For our fortieth anniversary, the editors of Rolling Stone interviewed twenty artists and leaders who helped shape our time. Over the next four weeks, every day, we’ll be debuting exclusive audio clips from the Q&As, giving you unparalleled access to some of the most important personalities in history.
It’s been almost forty years ago today since Sgt. Pepper taught the band to play, and we’re marking the occasion (as well as our own 40th anniversary) by bringing you this interview with Sir Paul McCartney. As one half of the greatest songwriting tandem ever, McCartney helped shape the entire course of rock & roll music. He’s widely considered the most successful artist in pop music history; his “Yesterday” is the most covered song ever; he refuses to sit on leather chairs. Speaking to Anthony DeCurtis, McCartney reminisces about the circumstances that surrounded the recording of the 1967 masterpiece, why everyone still loves the Beatles, his philosophy for saving the world, as well as his memories of John and George. Listen to five highlights from the conversation, and for the magazine’s definitive profile, pick up your own iridescent copy of our Fortieth Anniversary issue, on newsstands now.
Check back tomorrow for the next installment of our twenty-part audio interviews, featuring some of the most iconic and influential pop culture figures of the last 40 years. Want a hint at tomorrow’s interviewee? He told us this:
Nixon, Reagan, Bush I, Bush II — combined, they’ve committed an assault on the working people of this country, virtually destroyed the middle class and taken a dump on this planet.

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- Portions of Album Content Provided by All Music Guide © 2009 All Media Guide, LLC.