Sir James Paul McCartney is an English singer, songwriter, musician, record and film producer, composer, and businessman. A multi-instrumentalist, he gained worldwide fame as the bass guitarist and singer of the Beatles, who are widely considered to be the most popular and influential band in history. McCartney is one of the most successful composers and performers of all time. He has written or co-written 32 songs that have reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, and as of 2009 he had 25.5 million RIAA-certified units in the United States. His songwriting partnership with John Lennon remains the most successful in history. After the group disbanded in 1970, he pursued a solo career and formed the band Wings with his first wife, Linda, and Denny Laine.