

Paul McCartney recently returned to his hometown of Liverpool for a memorable guest appearance with Bruce Springsteen. Macca’s first performance in Liverpool since 2018 saw him join The Boss for the Beatles classic “Can’t Buy Me Love” and the Fab Four-popularized “Kansas City.”

McCartney wrapped the latest leg of his Got Back Tour on December 19, 2024 in London. The iconic musician appeared at the SNL 50 celebration last February and prepped for the gig with a series of surprise shows at New York City’s Bowery Ballroom.

[Originally Published: June 18, 2018 / Updated: June 18, 2025]