The “Paul is Dead” conspiracy theory claims that Beatles legend Paul McCartney secretly died in a car crash in 1966 and was replaced by a look-alike named Billy Shears to keep the band going. Fans point to “clues” hidden in Beatles albums, like the Abbey Road cover (where Paul walks barefoot, symbolizing a corpse), cryptic lyrics, and alleged backmasked messages in songs like Revolution 9 that say, “Turn me on, dead man.” Despite McCartney repeatedly denying the rumor, the theory exploded in 1969, becoming one of the most famous music conspiracy theories ever and fueling decades of speculation among Beatles fans and pop culture enthusiasts.