# Paul McCartney's 1976 Wings Tour Finale

> Paul McCartney's Wings deliver a triumphant finale at Wembley Pool after four years of evolution.
- Title: Paul McCartney's 1976 Wings Tour Finale · Rolling Stone
- Summary: Paul McCartney's Wings deliver a triumphant finale at Wembley Pool after four years of evolution. Paul McCartney's Wings performed a highly acclaimed concert…
- Keywords: paul mccartney, wings, seattle, empire pool, wembley, 1976, wings over the world tour, band on the run, venus and mars, linda mccartney, jimmy mcculloch, joe english
- Source: Rolling Stone — https://rollingstone.com/music/music-features/50-years-ago-paul-mccartney-greatest-tour-1235644027
- Author: Andy Greene
- Published: 2026-10-19T13:51:54+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: paul mccartney, wings, seattle, empire pool, wembley, 1976, wings over the world tour, band on the run, venus and mars, linda mccartney, jimmy mcculloch, joe english
## Wings' Early Struggles
Wings played small shows in 1972 to test new material after the Beatles' 1966 tour ended.

> It was one of the most depressing, almost embarrassing concerts I can remember
## Guardian Review
Robin Denselow called early Wings shows 'depressing' and 'embarrassing' with Linda McCartney's nervousness.

> Linda McCartney’s nervousness and her obvious lack of talent seem contagious
## Band Evolution
Wings gained hits from 1973's Band on the Run and 1975's Venus and Mars by 1976.
## Wembley Pool Show
Paul McCartney and Wings performed a two-hour concert at Wembley Pool on Oct 19, 1976.
## Beatles Songs
McCartney played three Beatles songs: 'I've Just Seen a Face', 'Blackbird', and 'Yesterday'.
## Wings' Success
The show was praised as 'one of the happiest, most exhilarating, and most brilliant rock concerts London has seen in recent years'.

> They played nonstop for more than two hours and gave one of the happier, most exhilarating, and most brilliant rock concerts London has seen in recent years
## Band's Growth
Wings had performed 62 concerts across 13 months by the Wembley Pool show on Oct 19, 1976.
## Beatles Song Context
McCartney played 'The Long and Winding Road' after the Beatles' 1966 tour ended.
## Wings' Final Set
The show ended with 'Band on the Run', 'Hi, Hi, Hi', and 'Soily' after a Beatles set.
## Post-Show Impact
The concert was described as 'staggering' with Wings becoming a band that 'knows exactly where it’s at, without forgetting where it’s been'.

> The band’s control of their material was staggering
## Band Challenges
Linda McCartney's pregnancy and Jimmy McCulloch's departure disrupted Wings' 1977 album sessions.
## Key takeaway

Paul McCartney's Wings performed a highly acclaimed concert at Wembley Pool on Oct 19, 1976, marking their first successful tour after early struggles.