1971 Rock Song, Released After The Beatles Disbanded, Became a No. 1 Hit 55 Years Ago

Paul McCartney earned a major milestone as a solo artist when he released his No. 1 hit, "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey," in 1971, following the disbandment of the iconic group, The Beatles.

Featured on his sophomore album Ram , the song was also a collaborative work with Linda McCartney.

At that time, the iconic bassist wanted to escape the pressure and tension of the music industry, especially after The Beatles broke up on bad terms. As a way to cope, he teamed up with his wife for his second album.

"This is me and Linda at that time, and this is sort of what we did," he mentioned in an interview as cited by American Songwriter. "[W]e wanted to escape the rigid systems we were living in … [W]e were rebellious, rebels with a sense of humor … We were involved with, like, the animal activists, getting our own Christmas tree … [going] vegetarian."​

Fifty-five years ago, the track quickly became a major commercial success, reaching No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

On Sept. 4, 1971, the former co-lead vocalist and bassist of The Beatles scored his first solo chart-topper in the U.S., surpassing his previous highest-charting song, "Another Day," which peaked at No. 5.

Moreover, the song also ranked No. 22 on Billboard's year-end Top Pop Singles of 1971.

Decades later, "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey" remained Paul McCartney's notable solo hit, with Rolling Stone describing it as a "weird masterpiece" after it secured the No. 81 spot on its list of the Best Beatles Solo Songs of All Time.

Written by the couple, the inspiration behind it was Paul McCartney's real-life uncle.

"Uncle Albert would stand on the table, roaring drunk, and recite the Bible," he recalled in a 2016 interview with Rolling Stone.

As for Admiral Halsey, whose real name is Admiral William "Bull" Halsey and who served in the U.S. Navy during World War II, the singer-songwriter shared that he likely encountered the name somewhere while writing the song.

"I don't know where I got Admiral Halsey from," he revealed, "I would've just read it or heard it somewhere. And then, now I'm this arrogant, upper-class person who's gotten into the song, and I'm just having fun with it."

Besides "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey," "Monkberry Moon Delight" also featured on the album Ram and was another collaborative work between McCartney and his wife.

Related: 1970 Track From Hit Album Ranked 'Worst Song' by The Beatles

This story was originally published by Parade on Sep 5, 2026, where it first appeared in the Entertainment section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.