Paul McCartney is an English singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and composer. He is best known as a member of the Beatles, the most commercially successful band in the history of popular music. McCartney is one of the most successful composers and performers of all time, with 60 gold discs and sales of over 100 million albums and 100 million singles. He has written or co-written 32 number-one singles on the Billboard Hot 100, and has won 18 Grammy Awards and an Academy Award. McCartney is also an animal rights activist and a prominent supporter of the Labour Party. He is a knight of the British Empire and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1999.