Sir Paul McCartney has ended his long-running feud with Apple by performing at the tech giant’s 50th anniversary celebrations at Apple Park in California. The 83-year-old Beatles legend was heard soundchecking hits such as Help, Lady Madonna and Get Back ahead of the event.
The dispute dates back to 1968 when The Beatles launched Apple Corps, a multimedia company that included a record label. Apple Inc., founded in 1976, later clashed with Apple Corps over trademark rights when it entered the music business with iTunes in the early 2000s. A 1991 agreement had barred Apple Computer from using the trademark for applications whose principal content was music.
The legal battle was settled in 2007, and The Beatles’ catalogue was added to iTunes in 2010. McCartney’s performance at the anniversary bash marks a full reconciliation, with a star-studded audience including Taylor Swift, Al Pacino, Sabrina Carpenter, Olivia Rodrigo and Harrison Ford.
McCartney also announced his 19th solo studio album, The Boys of Dungeon Lane, due for release on 29 May. The lead single, Days We Left Behind, was shared on BBC Radio Merseyside. McCartney described it as a memory song, reflecting on his childhood in Liverpool.
