Meet the Beatle: A Guide to Ringo Starr’s Solo Career in 20 Songs
Since the Beatles called it quits in 1970, the three men who stood in front of the stage have had no problem building their legacies — John Lennon wrote the iconic “Imagine” and “Give Peace a Chance,” George Harrison released All Things Must Pass and spent time as a Traveling Wilbury, Paul McCartney headlines Super Bowl halftime shows and Olympic opening ceremonies.
Drummer Ringo Starr, alas, has not been afforded the same luxury: After a string of hit singles in the early Seventies, he’s mostly been out of the musical spotlight, reappearing as a consummate session man (he’s drummed for Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, Ben Harper among others) or as a voice actor.
Starr’s 2015 Award for Musical Excellence at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony gave the drummer some well-deserved, and long-overdue, props as both a sideman and a solo artist. In the latter role, he’s released 20 studio albums — including, Postcards From Paradise in 2015 and What’s My Name in 2019 — and several books. Catch up with the career of our cover star with these 20 songs.
[Editor’s Note: a version of this list was originally published in March 2015]
