Paul McCartney's Band Debuts Its Half-Century-Old Album On The Charts
Over the past several years, Paul McCartney has been reintroducing music lovers to his former group, Wings. While the band may not be as iconic as The Beatles, or even quite as talked about as McCartney's solo efforts, its discography is full of gems that fans have loved since they were new, decades ago.
Wings has been celebrated throughout the past several years with multiple re-releases, deluxe editions, and other special projects that highlight the great material it recorded. The band's Venus and Mars is enjoying a brand new life across the pond as it returns to the charts, and even manages to debut on several tallies.
Venus and Mars shows up on three charts in the U.K. The album debuts on two of those rankings, marking a real comeback for a title that first dropped almost exactly 50 years ago.
The release opens at No. 6 on the Official Vinyl Albums chart, which ranks the bestselling vinyl releases in the country. The same collection also lands at No. 18 on the Official Albums Sales ranking. That tally measures the top-selling full-lengths across all formats, not just vinyl.
While Wings has appeared on the Official Vinyl Albums chart before, top 10 success is still somewhat new for the band. Venus and Mars gives the group just its second-ever top 10 on that tally. The first came last year when Band on the Run, credited to Paul McCartney and Wings, hit No. 3 and managed two weeks somewhere on the list.
So far, Wings has now placed five titles on both the Official Albums Sales and Official Vinyl Albums charts. That roundup includes Greatest, the aptly-titled compilation, as well as Red Rose Speedway, Wild Life, Band on the Run, and now Venus and Mars.
Venus and Mars also returns to one additional ranking in the U.K. this week, and this time around, it performs better than ever before. The set reappears on the Official Physical Albums chart, which only tracks titles sold on physical formats like CDs and vinyl. The project reenters at No. 16—an all-time high.
That reappearance is just the second for Venus and Mars on this specific list. It debuted on the tally back in November 2014 at No. 37 and then disappeared immediately. Now, a decade later, it's back and stronger than when it first arrived.
McCartney recently reissued Venus and Mars, which has spurred a sales spike – and that's why it's back on the charts in the United Kingdom this week. The new edition may be somewhat disappointing to casual fans, as the vinyl offering only comes at a half-speed remastered version. There are no new tracks or special goodies, but apparently Wings – and especially McCartney – claim enough followers to make even this simple repressing a hit.
Venus and Mars is the fourth full-length from Wings, which was formed by McCartney after The Beatles split. It followed Band on the Run, which is widely considered a classic and one of the most successful post-Beatles albums from any member of the band. With Venus and Mars, McCartney once again showed that he could craft smashes and bestselling projects under any name, with any group, and at any time in his storied career.
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If you have an interesting story idea, email lifestyle reporter Andre Lamar at alamar@ Consider signing up for his weekly newsletter, DO Delaware, at (This story was updated because an earlier version included an inaccuracy.) This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Longwood Gardens fills summer 2025 with music, theater, fountains, more
