64 Years After His Beatles Debut, Ringo Starr Remains the Greatest Drummer in Rock History

On February 5, 1962, Ringo Starr stepped behind the drum kit for The Beatles for the very first time at Liverpool’s legendary Cavern Club. He was filling in for the band’s drummer, Pete Best, who was sick on the day. Best had been drumming for The Beatles since 1960, with the main attraction for his recruitment being that he owned his own drums. At the same time, Starr was a familiar face on the circuit, having played with Rory Storm and the Hurricanes, who were hot in the Merseyside scene. At the substitute gig, the chemistry between the band and the new drummer was obvious, and within months, Starr was a permanent member. Looking back, the move made the four so "fab," and Starr’s unconventional approach to drumming changed rock and roll forever. The Genius of Simplicity: Ringo Starr’s Drumming Was Revolutionary.

Starr’s genius was not a flashy exhibition of technique, but was led by emotional intuition, demonstrating his musicality more sensitively. Compared to his contemporaries, Starr’s understated approach was genuinely refreshing. Keith Moon of The Who commanded chaos, Ginger Baker’s virtuosity left jaws on the floor, and Mitch Mitchell’s heavy jazz influence brought a new flavor to psychedelia. But Starr’s supposed, and even mocked, minimalism rang loudly in its impact on rock.

Ringo Starr's drumming was always anything but simple, and he quietly tore down the expectations of rock drummers. Starr was different from childhood, being naturally left-handed. At the time, this wasn’t perceived to be acceptable, so he was forced to drum on a right-handed kit. This, in itself, was enough to result in a slightly unusual, almost delayed, but very personal sound.

But what is truly so special about the style of Starr is how he approaches the drums as a melodic instrument rather than merely a time-keeping tool. In The Beatles, Starr went far beyond using the drums as a simple rhythmic accompaniment; he really entwined them as part of the arrangement. It was revolutionary in the rock world to see how the drums could be so expressive, delicate, and tuneful. This wonderful signature style is particularly prevalent in “In My Life,” “Come Together,” and “Something.”

Starr’s refusal to overplay was a defining mark of class in a band that was sometimes plagued by competitiveness. His emotional stability is evident in his playing, with a steady and reliable backbone that served the songs and band without ever making any fuss. This maturity has, sometimes, been mistaken for simplicity in the past, but Starr is exactly what The Beatles and the music-loving world needed.
Ringo Starr Helped Shape The Beatles’ Cultural Impact

Ringo Starr’s genuinely beautiful drumming is an often-overlooked reason The Beatles are so ingrained in Western popular culture. Starr’s perfectly restrained approach was guided by emotional intuition and served as a form of dialogue within the songs. This emotive drive gives many Beatles songs their well-known charm. His personality can really be felt through his playing and arrangements, relaxed, nonchalant, but very sweet and even amusing.

Source: Fiona MacPherson-Amador/collider.com

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