There’s a well-known rumor that when an interviewer once suggested Ringo Starr might be the best drummer, one of his Beatles bandmates reportedly quipped, “He isn’t even the best drummer in The Beatles.” This quote has been attributed to both John Lennon and Paul McCartney, though neither actually said it.
While this myth has followed Starr through his career, it hasn’t diminished his legacy. Though Lennon and McCartney are often celebrated as two of the greatest songwriters of all time, Starr is sometimes overlooked in favor of drummers with more technical prowess, such as Ginger Baker or John Bonham of Led Zeppelin.
However, Ringo Starr didn’t need flashy technical skills to make his mark. His drumming was designed to serve the song, enhancing the melodies of his bandmates without overpowering them. His style was appreciated by fellow drummers for its effectiveness, even if it wasn’t the most technically complex.
Starr wasn’t one to dominate tracks with elaborate drum solos, but he wasn’t shy about using drum fills. Songs like “Strawberry Fields Forever” and “Day Tripper” showcase his subtle yet impactful fills, always carefully placed so as not to overshadow the vocals or instrumentation. With such a wide catalog, Starr finds it difficult to choose a favorite drum fill from his work.
“There’s too many great drum fills,” he remarked when asked by Uncut to pick a favorite. Starr explained his approach to fills with his “whacky attitude” toward them, influenced by his left-handedness. He shared that his fills follow a specific pattern due to his left-hand lead, moving from floor tom to top tom and snare. “For me, the fills were fine,” he said, adding, “I always put them in what I call ‘the right place,’ never over when the singer was singing.”
Starr pointed to his work on “Free As A Bird” as an example of a “killer” drum fill. The track, released in 1995, long after The Beatles had disbanded, was based on a demo recorded by Lennon in the late 1970s. Starr’s perfectly timed fills complemented the song’s tender lyrics, a testament to his ability to serve the music.
He also highlighted “A Day in the Life” from the iconic 1967 album Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band as another standout. “I like the whole song,” he said, praising not just the drumming but also George Harrison’s guitar work, which Starr believed was as significant as the lyrics in some cases. Despite these examples, Starr confessed that choosing a single favorite drum fill from his career was impossible.
“I think they’re all my favorite,” he concluded, “If I’m doing them.” For Starr, it’s less about singling out one fill and more about the joy he gets from performing them. While he might not have been the most technically dazzling drummer, his work on tracks like “Free As A Bird” and “A Day in the Life” exemplifies why he was the perfect fit for The Beatles’ music.
