MPL Communications – 1 Soho Square, London

Since the late 1950s, Soho’s been the unofficial clubhouse for London’s rising pop royalty-and nestled right in the heart of it is a little musical empire that just so happens to belong to Sir Paul McCartney. At 1 Soho Square, behind the charming Georgian façade, sits MPL Communications, Paul’s music publishing company since 1970. Yes, the man doesn’t just write hits-he owns them too. In fact, Macca’s the world’s largest independent song publisher, with over 3,000 songs under his belt, including the Buddy Holly catalog and more Broadway gold than a Tony Awards afterparty.

Now, Sir Paul’s not crunching numbers himself-he’s got accountants for that. But he still keeps an eye on the creative side, because why just rest on your Beatles laurels when you can run a mini-musical kingdom?

Oh, and here’s a fun twist-beneath this historic building lies a secret weapon: a fully decked-out recording studio, a faithful replica of EMI’s legendary Studio No. 2. No public access, of course-but if you happen to be loitering respectfully nearby, you just might catch a glimpse of Macca coming or going. He’s famously unpredictable: one day a ghost, the next, he's waving at tourists like it’s Abbey Road all over again.

And if you’re strolling by after dark and the curtains are drawn just right, look up-you’ll see his office glowing with the reflected shimmer of wall-to-wall gold and platinum records. It’s not a museum, but it’s the closest thing to one this side of Penny Lane.